This morning, I went for a second opinion on my current reproductive status. Back in late August, my Well Woman Exam turned into a possible endometriosis diagnosis. So I decided to go for another opinion before pursuing further treatment options.

And I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the doctor. New doctors are always interesting, especially those related to gynecology. But this doctor reinforced the idea that doctors can actually be helpful, understanding, and interested in what you actually feel or need.

So his opinion was that endometriosis is the likely choice as to the causes of some of my reproductive issues. Since I've tried most of the obvious treatment choices (NSAIDs, birth control pills, and pain management), the next step for a woman my age is surgery.

Surgery...tentatively scheduled for mid-December. After discussing it with my mom, a friend, and myself, I'm almost positive I'm going to do it. I'm at prime moment in my life to get this accomplished. And I'm also at the end of the health rope as to what else to do. A definitive diagnosis for at least once condition would be incredible.

My insurance is terrific right now. I'm not employed full time. And I'll have Christmas break to recover and get my bearings with whatever happens. Plus, I'm young so recovery will be easier. I'm excited and anxious about it, even though it's three months away.

I'm excited that I might get rid of some of the pain I've been dealing with. I'm excited that I can get an answer as to what might be causing this pain. And I'm excited that progress is in the near future.

There's another part of my health that I'm hoping will show progress fairly soon. As I mentioned, I started a new prescription a couple of weeks ago. It's supposed to help with the acne, although I haven't really seen any differences (it's supposed to take about 1-3 months to show progress). But I've also been looking at rosacea, instead of acne.

My skin hasn't responded to most treatments. The acne is different than "normal" acne. I also have slight redness, tingling, and facial swelling that all started around the same time. So I'm leaning towards rosacea as a possible explanation. Hopefully, the dermatologist can give me a better idea in October.

And hopefully that means I might be able to get a different treatment to finally see some progress on that end of the spectrum. Progress is a beautiful thing after three years of the unknown. I can't even begin to express how hopeful I am at this moment. Life has completely turned around lately and I'm feeling (slowly) restored.