I’m 26 and have been using the boards on and off since my EP, which was six years ago.
When I had my EP, I really didn’t expect it. I was a student and a bit daft, and hadn’t been very careful. The road to diagnosis was a complete nightmare - I spent about a fortnight going in and out of hospital getting my bloods done, being in agony at night. I eventually got taken in and had my op done. I didn’t really understand what was going on most of the time. It took hours after the surgery to find out if my tubes were intact (they weren’t; one got taken out), and I got told that I might need IVF, but that was it.
Anyway, I tried to work things out with my then partner, but things gradually disintegrated. I got really depressed a few months after the EP during my finals; I blamed myself for being fat and unhealthy and started making myself throw up after meals, and was a complete mess for a while.
I sorted myself out and came off antidepressants, and left Uni without doing an honours year because my priorities had changed; I thought I’d have kids when I was in my 30s but realised I might not be able to by then. I was worried about not being about to have a family when I wanted one, but couldn’t afford one and thought I should get a job.
I spent the intervening years finishing off my studies and working; this was pretty frustrating at times as it felt as if I’d never get a decent job and would forever be temping or doing boring admin rubbish, and would never be able to afford to buy a house and gear up to starting a family. However, I’ve now got a decent job. I split up with my ex a few years ago; it was pretty tortuous as I think we both felt we should stay together partly because of the EP, but we’d been going out since we were teenagers and have both changed a lot. I ended up marrying one of my best friends who understood about the ep and that we’d have to start trying a bit earlier then we otherwise would have.
I suppose the silver lining to having an EP is that it’s made me push myself forward, career wise, and I’ve spent less time faffing about than I might have done. I sometimes wish I’d taken a year out to travel, but figured that I could do that when I was older and the whole baby thing had to take priority.
We’ve been TTC for a year now. I gave up smoking a few years ago, have lost 3 stones and am cutting down on the booze a lot (which, tbh, is the bit I find hardest; I hope there’s nothing in Diet Irn Bru that harms chances of conception because I now drink gallons of it as a subsitute for cava!).
Anyway, that’s where I am now - sorry if that was kind of rambling!