Endometriosis, painful sex, and low libido despite surgery & pelvic PT

I was diagnosed via laparoscopic surgery with stage 1 endometriosis two years ago. I got married the summer before and had been a virgin up to that point. I discovered sex was extremely painful on my wedding night, which is what led to multiple gynecologist visits, a referral to an endometriosis specialist, and eventually surgery.

The surgery improved my pain with sex from about a 9-10/10 to a 5-6/10, but intercourse is still painful. I completed over a year of pelvic floor PT after surgery, but unfortunately didn’t see much additional improvement. I’ve also tried bioidentical progesterone during my luteal phase, CBD intimacy melts, prescription vaginal Valium after sex, and therapy to help manage stress and anxiety.

At this point, I feel like I’m struggling with both the physical and emotional sides of all of this. The pain is still there, but my chronic low libido has become an equally significant issue. I don’t think about sex, don’t really desire sex or other forms of intimacy, and overall feel disconnected from that part of myself. It’s hard to tell sometimes where the pain ends and the low libido begins.

My husband has been incredibly patient, loving, and understanding through all of this. He never pressures me and has been supportive every step of the way. At the same time, he understandably misses that connection with me, and I often feel guilty that I can’t seem to give him that part of our marriage. Even though he says there is no pressure, I still put pressure on myself because I feel like I’m letting him down.

I’m feeling hopeless, defeated that nothing seems to work, frustrated that I don’t feel sexual, and stuck on where to go from here. I sometimes feel like my body has failed me, and I worry that this is just how things will always be.

Has anyone dealt with something similar? If so, how did you navigate it? Was there anything that helped improve your libido, pain with sex, or the emotional side of all of this? I’d be grateful for any experiences or advice. Thank you!!!