Hello Endo readers,
I have come to a realization that I haven't been doing all I can do to get the word out about this debilitating disease. I really need your support and help to get the word out. All you have to do is follow me on my blogspot page. A couple months ago I sent an e-mail to Ellen degeneres and I haven't heard anything back yet but I am optimistic. I wrote to her telling her about endometriosis and I even told her about some celebrities that have/ had it. I will write her as many times as i can in thehopes of being on her show to spread the awaeness. I am so proud and honored to be apart of something larger than myself. On that note, my new year's resolution is to post to my page every single day of 2014 (sometimes twice a day). I really need your help with some ideas for topics that I can post about. I will also publish a youtube video twice a week about my endo journey, how to videos, and topics that my readers want to share with me. I would like to keep my page and my videos as interactive as possible because I am not the only one with endometriosis.
I have recently been okay with the state of my health other than minor fatigue, depression and anxiety. I feel as though my pain is not as bad as it used to be. I still have months that are worse than others, but I am still able to function. I want everyone to know that your life is not over, yes it is painful and no I am not saying that you should suck it up. All I am saying is that the pain can be better (not completely eliminated). Here's a story that I think you endo fighters may appreciate. One day in my junior year of college I was bent over the toilet, vomiting, screaming in agony, and everything else. I was having the worst endo flare of my exsistance. I got off the toilet and went back to my dorm and passed out in my bed. When I woke up the next morning I looked at myself in the mirror and hated what I felt and said to myself "I cannot live the rest of my life this way". I had my mom drive me to my local natural food store and talked with a woman who specializes in wholistic remedies that help to heal female issues. The more I talked with her, the more I felt like she understood me. Then she out right told me that she has endometriosis and my jaw dropped. I asked her what she did and she told me that she used to be as bad as I was as far as the pain, but she took supplements that made the endo "lie dormant". She told me that it never really goes away but having pain every day isn't normal. This woman was not a doctor (eventhough I think she should be) but she was a woman that's been there and done that and fought. I bought the supplements that day and she told me as I was leaving that it takes at least three months to see results. I immediately felt discouraged. the first supplement she told me to take is called estrosense. It really does balance the estrogen levels in your body. When i started taking the pills my bra size was a 32AA and now I am a 32A. No I am not saying it makes your boobs grow lol. I am saying that my estrogen levels were clearly not balanced.
The next supplement she told me about was evening primrose oil, and it calms your pelvic muscles during mensuration and it's also beneficial for symptoms of PMS. The third one she told me about was scudders, it's not a pill, it's actually a liquid that has a dropper. It tastes horrible but it really works, I put 50 drops into a shot glass and add some water to it and chase it with juice. It aids in cellular function (makes it better), it also removes bad tissues from the body. I saw a changes in my behavior the first month, I was calmer and didn't have bad PMDD, my bust size grew as previously stated, and my complexion was a little better. I still had pain, but my bleeding wasn't as heavy. Each month the pain lessened and lessened until the fourth month I was taking advil and in class during the start of my period which was extremely rare. I didn't have the pain leading up to my period. The only thing I didn't like was loosing weight. During the start of the supplements I was 110lbs and I dropped down to 100lbs (I am 5'3). I am used to having some curves and it scared me a a little bit but I wouldn't trade how I felt for the world. I get that everyone is different and it may not work for you, but I want to give you ladies a less invasive option than conventional hormones or surgeries because the natural wau really did help me, but I had to work for it. The supplements really helped when I was doing the endo diet combined with it. I have stopped both and the pain is starting to come back (not nearly as severe) but I went back to buy some more and I am back on my journey to wellness. Well I want to share the name of the woman who has helped me so much in the hopes of helping more women. Her name is Laurel Sterling http://www.natur-tyme.com/our-family.html she's on this website. Yellow hugs to all of you beautiful endo sisters. Merry Christmas and I'll see you all after the new year.
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Having a positive attitude WARNING READ WITH CAUTION
I would like to talk about keeping a positive outlook on life while having endometriosis. WARNING I KNOW THIS BLOG POST MIGHT IRRITATE SOME PEOPLE BUT I HAVE TO SPEAK MY MIND... Isn't that what freedom of speech is all about anyways? I have noticed that when ever I go into any endometriosis forum for some insight into something that I'm going through, it always seems like there's another person or people who always try to make their situation sound worse that yours (which may be the case), but sometimes all I'm trying to look for is a little encouragement not a game of "Who has endometriosis the worst". I completely get that sometimes you are deeply involved with pain, work, being a parent, and the list goes on, but we should try going outside of ourselves and try to help other people besides ourselves. Honestly, having endo isn't the worst thing you can possibly have. Yes the pain is crippling, yes my moods are all over the place but when I go into work at the hospital I am surrounded by people that need help and that wakes me up a little bit.
I am in no way insinuating that having endometriosis is easy, or that you ALWAYS have to be positive, but excluding men from the endometriosis forums, as well as attacking other women who don't have the same symptoms as you gives women with this disease a bad reputation for being bitchy. There are somedays that I cannot move or even get out of bed, but to be honest I can't let endometriosis take over my life because I know that if I do, the disease will win. I think that talking about endo online is very inspirational to me and I admire it. I just wish that if a woman expresses the way she feels about a certain topic or asks for advice, that women don't all respond trying to top their endo symptoms. Just because everyone doesn't experience endometriosis the same way, doesn't mean that one person has it worse than the next. This disease is very unique to every single woman and it effects men just as much as it effects women.
I am going to leave you with a story that I heard the a couple years ago...... There was a girl who was very depressed, she walked into a store and bought some gum. Meanwhile, the store clerk had a bad day because she was dealing with health issues, a baby at home, and she didn't feel like working that day. The store clerk looked the girl up and down and gave her a mean scowl. The store clerk then yelled at the girl and told her that she wouldn't ring her out because the girl only had a pack of gum to buy. The girl left the store in tears, went home and took her own life. When the store clerk came back to work 3 days later she read the newspaper and saw that the girl had taken her own life. The store clerk found out that the girl had cancer and that she had had 4 weeks to live. The store clerk felt bad and wished that she hadn't been mean to the girl, but she was having a bad day. My point is that we never know what person is going through, so we should try to think about that when responding to people online or even when we deal with people in real life. Yes, your situation might seem bad, but someone else might be going through a lot too.
I am in no way insinuating that having endometriosis is easy, or that you ALWAYS have to be positive, but excluding men from the endometriosis forums, as well as attacking other women who don't have the same symptoms as you gives women with this disease a bad reputation for being bitchy. There are somedays that I cannot move or even get out of bed, but to be honest I can't let endometriosis take over my life because I know that if I do, the disease will win. I think that talking about endo online is very inspirational to me and I admire it. I just wish that if a woman expresses the way she feels about a certain topic or asks for advice, that women don't all respond trying to top their endo symptoms. Just because everyone doesn't experience endometriosis the same way, doesn't mean that one person has it worse than the next. This disease is very unique to every single woman and it effects men just as much as it effects women.
I am going to leave you with a story that I heard the a couple years ago...... There was a girl who was very depressed, she walked into a store and bought some gum. Meanwhile, the store clerk had a bad day because she was dealing with health issues, a baby at home, and she didn't feel like working that day. The store clerk looked the girl up and down and gave her a mean scowl. The store clerk then yelled at the girl and told her that she wouldn't ring her out because the girl only had a pack of gum to buy. The girl left the store in tears, went home and took her own life. When the store clerk came back to work 3 days later she read the newspaper and saw that the girl had taken her own life. The store clerk found out that the girl had cancer and that she had had 4 weeks to live. The store clerk felt bad and wished that she hadn't been mean to the girl, but she was having a bad day. My point is that we never know what person is going through, so we should try to think about that when responding to people online or even when we deal with people in real life. Yes, your situation might seem bad, but someone else might be going through a lot too.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
From a man's perspective
Hello all,
It's been a while since I have written due to my surgery. I was in a lot of pain but, I want to do something a little bit different. Most of you have heard of what endometriosis has done to women. My fiancé and I have been together for 2 1/2 years and he has seen the good, the bad and the ugliness of what endometriosis has done to my life. I want him to write to you all about what he has seen.....
Hello everyone,
To tell you the truth I didn't even know that Endometriosis existed when I met Annie, but I made sure that I read up everything I could find on it after she mentioned it to me. I wanted to know if there was anything I could do to better her condition or maybe even something she could do that she wasn't already aware of. A lot of what she had to do to better her condition was eating right (organic, gluten free)and some moderate exercise. What I came to experience in the 2 1/2 years that we've been together has shown me the emotional toll that endometriosis can take on a person and a relationship. A lot of times the minor arguments that a couple will experience will be magnified because of the way endometriosis effects their hormones. She tended to have really bad sudden mood swings and I have learned and grown to be patient. I have always questioned whether it was me or if maybe it was just her personality, but I have seen that Annie has a constant struggle to deal with Endometriosis and I've grown to be even more understanding. This experience has been very difficult for me, but I can say that ultimately it has strengthened and matured me as a man. Through the process we have both grown and endometriosis is hardly a determining factor in our relationship the way it used to be. It used to be something we struggled with, now it's just something we've learned to conquer.
It's been a while since I have written due to my surgery. I was in a lot of pain but, I want to do something a little bit different. Most of you have heard of what endometriosis has done to women. My fiancé and I have been together for 2 1/2 years and he has seen the good, the bad and the ugliness of what endometriosis has done to my life. I want him to write to you all about what he has seen.....
Hello everyone,
To tell you the truth I didn't even know that Endometriosis existed when I met Annie, but I made sure that I read up everything I could find on it after she mentioned it to me. I wanted to know if there was anything I could do to better her condition or maybe even something she could do that she wasn't already aware of. A lot of what she had to do to better her condition was eating right (organic, gluten free)and some moderate exercise. What I came to experience in the 2 1/2 years that we've been together has shown me the emotional toll that endometriosis can take on a person and a relationship. A lot of times the minor arguments that a couple will experience will be magnified because of the way endometriosis effects their hormones. She tended to have really bad sudden mood swings and I have learned and grown to be patient. I have always questioned whether it was me or if maybe it was just her personality, but I have seen that Annie has a constant struggle to deal with Endometriosis and I've grown to be even more understanding. This experience has been very difficult for me, but I can say that ultimately it has strengthened and matured me as a man. Through the process we have both grown and endometriosis is hardly a determining factor in our relationship the way it used to be. It used to be something we struggled with, now it's just something we've learned to conquer.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Endometriosis Youtube Video
I will be posting more videos documenting my journey to healing... Stay tuned
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Laparoscopic Surgery
Hello,
I am going in for my third laparoscopic surgery on Tuesday September 17th. I will be making a youtube video to document my surgery. This will be my 3rd surgery within 6 years. This past month was extremely painful and I experienced a lot of bleeding which is abnormal for me at least. All I could think about was how I was feeling, the pain and bloating that I was experiencing, and the massive blood loss. I was trying to get opinions from my co-workers at the hospital and one of them told me "well you're not that bad off, just take a look at some of the patients on the floor". My first instinct was to get mad at him for saying that, but then I thought about it and I talk a lot about myself and my condition instead of branching out and helping others through my pain. I want to help people, especially since my goal is to become an OB/GYN specializing in Endometriosis.
Working around so many sick people, I feel guilty and selfish at times for thinking negatively about my condition when people are sitting in beds with cancer or heart attacks. Some times it's hard not to be a little selfish when you think that the pain is only happening to you and that's normal. But sometimes I get so absorbed in my symptoms that it's hard for me not to think negatively. My goal is to think more positive about the situation that I am in. Instead of saying "Why me? Why am I in all of this pain?" I can say "How can I help someone else with their pain?"I always try my hardest not to judge other people because I don't know what their going through in their lives. Going into this surgery on Tuesday I am a little apprehensive though I know it is for the best. I will let you guys know how it went. Have an awesome day!!
I am going in for my third laparoscopic surgery on Tuesday September 17th. I will be making a youtube video to document my surgery. This will be my 3rd surgery within 6 years. This past month was extremely painful and I experienced a lot of bleeding which is abnormal for me at least. All I could think about was how I was feeling, the pain and bloating that I was experiencing, and the massive blood loss. I was trying to get opinions from my co-workers at the hospital and one of them told me "well you're not that bad off, just take a look at some of the patients on the floor". My first instinct was to get mad at him for saying that, but then I thought about it and I talk a lot about myself and my condition instead of branching out and helping others through my pain. I want to help people, especially since my goal is to become an OB/GYN specializing in Endometriosis.
Working around so many sick people, I feel guilty and selfish at times for thinking negatively about my condition when people are sitting in beds with cancer or heart attacks. Some times it's hard not to be a little selfish when you think that the pain is only happening to you and that's normal. But sometimes I get so absorbed in my symptoms that it's hard for me not to think negatively. My goal is to think more positive about the situation that I am in. Instead of saying "Why me? Why am I in all of this pain?" I can say "How can I help someone else with their pain?"I always try my hardest not to judge other people because I don't know what their going through in their lives. Going into this surgery on Tuesday I am a little apprehensive though I know it is for the best. I will let you guys know how it went. Have an awesome day!!
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Mental issues associated with Endometriosis
Hello again,
People know that pain is generally associated with endometriosis as well as infertility issues. A huge misconception about endometriosis is that pain and infertility issues are the only issues that result from the condition. Mental health issues are very common in women with endometriosis. It's hard not to have mental issues due to unbalanced hormone levels. Endometriosis is responsible for issues like depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, anxiety, and etc... I can always feel when my period is about to start because I feel like the whole world is crumbling down on my life. I am not pleasant to be around, I feel bad because I can't help it and no one understands. It's especially hard when my friends want to go out somewhere but I can't go because I can't even get out of bed because I'm crying my eyes out and don't know why.
Even after my period I am still very sensitive and I always feel anxious like something is going to happen, but nothing ever does. Growing up I was always tired, I just thought that I was just a lazy teenager, but I was doing gymnastics, cheerleading and working out 6 days a week. All I would ever do is sleep and I never knew why, but being depressed due to unbalanced hormone levels makes me very tired and thinking about the pain makes me very stressed out so all I would want to do is to sleep and hope that my condition would go away. I had always felt like no one understood me or that I was going crazy. It's so hard for me to be in a relationship because my hormones make me feel so wishy washy towards my significant other. I am still trying to find something that calms my moods down. I have been trying tension tea, you can buy it at any grocery store it hasn't worked yet but I'm still drinking it. It's pretty good. Any suggestions?
People know that pain is generally associated with endometriosis as well as infertility issues. A huge misconception about endometriosis is that pain and infertility issues are the only issues that result from the condition. Mental health issues are very common in women with endometriosis. It's hard not to have mental issues due to unbalanced hormone levels. Endometriosis is responsible for issues like depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, anxiety, and etc... I can always feel when my period is about to start because I feel like the whole world is crumbling down on my life. I am not pleasant to be around, I feel bad because I can't help it and no one understands. It's especially hard when my friends want to go out somewhere but I can't go because I can't even get out of bed because I'm crying my eyes out and don't know why.
Even after my period I am still very sensitive and I always feel anxious like something is going to happen, but nothing ever does. Growing up I was always tired, I just thought that I was just a lazy teenager, but I was doing gymnastics, cheerleading and working out 6 days a week. All I would ever do is sleep and I never knew why, but being depressed due to unbalanced hormone levels makes me very tired and thinking about the pain makes me very stressed out so all I would want to do is to sleep and hope that my condition would go away. I had always felt like no one understood me or that I was going crazy. It's so hard for me to be in a relationship because my hormones make me feel so wishy washy towards my significant other. I am still trying to find something that calms my moods down. I have been trying tension tea, you can buy it at any grocery store it hasn't worked yet but I'm still drinking it. It's pretty good. Any suggestions?
Monday, September 9, 2013
Supplements
Hello All,
I know that I just posted about the endo diet, but the reason that it has worked for me is because I combine it with supplements. I couldn't just do the diet alone honestly because I don't think that it can work without me clearing my system out first. First, I take a daily supplement called estrosense and it literally balances out my estrogen levels immediately. I have to take 2 pills a day and drink this stuff called scutters. It's the nastiest thing you will ever taste in your life, but honestly for me, it works! What it does is it cleans your body out and rids of any bad tissues. Then I take 1capsule of evening primrose oil a day and it calms my nerves and soothes the pain away. Has anyone else tried this? I swear it's a savior, but it's pretty expensive for all three. Please consult a professional (dr, nurse, nutritionist, etc) before you take any of these!
I know that I just posted about the endo diet, but the reason that it has worked for me is because I combine it with supplements. I couldn't just do the diet alone honestly because I don't think that it can work without me clearing my system out first. First, I take a daily supplement called estrosense and it literally balances out my estrogen levels immediately. I have to take 2 pills a day and drink this stuff called scutters. It's the nastiest thing you will ever taste in your life, but honestly for me, it works! What it does is it cleans your body out and rids of any bad tissues. Then I take 1capsule of evening primrose oil a day and it calms my nerves and soothes the pain away. Has anyone else tried this? I swear it's a savior, but it's pretty expensive for all three. Please consult a professional (dr, nurse, nutritionist, etc) before you take any of these!
Endo diet
Yes, yes, yes!!! I know that you've heard it a million times that you should eat right because you have endo but a lot of women don't know exactly WHAT to eat. I have tried it and personally I feel like it has helped me tremendously!!!! No, it didn't work the first month, but I saw a difference as far as bloating, pain, and depression. Here's what to do:
These are the foods to abstain from:
-Caffeine
-Processed sugars
-Wheat
-Red Meat
-Gluten
-Soy
-chocolate
-processed dairy
-eggs
-fried foods
-saturated fats
-additives and preservatives
-alcohol
The reasons that you should abstain from these foods is because most of them when digested, act as pseudo (false) estrogens in your body and as most of you may no, that's a big negative when it comes to endometriosis. The scar tissue thrives and grows from estrogen that we have in our bodies. Think of it like this, the endometrium that is supposed to be lining our uteruses thickens and grows due to increasing estrogen levels in our bodies, and then sheds when the estrogen levels fall during menstruation. That same endometrium that is lining the outside of your colon or even your small intestine for example grows and sheds the exact same way! So it's our job to slow down the growth of endometrium by abstaining from these estrogen rich foods.
If you can, organic fruits and vegetables are the way to go. You can actually replace most of the bad foods with foods you'll love. I know for me, I am obsessed with almond milk and almond cheese it tastes just like the real thing. Anyone else try the endo diet and would like to share their experiences please let me know. :) Also, speak with a professional to see if the endo diet is something that would work for you.
These are the foods to abstain from:
-Caffeine
-Processed sugars
-Wheat
-Red Meat
-Gluten
-Soy
-chocolate
-processed dairy
-eggs
-fried foods
-saturated fats
-additives and preservatives
-alcohol
The reasons that you should abstain from these foods is because most of them when digested, act as pseudo (false) estrogens in your body and as most of you may no, that's a big negative when it comes to endometriosis. The scar tissue thrives and grows from estrogen that we have in our bodies. Think of it like this, the endometrium that is supposed to be lining our uteruses thickens and grows due to increasing estrogen levels in our bodies, and then sheds when the estrogen levels fall during menstruation. That same endometrium that is lining the outside of your colon or even your small intestine for example grows and sheds the exact same way! So it's our job to slow down the growth of endometrium by abstaining from these estrogen rich foods.
If you can, organic fruits and vegetables are the way to go. You can actually replace most of the bad foods with foods you'll love. I know for me, I am obsessed with almond milk and almond cheese it tastes just like the real thing. Anyone else try the endo diet and would like to share their experiences please let me know. :) Also, speak with a professional to see if the endo diet is something that would work for you.
Endometriosis
Hello Everyone,
My name is Annie and I have Endometriosis. As most of you may already know, it's a very painful and debilitating disease. When I first experienced my period I thought like most women, I had cramps. As I got older they got worse and I noticed that I wasn't just cramping on my period but I was hurting even when I wasn't bleeding. I had suspicions that it was this because I had researched it years before I was actually diagnosed, but it was such a relief for me to know that I couldn't help the fact that I was in agony. I created this blog so that women can be aware that there are things you can do in order to decrease or even eliminate the pain, I am a living testament to that. I hope that you ladies can give me proper feedback and also give me some insight into what helped you and what didn't help you.
My name is Annie and I have Endometriosis. As most of you may already know, it's a very painful and debilitating disease. When I first experienced my period I thought like most women, I had cramps. As I got older they got worse and I noticed that I wasn't just cramping on my period but I was hurting even when I wasn't bleeding. I had suspicions that it was this because I had researched it years before I was actually diagnosed, but it was such a relief for me to know that I couldn't help the fact that I was in agony. I created this blog so that women can be aware that there are things you can do in order to decrease or even eliminate the pain, I am a living testament to that. I hope that you ladies can give me proper feedback and also give me some insight into what helped you and what didn't help you.
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