Endometriosis

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Preparing for Surgery

by 6 Comments
May
23
2011
Surgery Checklist

Dealing with any disease is stressful and challenging. The doctors appointments, medications, and sick days are common fixtures in our lives. Unfortunately with endometriosis, surgery often happens more than once throughout a warrior's lifetime with the disease. At this point, endometriosis can only be officially diagnosed through a diagnostic laparoscopy. Facing an incurable illness diagnosis is scary enough on its own but when it is accompanied by surgery, it can be a stressful and frightening time. When I was diagnosed with endometriosis at the age of 22, I had never had surgery before. I had only been in the hospital as a very young child for a bad case of the flu and only have vague memories of the experience. So when my doctor discussed the prospect of surgery, I was incredibly scared. I was hours away from home. I had only known this doctor for a couple weeks. The thought of anesthesia terrified me thanks to an article I had read once in high school anatomy class. Needless to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Endometriosis

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month!

by 12 Comments
Feb
28
2011
endo awareness month

National Endometriosis Awareness Month is upon us once again! If you are anything like me, you may wonder, what on earth does it mean and how can I be a part of it? Granted it is not like October where every venue you enter is flooded with pink and where the general public has an understanding of what the pink ribbon stands for, but that does not mean we cannot make a difference! Here are some easy ways to get involved in Endo Awareness Month this March: Sport a yellow shirt on Yellow Shirt Day which takes place on March 1st and ask your friends and loved ones to do the same! What if we were able to flood the month of March with yellow the way October is saturated in pink? Would Congress then take notice and raise funding so that we can find a cure? Sport an Endometriosis Awareness Shirt as often as possible the rest of the month (and year)! Fight Like a Girl has an amazing selection of kickin' shirts for endo warriors like you and me. I don't know if there is a stigma attached … [Read more...]

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The Unspoken Side Effect of Endometriosis

by 53 Comments
Jan
21
2011
Unspoken Side Effects Endometriosis

Its a simple three letter world. The media loves it. It sells products. And TLC made a hit song about it in the 90s. If you haven't guessed it, I'm talking about sex. Yes, this shy, introverted youth pastor's wife is writing an article about sex. I never thought I would see the day but honestly it is a part of endometriosis that needs to be talked about.It is a very real and very painful part of having this disease however I think that many women, myself included, find it hard to talk about. I remember feeling so awkward talking to my doctor about it the first time (then infertility happened and after fertility treatments all modesty and privacy regarding sex went out the wind0w). I think many of us consider our sex lives private and dealing with unbearable pain is bad enough but the disease impacts our most private and sacred aspects of our lives, it can be very hard to deal with. My husband and I waited until we were married to have sex. While it made for a somewhat awkward … [Read more...]

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Surviving the Holidays with Endo And Other Chronic Illness

by 8 Comments
Nov
19
2010
Surviving The Holidays

We are officially on a week's countdown until the mad rush begins for Christmas. These days I almost feel like Thanksgiving gets left out on the holiday value scale. Its like the day to pig out and rest up for the busiest shopping day of the year - Black Friday. Are you one of those crazies that gets up at the crack of down (or never goes to sleep) to score a good deal? Does the same mad rush feeling plague you the entire month of December? I think the holidays can be draining on the healthiest person there is but for us spoonies, the fatigue can be devastating! So how can we get through the holidays  and actually ENJOY them? I've asked myself this question a lot over the past few weeks. We bought our first home this year and with Abby coming to an age where she actually recognizes some things about Christmas, we let our families know that we are staying home this year (no travel!) but they know where we live and are welcome to join us. Well, of course, this means I am hosting … [Read more...]

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Fallen Warrior: My Hysterectomy Experience Part 2

by 15 Comments
Oct
05
2010
fallen

Click Here to Read Part 1 A few minutes later, the nurse came into the room and announced that they were ready. Without any warning, the tears came swiftly and in abundance.  My husband hugged me and I couldn't let him go.  I can remember repeating "I can't do this. I don't know if I can do this." We both cried and friends and family gathered around for a time of prayer.  One of the ladies at my church had knitted me a prayer shawl and the nurses were kind enough to allow me to take it back with me. I finally let me husband go and he gave my hand one final squeeze and they wheeled me out the double doors.  Once in the OR, they moved me to the table.  A nurse with kind eyes and a sweet smile peered over me and said that my doctor was on the way down so they could go ahead and give me the sedation or I could wait to speak with her if I had any questions.  I had loads of questions going through my head so I wanted to stay awake. Before I knew it I woke up in recovery with … [Read more...]

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Fallen Warrior: My Hysterectomy Experience Part 1

by 13 Comments
Sep
22
2010
fallen

It was a beautiful spring day when our battle over whether to pursue adoption or IVF (in vitro fertilization) was decided. It was not a decision that was made lightly as it weighed heavy on our thoughts for weeks.  My husband and I had been trying to get pregnant for 2 1/2 years but had been unsuccessful even with fertility treatments.  We tried cycles of both Clomid and Femera as well as 2 IUIs (intrauterine insemination).  Month after month, we would be optimistic only to be let down. Let me say upfront that we had both male and female infertility.  Endometriosis does not necessarily mean an infertility sentence.  In fact, statistics show that 80% of women with endo will not have any problems getting pregnant (source).  So please don't let my story scare you.  After all, it is just my story. We began to wrestle with the decision of what to do next after we were told that IVF would be our only hope of getting pregnant.  IVF is expensive and there are no … [Read more...]

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Taming the Endo Monster

by 6 Comments
Sep
08
2010
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

For some women, dealing with endometriosis feels like being in a state of perpetual PMS.  For others, it becomes a game of Jekyll and Hyde during that time of the month.  Or during ovulation.  Or all the time. It is different for each woman but I would think that all woman with endometriosis would say that there are moments where they feel that endo has turned them into a monster. As you probably know, endometriosis responds to hormones.  It is the estrogen produced by the ovaries that cause the endometriosis to grow and spread.  As your body responds to signals from your hormones, endo does the same.  When you bleed during  your period, it bleeds and spreads within your body.  Eventually it can begin to produce its own hormones and become almost self-sustaining. So as we think about all of the hormones that are involved in endometriosis, think about the top treatments for endometriosis -  hormones!  A vast array of birth control pills, patches, and rings are … [Read more...]

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When The Doctor Says Its Endometriosis

by 32 Comments
Aug
31
2010
doctor

Seven years ago, I remember sitting in my doctor's office when I first heard her say, "I think you may have endometriosis."  At that point, I only knew two things about endo: 1) it has something to do with scar tissue and 2) it can cause infertility. Surgery was scheduled and on September 17, 2003 it was confirmed that I had endometriosis.  A month later I signed myself up to start Depot Lupron.  My biggest mistake was not starting to research my disease until after I began a treatment that I knew nothing about. So let my loss be your gain!  Here are 3 things that I have learned over the last 7 years that I wish someone would have told me when I was diagnosed: Educate Yourself. Read books.  Research online.  While you cannot trust everything that you read on the internet, there are awesome resources out there!    I completely regret not research Lupron before starting treatment as I know that if I had taken the time to do so, I would never have taken it and I know … [Read more...]

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Endometriosis and Cancer Risk

by
Aug
06
2010
Endometriosis and Cancer Risk

Women who have endometriosis may be at higher risk for cancer according to an article published in Medscape.com. Almost ninety million women suffer fro m this disease – almost all of them pre-menopausal. Although this disease isn’t life threatening, it can cause a lot of pain and discomfort for women who are unfortunate enough to deal with it. What is Endometriosis? Endometriosis is a disease where uterine tissue is deposited in other parts of the pelvic cavity including the ovaries, fallopian tubes, intestines, and bladder. This causes women to have very painful menstrual cramps and some women experience pain with intercourse, back pain, and infertility. No one is sure what causes it, but there’s a theory that “retrograde menstruation” occurs in women with endometriosis where the menstrual flow backs up into the fallopian tubes and abdominal cavity causing portions of the uterine lining to be deposited in other parts of the pelvic cavity. Endometriosis and Cancer … [Read more...]

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