Year: 2015

Chew, chew, chew

| Bloomin' Uterus
Chattering-Teeth

I had  read that chewing your food thoroughly helps with the digestive process, makes you feel fuller, and triggers healthy enzymes and hormones.  Chewing at least 40 times before swallowing ensured *something*…but I forgot what.  I had also recently undergone a 7-day colon cleanse, and without going into the gory details saw a lot of things that surprised me.

So I think I’m going to try to make an effort to chew my food more thoroughly. Maybe not 40 times per mouthful, but definitely more than the half-chew-swallow routine I’ve become accustomed to.  But before I blindly decide to chomp more, I’d like to look into why it may be beneficial. And, of course, that means I’d like to share my findings with you.

What does any of this have to do with Endometriosis? Meh, probably nothing.  BUT…if it can help my body become an optimal working machine, well-greased, and healthy: you bet I’ll try chewing better!

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Truth, Theory, or Tall Tale?

| Bloomin' Uterus
pregnancy test showing positive

Getting pregnant and having a child will cure your Endometriosis growth and pain.

TallTale

Many women are told that if they wish to end their pain and suffering, to get pregnant and have a baby.  This is sort of a Catch 22 : a lot of women with Endometriosis experience infertility problems, yet are told getting pregnant will alleviate their pain and symptoms.

While many women experience relief during their pregnancies, the pain and symptoms of Endometriosis may return after the delivery.  This may be due, in part, to the fact that the women are no longer menstruating.  Their cramps have subsided.  Their hormones have altered.  But it’s temporary.  Many women report a full return of their pain and symptoms once their child is born.  Some women, however, claim to be pain-free after childbirth.

Resources:

American Pregnancy Association

Baby Center

Baby Centre

Endometriosis.org

~ Again, I am a layman.  I do not hold any college degrees, nor mastery of knowledge.  Please take what I say with a grain of salt.  If curious, do your own research 😉 Validate my writings.  Or challenge them.  And ALWAYS feel free to consult with your physician. Always.  Yours ~ Lisa

Feel Good Friday

| Bloomin' Uterus
hi-key photo of a redhead with blue eyes
Photo Copyright: Lisa Drayton

Good morning! We made it through another week!

Today’s quote is from a very special young woman, Anne Frank:

“I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.”

Many of us may focus on the sadness, the past, the mistakes, and the regrets.  Let them go.  Try to move forward.  Embrace the present, the future, focus on the beauty around you. Can’t find any?  Then make some…

We truly cannot move forward until we have been able to find a way to release these shackles.

Have a wonderful weekend.  And may you find beauty within, and around, you.

Yours, Lisa

Sugar : Natural vs. Processed

| Bloomin' Uterus
cut sugar cane

One of my reader’s posed a question after reading yesterday’s blog:  what’s the difference between natural and processed sugar?  My response: “Let me dig!”  So here we are again, with a blog spurned by curiosities!! And after reading all about how sugar is processed, it’s reignited my desire to see if I could take a tour of the Spreckels Sugar plant out in Brawley, CA…

What IS Sugar?

Sugar is a byproduct of photosynthesis and is found in all plants.  It is commonly referred to in three categories: sucrose, fructose, and glucose.

You ever notice on the food label that “Sugar” falls under “Carbohydrates?”  So, sugars are a form of carbs.  Carbs break down into glucose (aka blood sugar) and provide fuel to the body, gives us energy.  It’s what we need.  However, unused energy gets stored in the form of fat.

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Sugar!!! ALL THE SUGAR!

| Bloomin' Uterus
Evaporated Cane Juice Crystals

Today we’ll be talking more about the “Endo Diet,” particularly why we’ve been told to cut out as much processed sugars as possible.  I’ve read that sugar may cause or aggravate inflammation, but it’s time to dig deeper and find the scientific backing to these claims.

What is Inflammation?

Inflammation, when needed, fights bacteria and infections, repairs damaged tissue, and helps our bodies heal faster from injury or illness.    Cells and proteins whiz to the injury or infection site and begin to surround, protect, and heal.  However, like the old saying goes: all things in moderation.  Too much or excess inflammation can actually damage our bodies.  Chronic inflammation may overwhelm or body rendering it unable to maintain a healthy balance and may lead to clogged arteries, stroke, heart disease, asthma, lupus, or a multitude of chronic illnesses.

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Truth, Theory, or Tall Tale?

| Bloomin' Uterus
Taffy puller machine

Endometriosis can weave together your organs.

Truth

Endometriosis may cause internal scarring, called adhesions.  These adhesions may form webs within the body, intertwining and connecting, sometimes causing organs to be “stuck” to one another.  Most often, the bowel and uterus are fused to each other, as are the bladder and the uterus.  Adhesions may also obstruct Fallopian tubes or the bowel, leading to some potential life-threatening issues.  Many women who undergo excision surgery to remove their Endometriosis also have their adhesions separated, cut, and removed.  Unfortunately, though, the simply act of surgery or removing adhesions may lead to more adhesions forming during the healing process.

How to make a complaint against a bad doctor

| Bloomin' Uterus

Time and time again, I hear about people who feel mistreated or neglected by their physicians.  Some of my EndoWarriors have even been verbally abused by their physicians and their staff.  But what can you, as a mistreated patient, do?  Do not simply put your head down and cry.  Do something about it!  Report it to someone of authority.  Here are a few tips on how best to do that:

You can ask to speak with the physician’s supervisor, which may be a higher-up physician in that practice, or even a Customer Service, Quality Control, or Patient Advocacy department.  Larger hospitals may have departments that deal with grievances.  Some physicians work under the umbrella of a medical group. Feel free to send a letter to the doctor and cc: his supervisor/medical group/grievance department, etc.  Give him/her the opportunity to respond to your letter.  Send that piece of correspondence by certified mail with a return receipt so you have confirmation that they’ve received it.

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Feel Good Fridays!

| Bloomin' Uterus
Running beagle with a hilarious face, mouth wide open, tongue hanging out, one eye squinting and the other bulging

We made it through another week! And that means today is Feel Good Friday!

Today’s quote is by American author, Veronica Roth:

“Sometimes crying or laughing are the only things left, and laughing feels better right now.”

I have a lot of friends who are going through a lot of crap right now: whether it be pending surgeries, facing homelessness, money woes, depression, or an overall sense of emptiness…Even when the world feels completely against us and we feel like we’re alone, you always have the choice to either laugh or cry.  Granted, crying in the shower is an amazing sense of relief, but laughing can fill a void, too.  Genuine laughter…try to find it in these dark times and just let it out.  And if that leads to more tears, that’s okay, too.

Most of all, know that you are not alone in your sense of sadness.  And that you have friends and family that are right here for you.

May we all find a reason to laugh today.

Yours, Lisa

Endometriosis & the Eyes

| Bloomin' Uterus
Potted barrel cactus with googly eyes

During my recent research regarding Endometriosis growing on the lungs and spine, I’ve also bumped into references to incredibly rare cases where it’s been found on the eyes, or the structures near the eyes.  THE EYES!  Ugh.  Makes my skin crawl.  So I figured I’d delve a bit into that today.

Most of all of the books and webpages I’ve read that talk about Endometriosis say it can grow on the eyes, but I’m having an extremely difficult time finding case studies or reports online about it.

In 2008 a case report was published of a 13-year-old girl would bleed from her tear duct during her menstrual cycle.  After imaging studies and other tests, it was suspected that she had Endometriosis inside her nasolacrimal canal (it houses the tear ducts); however, due to the location of the tissue, biopsies (and a confirmed diagnosis) were “impossible.”  For treatment, she was put on birth control.  If that didn’t control her symptoms, she would undergo hormone therapy.  I cannot find any follow-up studies on this poor girl (see photograph below).

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