So here we are, at another Friday (already?!)! And you know what that means! A little bit of uplifting, feel goods to get you through your weekend.
Today’s quote is by musician, Criss Jami:
“To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable; to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength.”
This is so very true! Hang in there, friends! And know that it is okay to open yourself up to others and let them in…
Have a wonderful weekend!
~Lisa
So once or twice a month, our little group of EndoSisters gets together for food, drinks, hugs, laughter, tears, and support. Tonight was one such meeting. And they’re always amazing, regardless of how many, or how few, people are able to attend.
One of my fellow EndoWarriors brought up an incredible question this evening, which inspires tonight’s blog:
Continue readingWhy isn’t there more info out there about life AFTER Lupron Depot? There’s plenty out there about life before and during, but not after.
Any gynecologist can surgically remove Endometriosis.
Endometriosis is largely considered a gynecological disease. So it makes sense that your gynecologist would be the one to suspect it, open you up, remove, and diagnose the disease. Right? Wrong.
Although some of us have been lucky enough to have gynecologists who are skilled Endo excision surgeons; many women are not. Some physicians will never even suspect Endo, or claim it’s “all in your head,” denying any further diagnostic tests or studies. Some gynecologists simply will not perform a laparoscopic surgery, claiming a continuous regimen of pain pills and injections will suffice to mask the pain. Others will open you up to confirm the presence of the disease, only to sew you back up and refer you to a “qualified surgeon” for the removal of any Endo and/or adhesions.
Not all doctors are created equal. And it’s unfortunate. And not all people with Endo have it in the same spot.
Your gynecologist or excision surgeon may be able to remove Endo from your pelvic area and some of your torso; however, if Endo is found in other locations such as the lung, spine, or brain, you’ll be referred to a surgeon specializing in those areas of the body. It is not purely a gynecological disease.
It is purely an insane mess.
We made it to another Friday!! *woohoo*
Today’s Feel Good quote is by British Author, John Brunner:
“I’m myself, not a label.”
I love this! I’ve always hated labels:
I’m fat. I’m skinny.
I’m a leader. I’m a follower.
I’m popular. I’m alone.
I’m amazing. I’m mediocre.
I’m not good enough. I’m too good for this.
I’m a victim. I’m a survivor.
I’m strong. I’m weak.
I am all of these things. And none of these things.
Words have power. And labels limit, influence, and affect us. Let them go. Let them shed away.
I’m just me. Plain and simple : me.
If you can embrace and love you for you, and not hang onto labels, you may just okay with who you are. You are you. And people love you for you. And you can love you, too. Just as you are.
Have a wonderful weekend, and for you American readers : a safe and happy Fourth!
Yours, Lisa
Two weeks ago a paper was published in the Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica journal. The first reported case of an Endometrioma in a dog. A German Shepherd, to be precise. Now don’t be too surprised; primates have been found to develope endometriosis: gorillas, monkeys, and baboons. But this is the first time captured in literature that an animal has developed an Endometrioma. What’s that? A blood-filled cyst consistent with Endometriosis, sometimes referred to as a Chocolate Cyst.
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One year ago yesterday I underwent surgery to remove a cyst from my ovary: a simple, routine one-hour procedure. However, it turned into an exploratory, diagnostic, and excision surgery for a chronic, incurable disease. A parasitic, weed-like infestation created by my own body, blood, and tissue: Endometriosis. The surgery ended up taking four hours. Yes, four grueling hours of worry for my Mom and Jim as they sat in the waiting room, completely in the dark of why my surgery was taking so long.
I’d had no idea what Endo was. But it had something to do with the severe pain I’d felt almost my entire life since my teenaged years. The pain I had grown accustomed to being told “It’s normal,” by friends, family, and the medical community. My surgeon showed me pictures of the procedure, pointed out the unnatural dots that speckled my insides and the web-like scarring which bound organs together, which he had done his best to remove. And said it will come back…
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Suicide and Endometriosis has been a topic heavy on my heart for the past seven months. Am I suicidal? No. However, last year there were several EndoWarriors who committed suicide. And this year a few more have. Too many. But can easily understand their hopelessness: pain; no cure; the potential for multiple surgeries; regrowth; Western medicine, alternative medicine, natural supplements, snake oils, relief, recurrence, and the cycle starts all over again. Not to mention a sense of being completely alone, misunderstood, misdiagnosed, mistreated by physicians, mislabeled as drug-seekers, fakers, and crazies.
I’ve been trying to think of ways that I can help. In a small way. Or a big way. And I’ve fallen short on ideas… But today I’ve learned of a group where Warriors with suicidal thoughts can go for help. An old-fashioned phone-line group. Yes, that’s right. You can email, PM, or call someone if you need to talk. Talk with someone who is in your shoes. Who knows what you’re going through…because they’re going through it, too. Understand that you are not alone, and understand that people want to listen. And help.
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We made it to another Friday! And you know what that means:
Today’s quote is by American actress, Audrey Hepburn:
“Nothing is impossible. The word itself says, ‘I’m possible!'”
It’s hard to remember this principle when things are down in the dumps, the task is too great, or life is just so overwhelming. But try. Try to remember that you can get through it. Whatever “it” may be.
And if you need help, we can do it together.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Yours,
Lisa
Women with a higher stage of Endometriosis are in more pain than those with a lower stage.
There are four regularly accepted stages of Endometriosis: 1 through 4 (I – IV). I was diagnosed with Stage IV Endometriosis, but does that mean my pain was far greater than someone with Stage I?
No.
The Stage level merely identifies the intensity of presence and damage by Endometriosis and adhesions. And oddly enough, someone with Stage I, with very little Endo present, may have far greater pain that someone with Stage IV. And someone with Stage IV may not have any symptoms and be stunned to learn they have Endometriosis.
Does that mean someone with Stage IV doesn’t have pain? No. This disease is individualized for every woman. There is no “standard” way to diagnose a woman’s pain level purely based on the stage of her disease. Any woman with Stage I, II, III, or IV may have no pain or may be in excruciating, debilitating pain.
Bloomin' Uterus 