The first month of 2020 is already over! And I just realized I didn’t share my December pain journal! Whoops!!

So, January. I was lucky enough to start the first day of the new year with my period (I skipped having a period in December). AND then I had it again on January 25th. So, two for one! Yay!

My favorite part? No more discomfort near my belly button and staples! I don’t know if I’ve just gotten better about portion control and eating, or what, but I’m super excited about the lack of spread-out pain and discomfort that occurred in January.

The not so favorable news? Both on and off my period, I experienced pain on the lower left and lower right of my abdomen. Ovary pain? Cyst pain? Something-else pain? It was in the exact same spot both on and off my period. And when on the left, it was almost always accompanied with reciprocal lower back pain in the same location. But the good news? Naproxen made the pain manageable and no need for the newly-acquired Tramadol.

During my periods, I had some uterine cramping and the aforementioned left and ride-sided pain. The highest-intensity pain level was a about an 8 out of 10. I hate it when it’s above a 6…but again, Naproxen dropped those pain levels below a 6 and I avoided Tramadol.

On January 6, 2020, I had two crowns repairs, which meant temporary crowns for 2.5 weeks. During that time, I mostly drank dairy-based protein shakes. Dairy. Ugh. This experience confirmed that I need to stay away!!! Wait ’til you see my poo journal below!

And on January 24th, I received some very stress-inducing news. Upon hanging up the phone, I immediately had a pain flare that lasted several hours on my lower left side. It truly makes me believe there’s either Endo or a cyst or soooommething wrong on that side. And it further encourages me to schedule another surgery when I see my doctor tomorrow.

I’ve also started counting my calories, trying to eat healthier, and have begun a low-impact exercise routine (started the Walk On 21 Day program on 2/1/20). We’ll see how that affects my symptoms. If you’ve been following my journals, hopefully you notice a difference in the types of foods I’m eating and the amount of alcohol I’m consuming!

Ooooooh man. Januarys’ poo-catastrophe!!!! Are you ready? OMG.

See all that red? DIARRHEA! SO MUCH DIARRHEA! Between the beloved phenomenon known as PeriodShits, the dairy-induced liquid carnage, and catching some type of stomach bug, I feel like I had way more diarrhea than I had regular poos. But January is behind us. And I will soon forget the multiple trips to the bathroom and the steady stream of OMG. Whew.

Let’s see what February holds in store!

Do you track your pain, symptoms, and diet? If so, what platform do you use? Share in the comments below!