You may have read some of my previous blogs about biomarkers…blood tests for things which may help doctors diagnose Endometriosis without surgery, such as CA-125 levels. There are a lot of hopes that indicators may help save costly diagnostic surgeries, surgical risks, and painful recoveries.
A study published on May 1, 2016, reviewed 141 past studies and analyzed the data.
Continue readingHappy Friday!
Yesterday, I took a personal day from work. I’m anxiously awaiting the results from my recent ultrasound and have been in a tearful funk because of it. I am doing much better today, thanks to the support of friends and loved ones, but today’s quote is inspired by my letting go and breaking down.
One of my favorite childhood authors, C.S. Lewis, once wrote,
“Crying is all right in its way while it lasts. But you have to stop sooner or later, and then you still have to decide what to do.” ~from The Silver Chair
I remember as a child my mother reading the Chronicles of Narnia books to us before bed. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is my favorite…but while searching for a quote about crying, I stumbled across this one and knew I had to use it.
I took my day yesterday to cry, rest, reflect, snuggle the cat, watch bad TV, and cry some more. I let it all go. And today, I’m more focused and able to wait patiently for the results. There is nothing I can do to speed up the results, nothing I can do to time travel to 11 days from now to talk to my doctor, nothing I can do…and stressing about it won’t make it any better. So I’m releasing it. But I am grateful I took yesterday off to purge. And am ever-grateful for my friends and family who supported me through yesterday. You know who you are.
If you’re going through some crap, too, remember : it’s okay to cry. But at some point, try to dry those eyes and move forward. Even if it’s one tiny step at a time, even if you need to hold someone’s hand while doing it.
*Note: this entry started out as a piece highlighting Endometriosis care and support in Afghanistan. It has since morphed into health care, in general, for women in Afghanistan. And my heart breaks. This is not a political piece about religion, tradition, the war, or it’s casualties. I’ve known my fair share of military men and women who were shipped off to Afghanistan; some who didn’t make it back alive…but I won’t let their experiences or deaths color my opinion of this entry.*
I have a few readers from Afghanistan, and today want to focus on the treatment and support available to Afghan women in their home country (hopefully focusing on Endometriosis facts and stats). As you likely know, the country of Afghanistan is a war-torn one, scarred by decades of combat.
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Friday already?? This is an exciting Friday for me because my 37th birthday is just around the corner! Come Sunday, May 1st, I’ll be one year older!
Normally, I don’t care to celebrate birthdays. It’s not that I don’t like them, but they’re just another day for me. I love getting older and wouldn’t go back in time for the world! And I think I’m just so excited about this one because I’ve looked back on the past year and love all that has happened. Looking forward to what Year Thirty-Seven brings!
So today’s quote is inspired by the birthday! Author, Ned Vizzini, once wrote,
“Deep down I believe my year was a special year : it produced me.”
Is this a quote just about MY birthday? No. I wanted to share it with you so you could each embrace it – YOU are special. And your year…your vintage…created one hellava great person. So when you have your next birthday, think highly of yourself. Celebrate!
Aaaaand…have a GREAT weekend!
The Oxford Dictionary defines inflammation as, “a localized physical condition in which part of the body becomes reddened, swollen, hot, and often painful, especially as a reaction to injury and infection.”
An article which is slated to be published in June 2016’s Frontiers in Bioscience reviews previous studies and literature which discuss how inflammation may cause Endometriosis to develop. It states, “…inflammation is crucial in the pathogenesis of endometriosis…” Pathogenesis is the development of a disease; the cellular events and mechanisms that lead to a disease.
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A video released on April 19, 2016, discusses three surgical options for removing diaphragmatic Endometriosis. As you may know, I have Endometriosis on my diaphragm (and I’m not talking about the birth control), as do several other EndoWarriors that I know. What does that mean? Read all about Endo and the lungs or diaphragmatic Endo. If you’d like to know what Endometriosis looks like inside some patients, fast forward to the 4:01 mark of the video…
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Abuja is the capital of Nigeria, located in West Africa. I contacted the organizers of the 2016 Awareness Walk for Abuja to get some information about how their walk went. Chukwudi Eze responded to my inquiry went above and beyond! Not only did he provide me info on their walk, but supplied a recap and photographs of several other Endo events The Endometriosis Support Group Nigeria (ESGN) hosted over the past few months. The ESGN was founded in 2005 by Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, who was also recently awarded the Endo Hero of the Year Award by the EndoMarch Worldwide in recognition of his contribution to the cause. Dr. Ajayi has been the financial and moral backbone for the ESGN and I’m very glad that he’s been recognized for his efforts.
Continue readingWe made it through yet another week! Today’s quote is about taking time for yourself, something many of us do not do. Eleanor Brownn once said,
“Self-care is not selfish. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”
Remember this. Do not stretch yourself too thin, physically or emotionally, without taking care of your own needs first.
I was contacted by one of our readers who shall remain anonymous. She suffers from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Bipolar Disorder. Her OBGYN suspects she has Endometriosis; however, she had to return to college out-of-state and wasn’t able to have her diagnostic surgery. In the meantime, her physician is encouraging her to remain on birth control pills to suppress the possible Endo symptoms. Her symptoms are worsening…
She had heard that there may be a link between Endometriosis and Bipolar Disorder, and that it may be difficult to treat both at the same time due to complications with the medications interacting with each other, or even cancelling the medicinal effects of the pills.
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Bloomin' Uterus 