Nadia is the team leader for Team Zimbabwe. They’re putting together the first ever EndoMarch in their country and are hoping it will be a great success. They are also hosting a February 27, 2016, awareness campaign with guest speakers to try to not only raise awareness of our illness, but hold in-depth conversations about possible causes and future treatments. Nadia and I have been talking for the past several days and she’s allowing me to share her story with you today.
Continue readingAuthor: Bloomin' Uterus
Feel Good Fridays
It’s Friday! Today’s quote is by Nemo Cox, and I fell in love with it:
“Rocks in my path? I keep them all. With them I shall build my castle.”
2016 starting out a bit rocky? Build from it. You’ll overcome this! Whatever it is. And if you need help, ask for it.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Yours,
Lisa
Reader’s Choice : How to find an Endo Specialist in my Area
It’s a New Year! Time for new beginnings, fresh starts, and resolutions! And time time for me to start writing again 🙂
Today’s question is from one of our Readers, and she asks, “Do you have any advice on how to find a local or local-ish doctor who ‘specializes’ or at least is studied in endo more so than your averge ob/gyn? I’m looking for someone like that, but no luck so far.”
So, how do you go about finding a specialist in your area? It will take patience, research, and balls. That’s right : balls. And, I want to make it clear that I am not endorsing any of the physicians identified in this blog, or any of the links provided. Just hoping to point you folks in a direction…hopefully the right one for you.
Continue readingFeel Good Friday
First of all, Happy New Year!!! It’s 2016. A new day. A new month. A new YEAR! I know not all of you had a happy or easy 2015, and this post is for you:
“Happy New Year’ is a festive form of address often uttered without thinking. Yet how many souls will in fact be happy in the coming year is a taxing question requiring a great deal more thought.”
and
“New Year – a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story ? Ultimately we write it. The choice is ours.”
Both of these quotes are by Alex Morritt, author of Impromptu Scribe.
For any struggles or battles you may have fought and lost in 2015, hang on. If you need help, reach out and ask for it. If you need someone to lean on, find someone. Feel free to let your true self show this year; don’t hide behind a fake smile.
And if you need me, I’m here.
Truth, Theory, or Tall Tale?
Stress may affect your Endometriosis symptoms, flare-ups, and growth.
We all know that stress can do some interesting things to your body, as well as really cause a lot of unnecessary emotions, panic attacks, short tempers, and freak outs. But can it do anything to your Endo? Yes. Studies have shown that it exacerbate your symptoms. Want to know more? Or need ideas on how to de-stress?
My first visit with the gastroenterologist
This is an old blog post (2015) and I have since had two bowel resections (2018 and 2020). I’ve also learned alllllll about Endometriosis on the bowels.
So, you may know that I have been having poopy issues. Severe pain when going Number Two, cramping, constipation, diarrhea, etc.
Anyway, two months after my initial consult with my PCP I finally saw the gastroenterologist today (the appointment process took that long…). Went in not knowing what to expect…
But we just sat and talked for about 30 minutes. We discussed my medical history, my Endometriosis, my diet change, supplements, my poopy symptoms, etc. He is very familiar with Endometriosis. We threw around Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease, and Ulcerative Colitis. We talked about each, compared them to my symptoms, and even discussed what I do now to keep my symptoms “under control,” as well as what the medical community could offer me for symptom control (which was prescription-strength identical to what I do now : laxatives, anti-diarrhea medication, cramping medication).
Continue readingSilent Endometriosis
There are many usual signs and symptoms of Endometriosis. If you suffer from this disease, you know them all too well. One of our readers, Tanya, let us know that she suffers from “Silent Endometriosis.” What’s that? She has an official Endometriosis diagnosis, but only some of the symptoms associated with Endometriosis. Some people with Silent Endo don’t have any Endo symptoms (this is known as asymptomatic Endometriosis). Does that make her any less of an Endo sufferer? No, not at all. She suffers from the same invasive disease as the rest of us. Just in a different way.
A whole slew of questions were raised, which we’ll look into:
- Why do some people present with classic symptoms like crippling pain and some don’t?
- And, given that silent endometriosis exists, this makes me wonder if the overall incidents of endometriosis is higher than is usually quoted. How many have this disease and have no idea?
- Since the symptoms don’t present as normal in silent endometriosis, what are some of the other signs that people possibly facing this condition can look out for?
- Why do some patients who are riddled with endometriosis have no pain, and others with very little endometriosis have excruciating pain?
Frozen Embryo Transfers & Endometriosis
A lot of people have trouble becoming pregnant, whether or not they have Endometriosis. The question has been raised : if you have Endometriosis and are undergoing frozen embryo transfer (FET), which treatment regimens and protocols have the highest successful pregnancy rate?
I myself have never considered IVF and had to do a bit of initial research on the differences between fresh and frozen embryos, IVF, etc. I am so grateful an EndoWarrior asked this question; brought this struggle to my attention. So if you already know about these, please bear with me as I learn. Otherwise, skip passed these first few categories to the knitty gritty below 🙂
Continue readingTruth, Theory, or Tall Tale
Is Endometriosis a sexually transmitted disease?
No. Although a cause is not yet known by the medical or scientific community, it is not infectious. It cannot be spread by bodily fluids. It may be genetic, but it is NOT an STD. Rest easy…and have sex. 😉
Bloomin' Uterus 