Author: Bloomin' Uterus

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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Truth, Theory, or Tall Tale?

| Bloomin' Uterus
Bloomin' Uterus logo surrounded by question marks

Following the “Endo Diet” will relieve your pain and other Endometriosis symptoms.

Theory

The Endo Diet works for many people to alleviate some of their pain and other Endometriosis symptoms; however, it does not work for all.

What is the Endo Diet?

In a nutshell, you try to reduce or completely exclude the following items from your diet:

  • Wheat
  • Red meat and ham
  • Refined sugars (including juices and sodas)
  • Caffeine
  • Chocolate
  • Dairy
  • Alcohol
  • Some women cut out eggs (I still eat them)

I try my hardest to follow this diet and have been pain free since July, 2014.  BUT…I had my diagnostic and excision surgery on June 30, 2014; altered my diet in July, 2014; began my Lupon Depot injections in August, 2014; ended my Lupron Depot injections in January, 2015; and have been on continuous birth control since January, 2015.  I also drink a nightly anti-inflammatory tea before bed.  I truly believe that I am pain free because of the combination of these treatments and dietary changes.

I’d love to hear if you follow the Endo Diet and how your pain and symptoms have been since starting it.  Drop me a comment below?

~ 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

Why no dairy?

| Bloomin' Uterus
Pitcher and glass of milk

I’ve read a lot of books and webpages that say women with Endometriosis should avoid dairy.  I’ve taken that step as best I can.  I miss my cheese.  I miss bagels with cream cheese.  I miss sour cream.  But, I do feel better!  Very little bloating, cramping, or gas (but that may be a combination of the changes in my diet…).

But now I’m curious as to why “no dairy” and why I feel better for not having it…

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Feel Good Fridays!

| Bloomin' Uterus

We made it through another week! Which means : it’s Friday!

Today’s Feel Good Friday’s quote is by author and life coach, Dr. Steve Maraboli,

“It’s time to care; it’s time to take responsibility; it’s time to lead; it’s time for a change; it’s time to be true to our greatest self; it’s time to stop blaming others.”

There’s been a lot going on this week and this just sums up all of the drama. People need to step up, take responsibility, and lead.

May you have a wonderful weekend!

Yours, Lisa

Endometriosis & the Spine

| Bloomin' Uterus
human spinal column

Endometriosis and THE WHAT?  You mean to tell me that this disease can be found on your…spine?  A disease typically diagnosed by gynecologists can grow there?  Okay, now this is like some bad sci-fi horror film…But alas…it’s true.  A girlfriend dropped the bomb last week that she has it on her spinal cord.  So now it’s time to pick my jaw up off of the ground and hit the books.  What the hell, Endo.  Really? Is nothing sacred?

Spinal Endometriosis:

Endometriosis on or in the spinal cord, vertebrae, or nerves is considered extremely rare.  However, it has been found to be wreaking havoc for many women.  It can cause symptoms of back pain, weakness, incontinence, sciatica pain, radiating leg pain, groin pain, and monoparesis (weakness to the point of near-paralysis), just to name a few.  These symptoms may always be present, may only be present during your menstrual cycle, or may worsen during your menstrual cycle. On top of those symptoms, the Endometriosis also does it’s usual thing: inflammation, scarring, creates pain, etc.

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Our 2015 Endometriosis Awareness Walk

| Bloomin' Uterus
Group photo from 2015 walk

Good morning!

This past Saturday, March 28, 2015, was our little Endometriosis Awareness Walk around Lake Miramar in San Diego, CA!  This was not affiliated or associated with any organization’s event: just a bunch of EndoWarriors, friends, and their support coming together!  

We had 20 attendees!  Three of us actually suffer from Endometriosis; the rest of the attendees were family, significant others, and friends.  The sheer support that was present was overwhelming!  Everyone, including the wee kids, made the 5-mile walk around the shorelines.  Some of us were stopped along the way and asked why we were all wearing tie-dye or yellow and what the walk was all about.  We did it.  We did this…together.

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