Miscellaneous

Going to the ER : “You Junky Pill Popper!!!”

| Bloomin' Uterus
521869846_1ebcd9c564_o

I’m one of the lucky ones: I’ve never had to to go the Emergency Room because of my Endo pain.  Before my surgery, I’d always just sucked it up, endured, lumped into a ball, hugging my heating pad, crying.  Never had I thought to go to the ER; I figured it was normal period cramps.

But many of my fellow EndoWarriors routinely do.  Their uncontrolled pain is so horrible that they take the trip to the ER, fill out the forms, pay the co-pay, wait for hours, and are poked, prodded, and screened…some may receive the help they seek.  But others are denied relief and are accused of being a pill-popping addict, a junky, a liar.  Others are screened for STDs or yeast infections.  Others subjected to embarrassing pelvic exams.  This is unfortunate and outrageous.

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Symptoms of a Normal Period

| Bloomin' Uterus
A splatter of blood

So I’ve written a lot about abnormal periods caused by Endometriosis: extreme cramps, heavy bleeding, insane bloating, loooooong periods.  You’ve heard it all before.  But what constitutes a NORMAL period? I know they are supposed to hurt, you’re supposed to bleed, and you’re supposed to be uncomfortable. Just not this miserable. My Endo pain started in my teens. But I thought it was normal. So here I sit, curious : what is normal?

So, just for laughs, I figured I’d iron out the details of what a normal menstrual cycle is supposed to be like.  If anything, it may help me catch signs of my Endometriosis returning or worsening, or it may help you in some way…

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The Lion and the Mouse

| Bloomin' Uterus
Aesopes Fables illustration of a lion tied down to the ground being freed by a mouse

One of my childhood favorite Aesop’s Fables is the story of the lion and the mouse.  In short: a mouse wandering through the forest woke a sleeping lion, and was captured beneath his big paws.  Begging for his life, the mouse promised one day to help the lion.  The lion scoffed, “How can you help me?”  Regardless, the lion let him go.  A few days later, the lion was captured by hunters, trapped, upset and roaring.  The mouse scurried over to see what had happened to the lion and saw him all tied down and caught up in the hunter’s net.  So the mouse nibbled and chewed on the rope until it tore, allowing the lion to escape and live.

It has always reminded me that I can do anything. Being small doesn’t matter.  I can try. And I can do.

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How do you cope?

| Bloomin' Uterus
A person crying and drying their tears with a cloth
Detail from Descent from the Cross, by Rogier van der Weyden

Hello ladies (and gents).  This blog entry will be reaching out to you for your input…

Many of us deal with depression or just plain sadness over Endometriosis and this incurable cycle.  How do you deal with it?

In the beginning I would stare into space and clam up, or get snappy and moody. While I was on Lupron Depot, I was a depressed lump.

I tend to create when I’m sad. I made the Bloomin’ Uterus logo on a sad day, which turned into a button, which turned into a walk, which turned into a blog, and now t-shirts are out there. All the money raised goes to the E.F.A. so I feel great about that.  And it’s a fun way to give back to a greater cause, embrace my retarded body, and brings a bit of beauty into my day.  And bring that same joy and beauty to YOU!

Also sharing my story with you readers, and having your stories shared with all of us, has been so overwhelmingly amazing.  It reminds me that I am not alone.  That others are where I am at, have been where I am, and have found relief!

So when the gloomy days creep in, I just look back and remember all that has happened SINCE my diagnosis.  All of the good we are doing. Together.  And it makes me forget about my individual incurable problem : it helps me focus on what I, and we, can do to help each other.

I’d love to hear how you cope.  Your answers may help myself and others with their need to deal, to cope, to overcome.  Feel free to leave a comment below. 🙂

Yours, Lisa

Support : Gimme a HUG!

| Bloomin' Uterus
Row of paper dolls holding hands

When I was first diagnosed with Endo, I looked for a support group in San Diego.  A physical, sit-down, meet, greet, and hug support group.  And I found nothing.  Looking around still, I find nothing.  The nearest support group is in Riverside, nearly 100 miles north of me.

I’ve got a few girlfriends that actually have Endometriosis, and it’s good to have them in my life.  Bounce off ideas, bounce off of their experiences, be there for each other.  It’s fantastic, but we rarely see each other with our busy lives, and talk even less, especially about Endo. I’ve got my boyfriend, my friends, and my family offering endless amounts of love, support, and encouragement, but it’s not the same (no offense, loved ones). I’m part of several online communities which offer what an in-person support group should…but again, it’s…lacking something that I crave.

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A little bit of Yellow Cheer

| Bloomin' Uterus
water sling with an owl on it

So, I’m going on my little Endometriosis Awareness March on March 28, 2015, with some friends (the event is growing!) around a lake in San Diego. It’s about a 5-mile trek and I need to bring some water, but don’t want to wear one of my Camelpak’s or a fanny pack with water bottles.  So I hit Etsy.com and perused the goods (logged in using Goodshop.com and they donated 2.75% of my etsy purchase to the Endometriosis Foundation of America).

I’m SO excited!  I found a woman who creates these beautiful sling-style water bottle carrier/holsters and she agreed to make a custom order for me!  AND IT’S FINISHED!  All I asked for was: could it be yellow-based with an owl and maybe a yellow ribbon on it? And *poof* she’s created this beautiful sling water bottle holder! Now I can walk hands-free on March 28th!  And everywhere else I trek around with my water bottle (I’m ALWAYS thirsty these days!).

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Age Doesn’t Matter!

| Bloomin' Uterus
five-generations4

So I was curious.  I’ve been reading that the usual age women are diagnosed with Endometriosis is in their 20s and 30s, sometimes after years of misdiagnoses and tests.  But, what’s the age of the youngest and oldest person ever recorded to have been diagnosed with Endometriosis?  Aaaaand….Google!

Youngest:

There are conflicting sources for the youngest age:  I’ve seen 8, 10 (diagnosed just after her second period), 11, and 13 years old.  Even though the vast internet has conflicting ages, I’m very shocked at how young these girls were.  I didn’t even start my period until I was about 13 or 14 years old (I should find that date in my old diaries…). I cannot imagine being that young and suffering with this disease.  And imagine the psychological and social effects it must have on those poor girls at that age.

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I need your help…

| Bloomin' Uterus
morse code for SOS

So this upcoming Thursday I have an appointment with my gyno/surgeon.  On January 15th, I will have my last Lupron Depot injection, and afterward will have a sit down with my physician to discuss what’s next.  I last met with him four months ago to discuss how I was feeling after my surgery, and what to expect in the future.

At that time, we discussed continuing the Lupron Depot injections for the full six-month course (which I’ve done) and after the completion of the injections, going onto a continuous birth control pill to help control the Endometriosis growth and pain.  He said the choice of B.C. was up to me, and after a lot of research and talking to friends who are nurses and attorneys (who have handled several mass tort cases against certain birth control pills), I’ve decided to try taking Lybrel (generic name Amethyst).  If B.C. doesn’t help with the pain, he ultimately feels a hysterectomy would be the best choice.  After all of the reading and research I’ve done, though, we all know it’s not a guarantee…

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