Bloating

Bloating of the abdomen and pelvic region is common among sufferers of Endometriosis. It is often referred to as EndoBelly.

Endometriosis & The Bowel

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Diagram of human bowels

As you may know, Endometriosis is not limited to just your reproductive bits & pieces.  It can implant, grow, and fester in many places; the bowel included.  But what does that mean? How do you know if it’s on your bowel?  Today’s blog will go into that…Read on, dear Reader…read on.  Word of warning : I will be using words like fart and poop! Why dance around the subject with flowery words when I feel like I’m a giggly 12-year-old girl?

It is estimated that between 5-15% (and some even doctors guess it’s actually between 3-34%) of women with Endometriosis suffer from Endo on their bowels.  Bowel Endometriosis may affect the colon, the rectum, the large intestine, the small intestine, the colon, or the sigmoid colon.  The implants may be physically located on the bowels, or even just located adjacent to them in areas like the Pouch of Douglas, uterosacral ligaments, or rectovaginal septum. The close proximity of the inflamed and irritated lesions may be enough to induce bowel Endometriosis symptoms.  And these symptoms may also be caused by adhesions pulling or twisting the bowels.

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Reader’s Choice : C-Sections & Endometriosis

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A friend asked me to look up any connections between Endometriosis and Cesarean Sections.  So, here we go.  Lots of science in this one!  Some studies show that less than 1% of women who undergo a cesarean section end up developing incisional Endometriosis (Endometriosis in or along the c-section scar).  However, that tiny little 1% number has a staggering amount of studies involving a lot of women who suffer from this form of Endo.

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Reader’s Choice : Can Men Get Endometriosis?

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Male symbol

Last night, my boyfriend and I were talking about Endo’s “weirdness” how it can pop up in strange and unheard of places, and he popped the question (no, not THE question…), “Are there any reports of men having Endometriosis?”  I remembered reading somewhere that there were a few rare cases of it, but hadn’t read them deeply enough to understand their situations, diagnoses, and prognoses.  So, we have our topic for today!!

In rare cases, cis-men develop Endometriosis.  Transmen also suffer from the disease. But we will focus on cis-men for this blog: it appears many have been treated with long-term or large doses of estrogen therapy, but some are healthy men who have no history of cancer or estrogen treatment.  Here’s what I could find:

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Chew, chew, chew

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Chattering-Teeth

I had  read that chewing your food thoroughly helps with the digestive process, makes you feel fuller, and triggers healthy enzymes and hormones.  Chewing at least 40 times before swallowing ensured *something*…but I forgot what.  I had also recently undergone a 7-day colon cleanse, and without going into the gory details saw a lot of things that surprised me.

So I think I’m going to try to make an effort to chew my food more thoroughly. Maybe not 40 times per mouthful, but definitely more than the half-chew-swallow routine I’ve become accustomed to.  But before I blindly decide to chomp more, I’d like to look into why it may be beneficial. And, of course, that means I’d like to share my findings with you.

What does any of this have to do with Endometriosis? Meh, probably nothing.  BUT…if it can help my body become an optimal working machine, well-greased, and healthy: you bet I’ll try chewing better!

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Share Your Story : Lisa

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A red-headed pirate laughing and holding her tankard of ale

I realized that I’ve asked you to share your story, but haven’t actually put mine out there in one place (maybe a snippet here or there)….time to get everything out on paper so it leaves my head and heart (sorry it’s so loooooong…I couldn’t stop!).  I was diagnosed when I was 35 years old in 2014. 

My Journey:  I started my period when I was 12 or 13 years old.  I remember them hurting (but not as devastating as they have in my adult years), but figured it was normal.  I grew up hearing we were cursed because of Eve’s decision to sin, punished into pain and childbirth. I also heard that some of my family members had really painful periods. So again, it was normal. Classmates said they had cramps, too…so I figured mine were just normal. I became that girl in Junior High and High School that would walk around with a hoodie tied around her waist every month because I’d almost always overflow.  I had classmates come up to me during the really hard cramps, ask if I was okay, that I was white as a ghost and sweating…and I’d spend time curled up in the Nurse’s office after taking an Ibuprofen. But it was normal. Every girl went through this.  Right? My family physician had wanted me to go on birth control, but just to prevent “baby accidents” from happening, which I quickly dismissed since I had no intention of having sex. Little did I know BCP may have helped with the pain…

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Symptoms of a Normal Period

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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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Signs & Symptoms of Endometriosis

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Stop sign, caution sign, yield sign all text replaced with the Bloomin' Uterus logo

Many people born with a uterus have Endometriosis and don’t even know it.  They may be cis-gender, transgender, non-binary, or others. And there have been rare instances of men developing Endometriosis, too. I sure didn’t know what it was until I received my diagnosis. I’d never even heard of it. Endo-what?  

So what are the red flags of Endometriosis?  If I only knew about this list prior to my diagnosis, I would have gone to my doctor years ago! I met every single one of these symptoms!! Every. Single. One.

You may have Endometriosis if you have any of the following issues:

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Share your Story : Aubree

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A woman with brown hair sitting cross-legged in a park

Aubree was 29 when she was diagnosed with Endometriosis.  Now 33, she lives in Colorado and has found not only acceptance of her disease, but peace.  And she’s found her healing through self-love and a natural holistic approach.  She has even written a book about her journey and her path to inner-peace and healing.

Aubree’s Journey: I suffered with extremely painful periods from the very beginning. I complained about them for years to my doctors, but nobody really paid them much attention. One of my family doctors prescribed me Ibuprofen, but this didn’t touch the pain.

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