Having a chronic illness can weigh you down and manifest in the form of depression
EMS lives in New Zealand and was diagnosed with Endometriosis this year – at age 34. This year she exhibited signs of a stroke, dizziness, trouble breathing, all around her period – she fought for a proper diagnosis, and had to fight hard. Stage IV Endometriosis. Not stress. Not anxiety. Not a stroke…Endo.
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So a lot of people with Endometriosis suffer from chronic pain…hell, a lot of people without Endometriosis suffer from chronic pain. There are theories and studies out there that suggest chronic pain affects memory, cognitive function, and mental health. Not only does Endometriosis present painful symptoms, but it’s also incurable. And there are many people who do not get any symptom-relief from any of the treatments available. You can see where this may cause some “mental health” issues. Here’s some interesting tidbits on how pain affects brain activity and function.
What is gray matter all about? It maintains memory, sight, hearing, emotions, speech, impulse control, and executive functions (reasoning, problem solving, cognitive functions, etc.). Gray matter volume naturally decreases with age. So…it happens naturally. Chronic pain may just spur it along a bit more. Studies have indicated that children who suffer from chronic pain have a greater loss of gray matter volume when they are adults.
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Alexandra is a fellow blogger out of Brisbane, Australia. Today she share’s her Endometriosis journey with us. She was diagnosed when she was 20, and now five years later here she goes, starting us out with a *bang*:
Alexandra’s Journey: “Uterus.” There, I said it! Uterus! Periods. Ovaries. Fallopian Tubes. Bleeding. Tampon. Rectum. Hormones. Bladder. Cervix. Menstruation. Vagina. Discharge. Pelvis. Pads. Endometriosis. Awkward.
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Donna lives in Britain and was in her early 20’s when she was diagnosed with Endometriosis. Nearly 20 years later, she tells us her story…including something that happened to her eyes about 10 years ago. She continues to live with Endometriosis and her eye-issue.
Donna’s Journey: Hi my name is Donna, it all started when I was nine years old when I started my periods. My childhood was ripped away from a very young age. I never had normal periods my cycle was every 14 days. When I would bleed I would often drench the bed with blood. My Mum took me to my doctor and he decided to put me on hormone replacement tablets to begin with. The pain I would experience was unreal yet no one really understood. Year in and year out my periods stayed at a 14 to 19 day cycle.
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So, if you’re reading this you probably already know a little bit about Endometriosis. Recently at our support group meeting, the question of iron levels and anemia came up. With all that bleeding, can we suffer from anemia or an iron deficiency?
And, again, the topic of iron levels and Endo came up at our Endometriosis Awareness & Support Walk: could the blood left in my pelvic region from shedding Endo have caused the “abnormally high” iron levels during a blood test?
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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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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
An EndoWarrior came to me with complaints of fatigue, exhaustion, and a general lack of energy. Is it related to Endometriosis? If so, why? And is she the only one who has to take 2-3 naps every day? Let the research begin!
Fatigue is one of the many common symptoms of Endometriosis. But why does something growing in our bodies make us tired? No one is really sure. Some feel that it could be our body’s coping mechanism to the pain, it could be that our body’s immune system is working on overdrive to fight our inflammation, it could be from depression, or it could be due to the mental and physical stress people with Endometriosis endure. It could even been some deeper unforeseen medical reason that nobody has figured out yet…
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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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Bloomin' Uterus 