Endometriosis
PERIOD PAIN IS NOT NORMAL. If you are experiencing pain beyond discomfort with your menstrual cycle we urge you to dive deeper into your health to find the cause. Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women and has the average diagnosis time of 7 years. The earlier the diagnosis the better! Start with the articles to the right, then check out the articles, stories of endo, and free resources below.
ARTICLES ON ENDOMETRIOSIS
Detox Your Period for Pain Relief
For many women, periods come with a host of discomforts: cramping, headaches, fear of leaks, back pain, and maybe even leg pain. As someone who was diagnosed with endometriosis, a painful pelvic pain condition, in my teens, I have experienced countless painful periods and have been on the search for relief.
What Advice Would You Give to Someone Just Diagnosed with (or Suspects) Endometriosis?
So, you’ve been diagnosed with endometriosis (Or you suspect that you have it.) Now what? It can be so difficult to know where to go from here. We’re here to tell you: you’re not alone. There’s hope. You can (and will) live a happy, full life in spite of your illness. You are more than your pain.
Does a Hysterectomy Cure Endometriosis?
For me, having a hysterectomy is a very involved decision. It is not so simple just to take the uterus because I am unable to have a child after all of endometriosis’s damage.
When Period Pain ISN’T Normal
There is no doubt that as women, our bodies are nothing short of amazing. But what isn’t so amazing is the pain that can occur when our good friend Aunt Flo shows up in the form of our monthly period. Ladies of all ages, please take note that not all period pain is normal. I hope to provide a guide on when you urgently need to see your gynecologist, and also where you have the power to improve your cycle pain naturally, using diet and supplements.
My Endometriosis Story: A Journey to Healing
My period used to be incredibly painful. The best way for me to describe how they felt was like being ripped apart by Freddy Krueger from the inside. I didn’t know anyone who had as much pain as I did with my menstrual cycle.
I did the usual things like taking lots of over the counter painkillers and hot packs. These would only take the edge off the intense pain I was experiencing. I knew of no other tools to try.
When I finally spoke with my doctor, she had the usual recommendations. We spent about nine months trying different pharmaceutical treatments such as antidepressants and oral birth control pills. The oral birth control pills help to reduce my pain from 10 out of 10 pain to 7 out of 10 pain. This was considered the best possible outcome. read more…
Endometriosis: Had No Idea
By Madeline
Hi! I’m from the Dominican Republic and this is the story that I share with this horrible disease.
Ever since I was 15 yrs old and it was time to get my period, it was a time of suffering. It hurt a lot, I used to cry a lot and spend two days in bed because I couldn’t handle the pain. I started visiting the gynecologist and she used to tell me that it wasn’t normal to have that kind of pain every month.
Years passed and the pain grew higher, I couldn’t evacuate because of the pain I had, I couldn’t walk more than 3 hours without pain. I first thought that my problem belonged to a gastroenterologist ’cause I thought the problems where with the evacuations even if I didn’t have my period.
So when I was 18 (notice that I spent all those years from doctor to doctor with a lot of pain) I went visit the gastro and he indicated some lab test and abdominal and pelvic US. There it was, I had an ovarian cyst “probable endometriosis”, I had to visit my doctor again. She indicated an exploratory laparoscopy which I didn’t do because my father didn’t want to.
I Didn’t Know About Endo
By Becky Mantuano
I’m going to try and tell you (and not leave anything out) because it’s been one heck of a journey. I guess I always knew something just wasn’t right.
I started my cycles at 13 and they were always painful. Crippling I guess you could say.
At 16 I went on Depro Provera which was a blessing and a curse all bundled up together. On one hand no more painful periods, on the other, drastic weight gain (I’m talking 150 pounds weight gain) in a matter of the 2 years that I was on it. I had depression so bad I didn’t even want to get out of bed, and massive hair loss.
So at 18 when I figured out what was the cause I stopped taking it. Pain came back about 3 months later. I rocked on like this for another 3 years without taking anything. And then a new pain. Right shoulder pain, bad indigestion every month like clock work, and when I was on my period there was the new pain growing in intensity every month.
TOP RESOURCES
ENDOMETRIOSIS QUIZ
Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women in the US and has an average diagnosis time of 7 years. How much do you know about the disorder?
HEALTHY PRODUCTS & LIFESTYLE SERIES
This weekly email series is designed to teach you everything you need to know about choosing healthier alternatives that reduce your risk of TSS.
ORGANIC PERIOD 2GO KITS
These fashionable period kits stuffed with organic tampons or natural pads were designed to keep ladies of all ages prepared with the healthiest options for their period while on the go!
REUSABLE MENSTRUAL CUPS
The revolutionary product improving women’s periods. The long list of benefits include: 12 hour protection, holds more than a super tampon, safer, better for the environment and the cost $avings!!
SHARE YOUR ENDO STORY
Join our featured EndoSisters by sharing your endo journey with with us. Let’s continue raising awareness together!
Today’s post is the final in a series we’ve been sharing all month long on how to support women with endometriosis. Below, you’ll find advice and thoughts directly from our network of endometriosis sisters. They know how you’re feeling because they’ve experienced it too, and today they’re sharing some encouragement. READ MORE… »
Endometriosis is a difficult disorder to have to deal with – physically and emotionally. If you have a loved one that has been diagnosed with endo – they need you now more than ever. But even if you’re looking for ways to support them, sometimes it can be hard to know where to start.
READ MORE… »
by Dr. Sallie Sarrel
I’m 43 and I don’t want a hysterectomy.
There has been much controversy over the claim in the media that a hysterectomy cures endometriosis. Hysterectomy, while it has a role in treatment of pelvic pain and uterine disorders, does not cure endometriosis. For me, having a hysterectomy is a very involved decision. It is not so simple just to take the uterus because I am unable to have a child after all of endometriosis’s damage.
Endometriosis is a difficult disorder to have to deal with – physically and emotionally. If you have a loved one that has been diagnosed with endo – they need you now more than ever. But even if you’re looking for ways to support them, sometimes it can be hard to know where to start.
READ MORE… »
Think You or a Loved One Might
Have Endometriosis?
Have Endometriosis?
Our simple guide to endometriosis helps you separate fact from fiction, and normal from abnormal when it comes to period pain. Don’t suffer in silence! Enter your email below for instant access to the Endometriosis: Fact or Fiction Guide.
By Dr Pandelis Athanasias
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue, which is similar to the tissue lining the womb (endometrium), begins to grow outside of the uterus. This tissue can be found in many different places including the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bowel, bladder and stomach. As such, during every period these growths will shed, setting off inflammation and scarring and habitually causing intense pain and emotional turmoil. READ MORE… »