Monday, March 17, 2014

Endometriosis 101: The Basics

This post was originally written for my friends at Bloggers For Hope.

Endometriosis 101

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month! Despite the fact that it affects 1 out of every 10 women, it takes an average of ten years for a woman to get diagnosed. Most people, including some medical professionals, will give an endometriosis patient a blank stare when they mention their disease.  The lack of awareness regarding this disease is appalling. The mistreatment of women on their journey to get properly diagnosed may be considered criminal or at the very least medically negligent. So in the spirit of the March, let’s talk about the basics of this disease.

Endometri-what?

ENDOMETRIOSIS is when tissue, very similar to the lining of the uterus, escapes the uterus and starts wreaking havoc in a women’s pelvic cavity as well as surrounding areas causing scar tissue, adhesions and painful lesions. How the disease originates is still disputed, but this tissue, that is reactive to a women’s hormones, can be present on the outside of the uterus, the ovaries, the bladder, the ureters, the rectum, the colon, and can go as far up as the diaphragm and the lungs and as far down as the sciatic nerves. There are also cases of endometriosis found in very odd places like the brain, but we won’t go there for now. 

How do I know if I have it?

Have you ever had to schedule events around your period because you were in so much pain? Do you have severe constipation or diarrhea around your period? Does it hurt to poop? Do you regularly feel like someone is stabbing you in your pelvis or back during any time in your cycle?  Do you need to have a bottle of wine before you have sex with your partner because the pain is so bad? Do you pee a lot or get frequent UTI’s? Do you have pain in your leg or hip that can be correlated to your cycle? Do you have unexplained infertility and pregnancy loss?  Do you have other weird immunological symptoms that are unexplained?  Have you seen 8 million doctors and yet have no explanation of why you feel the way you do? Have you been told you just have a low pain tolerance or that the pain is just in your mind? If you have answered yes to ANY of these questions, you may just have endometriosis.

Now what?

Here is the tricky part, getting a medically professional to believe that any or all of these symptoms are related and could be endometriosis.  Many doctors cannot see the “whole picture” of endometriosis. You need to find an endometriosis excision specialist. Excision surgeon is really the best way to get relief from the disease. 

How do you know if your doctor is right? 

You need to ask them the following questions: Do you use solely the excision method to remove endometriosis? If I have endometriosis symptoms that imply I may have it on my surrounding organs, like my bowels, bladder or diaphragm, will you work with other expert surgeons, during my operation, to remove the endometriosis? Can you make preserving my fertility a priority? If your surgeon answers “NO” to any of these questions, find another surgeon who will say yes to all.

But I can’t afford an excision surgeon right now, what can I do to help my disease in the mean time?

Not many excisions surgeons take health insurance. It is horrible. But they are worth every penny because you will feel so much better and have such a better quality of life. But in the meantime, eating gluten free and dairy free and all organic foods and going to see a chiropractor and acupuncturist could help lessen the inflammatory symptoms a little bit. Hormonal therapy and intervention help some women, but only for a short amount of time. Women who want to get pregnant, cannot get pregnant while on these drugs, and delaying conceiving to take these drugs could negatively impact a women’s fertility. Also, some women have bad side effects from this type of therapy and they need to research it thoroughly before agreeing to go on it.

Get involved.

Endometriosis is a very isolating disease. No one gets it. People think patients are just big whiners and can’t handle their “period pain.” I have heard these same people cry when they have gum boils on their lip. Well imagine 1 million gum boils all over your pelvis. That only begins to describe what endometriosis patients go through. If you are an endometriosis patient, connect with other patients on line in facebook groups like “endometropolis.” Come find me on twitter, @Chancesour, and I will introduce you to the amazing online community. Get involved with the non-profit, Endo Warriors, and see if they have a support group in your area or through their website buddy up with someone who lives near you and is also suffering with endometriosis to get community support. 

The Endometriosis Foundation of America has started the ENPOWR Program and is reaching out to teenagers in the school setting to teach them about the disease to hopefully promote early diagnosis. There is the first ever Million Women March for Endometriosis in Washington D.C. THIS WEEK to spread awareness about the disease. This initiatives bring me great hope.

In ten years, my ultimate hope is no one will say, “Endometri-what?” when a patient tells them about their disease. They will instead respond, “That is awful. I am so sorry you have that disease. Let me know how I can help you.”  March is Endometriosis Awareness Month. Consider yourself more aware.
Check out my endometriosis awareness video here: