In October I spent some time in the hospital. I woke one morning to have extreme pain on my left side over my ovary. I couldn't stand up and honestly I had a hard time breathing because the pain was so intense. At the time I had just started my period but the pain was much more than cramps. I'll spare you all the details but in the end I was very worried I was having a miscarriage, something that should not be able to happen to me at this point. The end result was Endometriosis.
Endo is not fun. I am not sure how long I have had it. It could have been there my own life or the endometrial cells could have been introduced outside of my uterus during one of my c-sections. Who knows. At this point I have to learn to live with it or get laproscopic surgery to have it removed, at which point it most likely grow back 5-10 years. So because I love google and I hate doctors I started checking around to see what I could find about natural control methods. There are a few conflicting things out there but in the end almost everyone agrees that a diet low in animal products and high in fiber are essential.
See Endo is greatly affected by estrogen, hence the reason it flares dramatically during your period, and because of the naturally occurring estrogen in animal products it can cause it to flare severely during times of peak estrogen production. The extra estrogen can also cause greater pain at other times during the regular monthly cycle. To say the pain is manageable is laughable for me at this time, controlling any outside factors are a must for me at this time.
I have spent hours upon hours going over websites and other information's. I have read everything I can get my hands on regarding the Vegan health debate. I have read everything I can about raw organic dairy products (to gage if they have lower estrogen levels). I have searched high and low for organic, free range, hormone free meats. In the end I have found little available in my little area. My head is filled with WAYYY to much information. The calendar is slowly going by and my next period is coming closer. I have to say I am starting to shrink inside because I fear from the pain! (It is unlike anything I have ever felt in my life! And I have had 4 c-sections with a variety of issues!)
We have been eating as healthy as possible when at home. Things slip a little when we have been traveling recently. I am trying to arm myself with a bunch of really healthy and nourishing recipes in preparation of next time. I still need to look at different herbs that might help control/heal and I am trying to get in shape (more fat produces more estrogen in the body. I don't want to loose weight just gain muscle.).
This week is going to be filled cooking yummy meals. After travelling this weekend I am in need of lots of vegetables and fruit. I really want brown rice and bread for the first time in, well ever, does not sound good. I think I am going to make a few soups and try out a couple new salads. And while I am doing all that, I will be googling my little heart out trying to learn more about this crappy disease and what I can do to make it tolerable.
Have a happy healthy week!
No comments:
Post a Comment