The Month of March is not only celebrating woman with International Woman’s Day (8th March- which to be fair should be everyday) but it is also Endometriosis Awareness Month. Without delving to much in to my personal journey with Endometriosis, I believe it is an extremely important subject to talk about.
Endometriosis, in short, is where the tissue that lines the inside of your uterus (endometrium) grows outside of the uterus. With Endometriosis, the displaced tissue continues to act as it normally would- it thickens, breaks down and bleeds with each menstrual cycle, and because the displaced tissue has no way to exit the body it becomes trapped. Surrounding tissue can become irritated, eventually developing scar tissue and adhesions- abnormal bands of fibrous tissue that can cause pelvic tissues and organs to stick to each other. Common symptoms include pelvic pain- sometimes severe- especially during menstrual periods, unusual menstrual bleeding, and fertility problems (difficulty getting pregnant.)
In New Zealand alone, it is estimated the condition affects 120,000 girls and woman which equates to 1 in 10 having the disease.
Being diagnosed at the age of 16 (through laparoscopic surgery) it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. There was this sense of relief to know that there WAS actually something causing me an immense amount of pain and that it wasn’t all in my head. And with the diagnosis- a hope that my pain could be managed.
So to celebrate Endometriosis Awareness Month, I’ve compiled a list of the more holistic options that I have found helpful over the years.
Essential Oils
Essential oils may seem like a small thing but if you find the right ones they can be life savers. And lucky for me, I have. The Doterra range is excellent and a few of my favorites are DigestZen, PastTense, Motivate and ClaryCalm. Whether applying directly on to my skin, or rubbing a few drops on my hands and deep breathing them in, it has become a sort of morning ritual.
TENS Machine
A TENS machine is a Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation unit, which delivers small electrical impulses through electrodes attached to adhesive pads you place on your skin. The electrical impulses flood the nervous system, reducing its ability to transmit pain signals to the spinal cord and brain. The same electrical impulses also stimulate the body to produce natural pain relievers (endorphins.) I love to use this on my lower abdomen and pelvic region, as well as my upper and lower back.
Peace With Endo- Aubree Deimler
This blog is incredible. Not only does Aubree talk about dealing with her Endometriosis holistically, she also offers courses such as ‘Eat for Energy with Endo’ and ‘Tune into your Cycle.’ She shares some great content on her Facebook and Instagram accounts as well as sharing other peoples chronic pain and Endometriosis stories, and articles related to Endo. I would highly recommend picking up one of her books ‘From Pain to Peace with Endo’ or her most recent ‘Energetics of Endo’ and/or to listen to her podcast.
Changing your diet
If you are one of the people reading this and have Endometriosis then you will be well aware of the ‘Endo Belly’ and all of the discomfort it brings. It’s all about finding the foods that work for you and staying away from the ones that will cause you inflammation and pain, and for me that was cutting out meat completely.
Saying ‘No’ and listening to your body
And last but not least- taking time for yourself and realizing it IS okay to say no. Personally, this was one of the hardest things for me to follow through with. I really struggled saying no to things even when my body was begging me not to do it. To be honest, a little bit was out of FOMO, but majority was that I really didn’t want to disappoint anyone. As I’ve gotten older, the people in my life understand if I’m not able to go somewhere or do something with them that it isn’t personal. Taking time out for myself and listening to my body has improved my mental health a lot as well, reducing a lot of the stress that used to come with always trying to please other people and feeling like I had to be 100% on point all of the time.
Honourable mentions include- Accupuncture, Pelvic Physio, Support Groups, Meditation, Yoga, and Positive Affirmations.
If you have made it this far thank you. And to any of you reading this with Endometriosis, know that you are not alone in your journey, and I really hope that something on the list resonates with you or helps.
Abigail xx
