I just need to vent

OK I completely understand the need to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer I just want to state that before I begin my rant. At any time of the year you will find pink everything with a percentage of the profit going to breast cancer. Now here we are in October and is everywhere you look. Does anyone know when endometriosis awareness month is?? What about ovarian and cervical cancer?? Does anyone even know what any of the other color ribbons mean??? Obviously I am partial to the other female issues as well as fibromyalgia and chronic pain syndromes. I would proudly support autism awareness or melanoma awareness but we never see any products or fundraisers for these other disorders and cancers unless a family member is participating in a walk or run which is all they have to raise funds for research for conditions that have no cures or have extremely lower survival rates. I lost an aunt to pancreatic cancer I have a purple ribbon but you never see anything else to purchase to help researchers find better ways to treat such a deadly cancer. I am all fired up about this as I create pink wine labels for the bottles my parents are donating to "flowers of hope" for breast cancer. I will be running to walmart later today to get a hanes t-shirt supporting breast cancer awareness since my family will be at the all day event at Violet's flower shop in Berwyn this Saturday (Sweetest Day). Just once I would like these companies big or small to look into helping other causes that need to get information out to the masses. Before I shared my endometriosis story how many of you knew what it was??? How many other conditions are out there that get no attention so there are no new treatments there are no cures so people just need to suffer and deal with it. I am done venting and again I understand the need to support breast cancer just wish every cancer and condition received as much love from the masses.

Update

So...
That prescription with all of the lovely side effects that I last posted about, well my neurologist decided that I needed to be taking more so I now take 600mg 3x/day and it basically has me sleeping and in such a fog all day I don't know if I prefer that over the pain? Why can't they just put me on something to ease the pain to a manageable level without the extreme drowsiness???  You would think I would feel great with all the sleep but nope I feel so tired all the time. I fell asleep on the way to Moline to watch our cousin Kristi and Drake's crew team it took Chris a good 20 minutes to wake me, that's just crazy!!

On a different note Chris and I have started counseling to deal with all of the issues that have arisen mostly due to my health conditions. So far so good, we both like the therapist. I chose a male thinking that would make Chris feel more comfortable and well I have a male Gynecologist so you can assume it does not bother me either way. He is basically teaching us to communicate better and to remember our opinions are just preferences we cannot make the other person do anything or demand that they do as we say. So instead of "you need to" it is now " I would like it if you..." it just comes off a lot better. He has also assigned us homework we are both to read Dr. David Burns book Feeling Good  so far it is not awfully dry and pretty informative about cognitive behaviors. I would recommend to anyone who just wants to think about a new outlook. Chris and I spent about a week and a half together without a single disagreement which I think for any couple is a great accomplishment. I do believe however that I need to see the therapist for one on one sessions thanks to insurance policies. So our insurance BCBS does not cover couples counseling so they had to mark Chris as the patient and with they marked down for him they will cover "family sessions." I think we can all agree that I need a little more attention on myself as well as part of the couple sessions. So that is my assignment for myself this week try to get myself going for individual sessions now that I feel comfortable with the therapist.

Interesting Article from the Fibromyalgia Network

Out with the new in with the old

Weird heading, I know you are like hey Amy you have that backwards. Ha ha not this time! So a week ago today I went and saw the neurologist that my GP recommended for me. He is switching me meds one at a time. He wants to have me wean off of the Lyrica first and go on a "tried & true" drug that is most commonly prescribed as an anti - convulsant. Also going from a 75mg 2/day dose to a 300mg 2/day dose it is supposed to help everything that is going on with my body as well as try to keep my nasty migraines at bay. So I am being a good prescription taker and reading all the information that comes with a new drug and I am reading and it is just blowing my mind!! " Call a health care provider if you encounter any of these symptoms and they worry you:

1. Thoughts about suicide or dying
2. attempts to commit suicide
3. new or worse depression
4. new or worse anxiety
5. feeling agitated or restless
6. panic attacks
7. insomnia
8. new or worse irritability
9. acting aggressive, being angry, or violent
10. acting on dangerous impulses
11. an extreme increase in activity and talking
12. other unusual changes in behavior or mood

The Most Common Side Effects

1. dizziness
2. lack of coordination
3. viral infection
4. feeling drowsy
5. feeling tired
6. fever
7. jerky movements
8. difficulty with speaking
9. amnesia
10. tremor
11. difficulty with coordination
12. double vision
13. unusual eye movements

Correct me if I am wrong but I am trying to get rid of these side effects since there are also symptoms of FMS. Chris came to this appointment with me and as a good paramedic asked about side effects between new drug Gabapentin and old new drug lyrica and was told that Gabapentin is one that they are allowed to prescribe to the elderly well no offense some of the side effects they are already experiencing depending on their age so are they a good sample group??

Where to begin?

My cat eater- Rascal beware

My life has been turned upside down lately. Where to start first? I guess I will just go in the order that it happened. I went for a second opinion on what to do about the severe pelvic pain that I have all month long, normally with endometriosis it is really bad around the time of your period and ovulation. I went to see a doctor that is apart of Loyola's new pelvic pain center. After speaking with a nurse for 20 minutes and then her student for another 20 minutes the doctor came in and did a quarter of an exam (thrilled I cannot handle more than that without having to be scraped off the ceiling). She determined that on top of the endometriosis and ovarian cysts and then the fibromyalgia pain ladies get ready to cringe. . . My vaginal muscles are in a constant charlie horse spasm. Lovely I know so she wrote my vagina a script for lyrica and physical therapy that there is a 3 month wait to get into. I have been on the Lyrica and Cymbalta combined for about a month now I will say that it has helped some, I know longer have the daily feeling of needles being jammed in a very delicate area. Now this doctor is on the other extreme from Dr. number one she wants to put an IUD that lasts for 10 years inside of my cervix, due to Loyola (Trinity) being a catholic hospital she needs to get approval for any type of birth control first. (So here is where I will start jumping around) As one would imagine all of this can be quite stressful on any relationship. Chris & I have now been married for 3 years and can honestly say we never would have imagined our life to be where it is now. It has been very stressful me not being able to work, or get out of bed some days. The medical bills piling up on top of all of our other expenses. There have been many blow ups due to all of the stress and just the uneasiness of how (if) we can do this. I never expected to be in so much pain that I just don't know what to do to handle it. One day I decided enough was enough and started packing. I packed up all of my clothes, shoes, toiletries and moved back in with my parents. He packed up his things and has moved into his mothers basement along with his sister's 3 cats. There is no way we could go on paying $1,500 a month for the home we were renting. We could not just move into one home due to our dogs. Gunner is in Berwyn with me b/c he was an appetite that would include all 5 cats at his mom's house. My mother is not so thrilled with Gunner just because he is not like Honey-doo and runs and may have torn up the backyard a little (a lot). Bruiser on the other hand is more fearful of cats that anything so he is with Chris at his mom's house and is oh so happy to have his hiding space back (the bathtub). We have been trying to see each other as much as possible but that is hard with his promotion he works in Elgin 5-7 days a week. Like this week Mon-Fri he is in the office but Saturday and Sunday he will be in gilberts for the muddy buddy race. So if you are going and hurt yourself feel free to ask for Chris. I have taken over Ryan's old bedroom and thanks to Aunt Tracy & Uncle T have Patrick Kane staring at me all night long, thanks guys!! These past 2 weeks have been very rough that is how long this period has lasted so far again ladies feel free to cringe. Plus my sleep has been a little erratic leading to FMS flare ups which my parents do not quite seem to understand yet. The other day my dad was trying to tell me that I don't know what pain is, I could not hold my tongue I snapped back maybe you need to look up my conditions before you say that I do not know what pain is!!! I was reading an article about how to explain FMS to people and their analogy is the best I have heard so far. Think back to the last time you had a bad flu and how drained you felt and how every ounce of your body ached now add a sunburn on top of that to get the skin sensitivity. That is how I have felt for the past two weeks on top of the endometriosis pain and on top of a ruptured cyst. I am very lucky that Gunner has taken so well to Ryan because it has been a blessing that he follows him in and out and will listen to Ryan almost as well as he listens to me. It just gives me one less thing to worry about. Other than Ryan confusing him when he calls him duck or crocodile. I apologize for the rambles and the jumps all over, I am sure you teachers are having a field day with my grammar and lack of seperation. I just decided to free flow and keep typing what comes to mind sorry if it drives you crazy.

New Treatments

So I have been taking the Cymbalta for the fibromyalgia for a few days now and have already started to notice a difference. I am no longer walking around like an old frail lady. There is still an annoying pain in my hips, shoulders and neck but it is down to a 4 which is at least manageable. My gynecological specialist called me in to review everything and where we were. We also figured out that the endometriosis is no longer just causing my pelvic area pain but I also have intestinal endometriosis. It is as a big of a pain as it sounds. He was not really listening to me saying that now is not the time for me to get pregnant. All he said about that was he believes that is the only way to truly to relief from the endometriosis oh and he believes it will make me happier! Really, I really like him as a doctor but him and his wife are both doctors so I do not think that he ever thinks that it is stressful for other families to afford to have a child. Eventually he saw I was not happy with his response and he said he was sending me to a different doctor who runs a physical therapy center he wanted me to get a pelvic floor massage. Do not ask I still do not know exactly what it is I went for my appointment yesterday and received no such massage in the hour and a half I was there. There was a consultation with the doctor who happens to be a chiropractor he looked me over said I was a muscular mess and all that pressure is not good for the endo or FM. Then I saw the physical therapist for another evaluation and they taught me some stretches to help loosen up my muscles so when they start in on specific exercises there is no additional inflammation which is my enemy for the conditions I am struggling with. I also had my first adjustment go figure my pelvis was out of alignment and turned it was an interesting experience. It is hard to say how I am feeling after that because this will be my worst week this month so no matter what I do I am in constant pain. They want me going in 2-3x a week I do not know how conceivable that is but I will at least be doing the homework that they gave me. I will keep this updated on how well these work.

Decision Made

I am awaiting the phone call to hear my prescription is ready to be picked up. Treating the fibromyalgia it is which means back on all of my medications to try to keep everything at bay. Until we get everything back on track we cannot even fathom adding a child. So please cross your fingers that once I am feeling better and am able to work again everything will fall into place and be just as it needs to be. Lets hope this time next week I am pain free!! Some more good news we are holding off on the cardiologist appointment until we see how my body takes the fibromyalgia medication. We have decided to go with Cymbalta which has half the life of Lyrica just in case God had other plans for us. It will not take long to ween me off of cymbalta as it would Lyrica. I am also right now scheduled for monthly B12 injections. I love them nothing has been able to give me that boost of energy like it. Now time to call my favorite doctor and let him know my decision, he will not be happy but we have to do what is right for us. Then he needs to refill my pain killers with what is quickly approaching and I do not have to suffer without anymore. I will keep you updated on how I am feeling with the addition of the new medication.

Choices

So I had a follow up appointment this morning with one of my many doctors. she basically told me I have to decide what I want to do, I have 2 choices. Option 1- Stay off all medications while trying to get pregnant and struggle with the daily pain and exhaustion. Option 2- Decide not to have a baby and start medication and physical therapy to treat the fibromyalgia. They both come with pros and cons obviously it is just trying to figure out what I am going to do. One doctor said to have a baby now before the endometriosis gets even worse and I have to have a hysterectomy oh and my chances of becoming pregnant are like winning the lottery. Now if I decide that having a family just is not in my cards I can start trying to manage the chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia which will allow me to start to live a normal life again. Ugh I hate all of this I just want to wake up one day and be healthy and pain free and all of this is just one long awful nightmare. Thankfully as I figure out what option I am going to go with my doctors believe in supplements and prescription strength vitamins. I received another b12 injection today and was told that she has no problem giving them to me on a regular basis and upped my dosage of vitamin D and gave me a prescription for pre natal vitamins which I am to take even while we are just attempting to get pregnant. On a frugile note if you know anyone having to take pre natal vitamins let them know if they have a prescription meijers will fill them for free they didnt even take my insurance card! They also do the same for some antibiotics just an FYI.

Here is a picture of which areas fibromyalgia can effect. I get it pretty bad in both of my hips where I shuffle around like a 90 year old. Then my neck and shoulders it is not like tension it hurts to the point you cannot move. I try heat & ice thinking it will help and it does for a few minutes but it does not last long.

What are additional symptoms of fibromyalgia?

Other symptoms include migraine and tension headaches, numbness or tingling of different body parts, abdominal pain related to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and irritable bladder, causing painful and frequent urination.

What is fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia (formerly fibrositis) is a syndrome characterized by chronic pain, stiffness, and tenderness of muscles, tendons, and joints without detectable inflammation. It is also characterized by restless sleep, awakening tired, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and disturbances in bowel function.

Additional factors can increase fibromyalgia pain.

The pain of fibromyalgia can sometimes be further aggravated by sensory stressors such as noise, weather change, bright lights, and emotional stress.

Endometriosis and Infertility

Sometimes the first -- or only -- sign of endometriosis is trouble getting pregnant. Infertility affects about a third of women with the condition, for reasons that are not yet well understood. Scarring may be to blame. The good news is that medical treatments are effective to overcome infertility -- and pregnancy itself can relieve some symptoms of endometriosis.

Getting Pregnant With Endometriosis

Many women with endometriosis don't have trouble getting pregnant. But laparoscopic surgery can significantly improve the pregnancy rate of women who have moderate to severe endometriosis. In vitro fertilization is an option if infertility persists. The sperm and egg are combined in a laboratory and the resulting embryo is implanted into the uterus.

Getting Pregnant With Endometriosis

Many women with endometriosis don't have trouble getting pregnant. But laparoscopic surgery can significantly improve the pregnancy rate of women who have moderate to severe endometriosis. In vitro fertilization is an option if infertility persists. The sperm and egg are combined in a laboratory and the resulting embryo is implanted into the uterus.

This is all of the stuff that is running through my head and we did not even talk about the cardiologist today that will be when I get my blood results back. Sleep was a problem before this we will see how much sleep I get this weekend.

No Changes

So it has been awhile since I have posted it has been a long difficult few weeks. The CFS, FM, and Endo have been kicking my butt add to that that oddly high tree pollen I have been living in my bedroom. I did get the fertility blood results back they want to keep track because some were off where they should have been at that time. In my head I am just like seriously, what else could go wrong? I have been feeling a little down lately even though I have started taking my happy pills again hoping they would help with all the bad news I seem to be getting lately. Every time I log in to facebook someone else that I went to school with is announcing their great news on expanding their families. Please do not get me wrong I am happy that they are able to conceive without all of the problems that I have to deal with it just makes me sad. Take Easter weekend Saturday I got to see my sister's 2 kids Haley & Brady whom are just too cute then I see Chris playing with them and then have the thought that he may never get the chance to play with his own children and it is my fault. He would be such a great dad and he makes me think that we would be great parents being able to step back from what he have seen in our families and take everything that we like and blend it together. On Sunday we were able to spend some time with Chris' sisters 2 children more so Liam since Teaghan was not feeling well. Poor little thing 8 weeks old and had a painful ear infection :-( Then one of his cousins is pregnant and due in a few months. Again I am honestly happy for them it just makes the fact that we may never get to enjoy that makes it difficult for me to stay happy. I end up thinking of my husband having to settle with spending his entire life with just me and our furry ones. The sadder thing is he does not even get to spend that much time with our neices and nephews due to my lack of being motherly. I am 27 years old have never really baby sitted anyone and I have a brother 8 years younger than me. I have never changed a diaper I do not deal well with spit up, throw up however blood & guts I can deal with strange I know. I know it is a lot of rambling just giving you an insight of what goes through my medicated head.

Susan Sarandon Speaks about her struggle with Endometriois

Long Painful Weekend

What it do when your family does not understand what you are going through...

I have no idea I feel like I do my best to explain what I am going through but again there is no cast, no crutches no nothing on the outside to "prove" what I am feeling. Well I will try to explain the new sensation going on EVERY night I get a pins and needles feelings in my neck, shoulders, hips and knees like they were just starting to fall asleep. I know noone that can bear that feeling and I can shake and shake but it does not "wake up" the pain stays there until I take pain pills or sleeping pills or pain killers and melatonin until I fall asleep because I know of no other way to deal with it. I am so exhausted every day that even carrying a laundry basket makes me want to take a nap. The B-12 injection I received has been helping instead of feeling like I havent slept in years I at least now feel like I got 2-3 hours of sleep so I can at least somewhat function. Like cooking without worrying about burning the house down. Anyone that knows me that I am used to functioning on very little to no sleep but even then I was never this exhausted and since I am taking sleeping aids I am actually sleeping so it is very hard for me to wrap my head around. I just hope it does not last the 10 years my mother suffered with one of the 3 conditions I am currently fighting I do not think I could live like this for that long.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia Overview

Fibromyalgia syndrome affects the muscles and soft tissue. Fibromyalgia symptoms include chronic pain in the muscles, fatigue, sleep problems, and painful tender points or trigger points at certain parts of the body. Fibromyalgia pain and other symptoms can be relieved through medications, lifestyle changes, stress management, and other fibromyalgia treatment.

Courtesy of WebMD

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a disorder that causes extreme fatigue. This fatigue is not the kind of tired feeling that goes away after you rest. Instead, it lasts a long time and limits your ability to do ordinary daily activities.
Symptoms of CFS include fatigue for 6 months or more and experiencing other problems such as muscle pain, memory problems, headaches, pain in multiple joints, sleep problems, sore throat and tender lymph nodes. Since other illnesses can cause similar symptoms, CFS is hard to diagnose.
No one knows what causes CFS. It is most common in women in their 40s and 50s, but anyone can have it. It can last for years. There is no cure for CFS, so the goal of treatment is to improve symptoms. Medicines may treat pain, sleep disorders and other problems.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

Fertility Doctor Appointment

Ugh it was a rough morning that will lead to a rough day. An 8 am appointment that is 45min away is never a good way to start your day. Add to it a trans vaginal ultrasound (extremely painful for someone with endo) then the most blood ever taken at a doctors office it was like I was donating blood. They pulled out 8 vials they stopped at 7 when the technician moved the needle and released suction (OUCH!!) add to that my husband had to tell her what vein to hit and how it laid she was not going to try to stick me again. I have nice strong veins just don't try to stick me they will roll away and give you the slip which has left me black and blue on more than one occasion. They told me that my uterus is tilted backwards (which I already knew) which used to be believed as a cause of infertility but I have lots of follicles that they are tracking. The sonographer made Chris hungry when she called them chocolate cookies. I should have some blood results back later today and they rest by Monday and then we will go from there on what they think we should do next. Now if you excuse me it is time to pop pain killers it feels like my ovaries are in a vise grip.

Immunologist Appointment

So... today was an interesting day at the doctors. My general practitioner sent me all the way to Bloomingdale to see this Immunologist she did warn me that he was a little kooky. She was not lying to me that is for sure he was a little off the wall but it worked for him. I filled out the usual forms about medical history and current symptoms and he was able to basically give me the low down on my entire health, thoughts, feelings. It was very intriguing, and off putting at the same time. They asked when my migraines started he knew I used to get awful motion sickness. Just ask my grandparents about grape kool-aid on the way to the campground- no good. He explained to me that I have a high risk phenotype which makes me more susceptible to different things and 5x more sensitive than the "normal" person. That is why I can hear you mumbling under your breath in the other room Christopher. He said it comes into play with light, sound, pain, emotions, feelings he explained that is why I am a texture eater (picky). With all of this he did confirm that I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, more information to come on these. He also tested me for allergies the ones that I knew about were not a shocker: dust, mold, ragweed, grass, pollen then there were some shockers eggs, green peppers, cinnamon, paprika and cats (sorry Rascal cannot pet you) So  I am to stop eating these foods one at a time for 10 days then introduce them back one at a time and see what symptoms occur to see if I need to stay away from them all together or if in moderation is ok. The bad part is it left both of my arms red, itchy and swollen and you can still see all of the little dots where they poked me. I am still trying to process everything the kooky doctor said and everything that he was able to tell me about myself that nobody else would even scratch the surface on.   He did give me a B 12 shot which seems to be working a little more so than the little pills that you stick under your tongue and he told me I need to become in a competitive sport since I do not feel that work out "high" like again "normal" people. If anyone has any ideas please feel free to post them. If you are reading this most likely you know me so do NOT say running. LOL He also explained how having this high risk led to my endometriosis and why I am in so much pain due to it. He explained that with this most peoples smooth muscles are affected hence the uterus and fallopian tubes they just do not operate as they should causing the back flow which places the endometrial cells on the outside and on organs that they have no business socializing with. Right now the best advice he could give to me was to continue taking the supplements, make sure I am sleeping well every night and try to do activities to increase my serotonin levels leading to an increase in my dopamine levels which should over ride some of the chronic pain I am feeling. Well I guess it is time to try to relax and get ready for bed since I have to be at the fertility doctor at 8 am tomorrow morning.

Reading a Book

I was at the library the other day picking up a book Chris had on hold and I decide to stroll the medical section. I found a book called ENDOMETRIOSIS- The Complete Reference for Taking Charge of Your Health by: Mary Lou Ballweg and the Endometriosis association. I would recommend it for anyone that wants to gain a better understanding of the disease/symptom/condition no one seems to know what to call it. I know have a better understanding why my doctors want me to see an immunologist. Which by the way is set up for March 30th they warned me it will be take about 2 hours for the first appointment. Basically this thing that is taking over my body and my life is opening the door for other conditions to come about. Some doctors are saying that endometriosis is an auto-immune disease which is why many women then come down with chronic fatigue syndrome which is a viral infection, who knew? Then also fibromyalgia which just means these women already dealing with pain that we would not wish on our worst enemies have new areas developing daily pain. Right now I am trying to keep those off of my list, but I may not have a choice to use treatments for those conditions in order to make my day to day life easier. Basically the immunologist is going to not only test me for newly developed allergies another side effect of endometriosis and for other conditions that the endometriosis have helped to gain control over my body and my sanity! Time to go back to reading lets hope there is some good news somewhere in this book, doubtful I know since there is not a cure or really not that many treatments. This book also talks with women who have made the tough decision to have a hysterectomy and afterwards still have the pain because the lesions and adhesions are not only on those organs they can grow on the bladder, rectum and even the lungs. Ugh lets all hope for a happy ending please!!

PSA commercial in England

It seems like they are ahead of us in spreading the awareness of this horrible condition, I hope that maybe by next year the U.S. will also make a commercial of some sort alerting women not to ignore the symptoms thinking it is something else or "normal"


http://vimeo.com/20910143

More Health Obstacles

Soooooo on Friday I woke up feeling very weak and dizzy and just could barley move. I managed to get into a doctor to figure out what my body is throwing at me now. She did not know for sure what is going on she is running a whole bunch of blood tests that I could not even remember them to tell Chris. The doctor wants to rule everything out before treating me for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. so after we get the blood tests back she told me that should be by Thursday she will want me to see an immunologist whom she warned me was coukie but brilliant and a neurologist the she said was OLD and old school but used to looking beyond the common diagnosis. I just want to go back to being normal not being in intense pain everyday and this feeling as the room is spinning is getting old rather quickly. I am tired of having to explain the details to people. If I had a broken leg there would be a cast showing I was injured if I had cut myself there would be stitches but here I am feeling the worst that I have ever felt and people literally look at me and say "but you look fine." I just have to do my best to hold in my tears of frustration every time. Please cross your fingers that I will receive some answers this week and do not have to deal with people that simply do not understand.

Changes

So the last change was me getting a 9-5 type of job and now so has Chris. My husband has been on the crazy schedule that is the life of a paramedic for years so it will be very strange to have him home every night. He is still working for A-Tec Ambulance just no longer on an ambulance he is now an office man! I am sure he will miss going out on the calls and so will the doctors that requested him for transports. I know that he will not miss constantly running his butt off and not sleeping at night. On a side note we did not follow doctors orders this month I am just so nervous it is driving me crazy. I have a lot of family members who are telling me I would be a good mom but I am not sure that I am ready for everything that it entails. Deep breaths I need to stop over analyzing everything and learn to just let things happen.

Best Explanation I have seen!

http://www.endocenter.org/endoflash_highspeed.htm

Ok I will warn you if you watch this clip it is a little hookie but it is the best I have seen and since it is Endometriosis Awareness Month I will try to share every good link I find

Please help get the word out so no one else feels this pain

National Endometriosis Awareness Month is upon us once again! If you are anything like me, you may wonder, what on earth does it mean and how can I be a part of it? Granted it is not like October where every venue you enter is flooded with pink and where the general public has an understanding of what the pink ribbon stands for, but that does not mean we cannot make a difference! Here are some easy ways to get involved in Endo Awareness Month this March:

1. Sport a yellow shirt on Yellow Shirt Day which takes place on March 1st and ask your friends and loved ones to do the same! What if we were able to flood the month of March with yellow the way October is saturated in pink? Would Congress then take notice and raise funding so that we can find a cure?
2. Sport an Endometriosis Awareness Shirt as often as possible the rest of the month (and year)! Fight Like a Girl has an amazing selection of kickin’ shirts for endo warriors like you and me. I don’t know of there is a stigma attached to being vocal about endometriosis since it relates to our “lady parts” but if we can proudly sports shirts (and bumper stickers) that read “Save the Ta-tas” then surely we can proudly show our desire to overcome endo (we can skip the “save the ute” t-shirt though…lol).
3. Hand out yellow ribbons. This is something that I do every year because it is so easy to do and can make a big difference. For the month of March, I keep a basket of yellow ribbons on my desk with a small framed poster that gives stats regarding endometriosis. As co-workers and others stop by my desk, I can pass out the ribbons and let them know about awareness month.
4. Add a blurb about Endo Awareness Month to your email signature. This is another simple yet effective way to spread the word! It may not seem like much but believe me, it makes a difference!
5. Participate in the Adopt A Doctor program with the ERC. The ERC has created this program to help raise awareness about not only the ERC, but Endometriosis Awareness Month and mostly importantly you, the endo patient. This is a super easy program to get involved in! You can click here for more information!
6. Take social media by storm! Light up facebook, twitter, and your blog about endometriosis. If you haven’t noticed, there are tons of Facebook groups already created to spread the word about Endometriosis Awareness Month so join on in! Tweet out stats about endometriosis and how people can get involved to raise awareness. Blog about your journey with endometriosis and your desire to see that a cure is found in your lifetime. Fill out the 30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know to help educate others on what it is like to live with an invisible disease. It is time that we unite our voices together and make a powerful warrior cry that we will not be defeated!

Together we can make National Endometriosis Awareness Month 2011 one to remember! What are ways you plan on getting involved this month?
<hugs and painfree wishes>
Jamee - from thefightlikeagirlclub.com
The informational content of this article is intended to convey general educational information and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.

The Time has Come

As of yesterday the Lupron is out of my system.(YEA!!) Which means we have been cleared to start trying and then next month we have to see the fertility doctor again so they can run a few tests. The only problem with this is what happens if by gods grace we succeed right away, a good thing except I just started a new job so that may not go over so well. On the other hand they all seem so family orientated so it may not be that big of an issue since I have married someone that works 24 on and 48 off so he can be a Mr. Mom. It just now is the time whether we feel ready or not, prepared or lost it is all in. Please keep us in your prayers and hope that my doctor was wrong and that we are able to conceive.

Almost there?

For the past few days I have been completely exhausted for no reason. Then you add dizzy spells on top of that plus I have been experiencing some more pain than usual. All of these things typically mean one thing for someone suffering with endometriosis- period right around the corner. It has been about 5 months since I have had one so I was confused to why I was feeling so awful, thankfully my husband had also been paying attention to my symptoms and was like this is what used to happen. So as odd as it is I am looking forward to it because that means the lupron is out of my system and we can begin trying without worrying about possible birth defects from the injections I was receiving. So please do me a favor and cross your fingers that I am not getting sick and my body is finally getting back to its normal state.

Changes

Well 2 weeks ago I quit my job as a clinic administrator for a national massage franchise. I felt inclined to do so after one of the franchisees told me twice "to rip everything." Real nice huh? I sent her and the other franchisee an e mail voicing my opinion on how unprofessional that was. The sad part it went even further they were telling other employees and clients that I needed to have a hysterectomy. To anyone that has ever suffered from endometriosis you know that is the last thing you want people around you talking about. As I told her I am a married 27 year old that has not started a family yet how can you even say that to me? Her reply was there are other ways, I felt like saying not on what you pay me there is not! I was good I used my filter. When I sat down with both franchisees to discuss these issues along with clinic happenings for 2011. During the meeting she lied about ever saying anything even the things she said to my face. I had enough I was always so stressed when I would head to work and you know that stress is really bad since it causes everything to tense up increasing the daily chronic pain I am in. I have accepted a new position with what seems to be a great assisted living facility. I have never had a Monday-Friday 9-5 kind of job so this will all be new to me but I am so excited to start tomorrow!! Have to get fingerprinted and that is a pain in the butt since the places are only open certain hours on certain days.

Wolves Game

My husband is so good with children he was able to help out with Haley May our neice at the game even after she had a sno cone and cotton candy. She was watching the game as she was jumping on her Uncle Chris' lap.

Background Information

How all of this started - During the summer I started have severe pain in my abdomen I went in to see a general practitioner and they sent me to a gynecologist specialist. After he made me cry during the exam he decided that it was time to take a look and see if I had endometriosis. I had a laproscopy at the end of August where they found stage 3 (out of 4) endometriosis. They also found a surprise hernia and a 3cm cyst on my right ovary. After 2 weeks of recovery my pain was the exact same so I went back to the doctor had a CT scan and they discovered that it had come back with a vengeance plus a cyst back on my right ovary and this time it was bigger. We decided to go for the lupron injections (of course I had all the awful side effects) so after 2 months of that I decided it was time to try to have a family. When discussing this with my doctor he was shocked that I thought I would be able to conceive. It was his opinion that I would need help if that was going to happen and even then it was only a slight chance due to all of the scarring and where the endometrial tissue was as well as with the cyst on my ovary. (still there) We have seen a fertility doctor and all they could tell us to do for right now is wait until my body goes back to normal from the injections. It has been almost 3 months since my last injection and we are still in a holding pattern.

Pictures from the surgery I had in August do NOT scroll down if you cannot handle blood.

Cyst off of my ovare

The white that you see is the endometriosis

The fixing of the hernia

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