Endometriosis

Living with Endometriosis

I’m not Celiac.  I have endometriosis.  And that’s why I’m gluten free. 

Endo is a disease that we don’t really know much about.  There are a few good theories, but that’s it.  We know that is causes growths, either webbing or cysts, usually in the abdomin, but there have been cases of endo found in brain tissue!  I have webbing all over my bladder, uterus and cavity walls.  There is no cure for endo, only management.  There are medications, but with huge side effects.  You can have endo removed surgically, but it has an 80% return rate.  I’m not a canidate for surgery.  The webbing makes it hard to differenciate where the healthy tissue ends and the endo begins.  I’ve tried meds (Lupron) and it does make you a little crazy.

Not eating gluten has been an amazing journey to feeling a lot better.  I stumbled on a book called ‘Endometriosis:  A Key to Healing and Fertility Through Nutrition’ by Dian Shepperson Mills and Michael Vernon.  The fertility part didn’t work out for me, but I feel like a different person.  If you have endo, seriously, get this book.  And follow her advice.  I modified her plan to suit my life and needs.  I don’t eat any gluten, no red meat or pork, very little dairy, drink soy, barely any sugar and almost no chocolate.  Sounds boring, eh?  But you get pretty creative!

I’m trying now to eat less fats and sugars and more natural foods.  Of course you need to have a good birthday cake recipe and definitely a good chocolate chip cookie recipe (my biggest weakness and favorite food of all time).  I will be trying to bring more healthy ideas to my recipes.

I used to have severe cramps.  I’ve blacked out, collapsed while walking and stayed in bed all day because of crazy endo.  But most of that is behind me.  I do have my rough cycle every now and then, but that’s less and less.  No gluten, a bit of working out and a Motrin occasionally, and feel ‘normal’.  As a side note, more working out = less Motrin.  And I don’t cheat.  Once I realized how good I could feel, whole wheat didn’t seem so whole anymore.