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Coping With Endometriosis

Every woman deals with Endometriosis and it's related complications in different ways.  Usually; a woman experiences the stages of grief when learning that she has a disease for which there is no cure.  Her grief is compounded when the people who supposedly love and care for her, treat her as if there's nothing wrong or if it's all in her head.  Statistics prove that when a woman suffering from Endometriosis has a loving support system to fall back upon, that she handles the disease in a more positive manner.

Besides appropriate measures to counter the often chronic and sometimes severe pain via narcotics, anti-inflammatory medications, and a variety of other items; there are also vitamins and herbs which are sometimes helpful.  Lately; alternative therapies are getting quite a bit of attention and I feel that they are worth looking into, if you are so inclined.  

Since there is quite a bit of emotional trauma involved with this disease, it is often helpful for a woman who suffers from Endometriosis to join a support group (such as one at:  www.endometriosisassn.org) and/or even to seek out therapy coupled with anti-depressants.

Never underestimate the power of music!  If your thing is classical; then what are you waiting for - put some in.  I, personally, enjoy the sounds of Native American music - with the flutes and the drums - it's very spiritual and relaxing.  Ultimately; you listen to whatever makes you feel most comfortable.

In fact; it is my belief that there should be enough coping mechanisms & resources available to anyone who suffers from Endometriosis so that they can learn to live with this incurable disease - just as these options are available to cancer patients and AIDS patients.


To Stay Away From:

Too much coffee (the extra caffeine will mess up your blood sugar levels and you will crash).

Red meat (if you must, only eat it once a week - red meat is more difficult for your body to process, thus taking too much energy that your body could be using for other things - not to mention that you don't need any of that red meat fat storing up in your body as it's unhealthy in high amounts; it could give you high cholesterol and heart disease - plus; most meat bought in stores today is genetically altered with high doses of synthetic Estrogens which some scientists believe may cause Endometriosis & Cancer).

Too much sugar (it throws off the Ph levels in your reproductive area and could instigate a yeast infection - that's why I suggest using the honey instead).

                    Soda (a bit won't hurt anything, but again, soda contains high amounts of both sugar and caffeine).

Alcohol (if you drink more than one beer or one glass of red wine during a single day, you are not helping your body at all - once alcohol reaches the brain, it automatically shuts down brain cells in your higher brain - it also screws up your blood sugar levels - it dehydrates you - in high amounts, it can make you infertile - it thins your blood and makes you bleed easier and more and could thus aggravate your endometriosis and cause it to bleed more - not to mention that it's bad for your liver - and; it can cause high blood pressure).

Stress & toxic people. If there is someone in your life whom you only tolerate - then why bother with them at all? If they put you down, hurt your feelings, make you angry, and you feel your body tense when you are around them; then you need to listen to your body and do what it wants - avoid that person! High amounts of stress over long periods of time can cause post traumatic stress syndrome; similar to war veterans. This type of stress takes it's toll on your body and can cause heart problems, a stroke, chronic fatigue syndrome, it'll weaken your immune system and enable you to get sick easier and more often, AND high stress has been noted to make both women and men infertile!

Dioxins, pesticides, and other chemicals that do not leave your body and can build up inside your fat cells and eventually cause Endometriosis and other diseases, including Cancer.

Do not use yourself as a guinea pig and mess around with Wild Yam cream and progesterone.  To mess around with your hormones without knowing what your hormone levels already are and without the supervision of a doctor can be pretty dumb, as you might end up making your levels too high or too low and this will result in a whole entire host of new problems for which you would regret.

 


Instructions for Herbs:

I have been studying herbalism - with hopes to discover new ways to help ease the symptoms of Endometriosis and it's related conditions.  Keep in mind, however, that I am NOT a doctor and that some herbs can negatively counter with certain medications and that those who have hay fever should not take some types of herbs.  I'd also recommend that you visit a Barnes and Noble's or some local book store - go into their health section and pick up a book on herbs and health. Start reading about them and get familiar with them and what they do.

I purchase my herbs either cut and sifted or via powder form from either my local health food store or via www.naturesproducts.com.  The following are the recipes for herbal remedies that I have created which you might find very helpful:

                    


For Major Cramping:

If your doctor has prescribed you Anaprox (an anti-inflammitory), but it's not enough; try taking one Anaprox with two Motrin - sometimes this is enough to get you through the rough spots; but if it's not, you may need to explore other options such as narcotic pain relief.  Keep in mind that most narcotic pain relievers are addictive, so watch yourself.  


Supplement Plan for Better Health with Endo:

Day-Time Herbal - 2 to 3 in the morning

Night-Time Herbal - 2 to 3 in the evening

VITAMIN B-COMPLEX - 1 capsule in morning

Helps with: fibromyalgia, diabetes, minor injuries, headaches, athletic performance, canker sores, cataracts, high cholesterol, painful menstruation, anxiety, acne, bursitis, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, sinusitis, lupus, depression, kidney stones, morning sickness, asthma, premenstrual syndrome, brittle nails, restless leg syndrome, gout, abnormal pap smears, anemia, & chronic fatigue syndrome. NOTE: Vitamin B-8 is Folic acid, so you won't need to take the bottle you have at home, just take this one pill, as it contains all of the b-complex vitamins.

GREEN TEA - 1 cup in morning

                          For immune function, high trigylcerides, cancer risk reduction, gingivitis, & infection.

WILDFLOWER HONEY - Use this, instead of sugar, in your tea.

YOUR REGULAR MULTI-VITAMIN - 1 capsule in morning

VITAMIN E-400 - 2 capsules in evening (total = 800 IU's)

helps with: diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, minor injuries, immune function, yellow nail syndrome, osteoarthritis, angina, bronchitis, cold sores, premenstrual syndrome, wound healing, abnormal pap smear, minor burns, fibrocystic breast disease, fibromyalgia, hypoglycemia, infertility (men & women), lupus, menopause, restless leg syndrome, vaginitis, & photosensitivity.

CALCIUM & MAGNESIUM - 1 capsule in evening

helps with: osteoporosis, rickets, high blood pressure, premenstrual syndrome, gingivitis, kidney stones, painful menstruation, migraine headaches, diabetes, heart disease, anxiety, asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, hypoglycemia, pulmonary disease, & athletic performance. NOTE: You don't want to take too many minerals, so you'll need to stop taking that mineral supplement that you have and just take one of these, per day.


If you find that you are still wide-awake at night and edgy and cannot sleep; you can go to the GNC and get the following:

VALERIAN ROOT - take two capsules of these about an hour before bed-time. Do NOT take these during the day or while driving - at least till you see how they will affect you. Valerian is a natural anti-depressant and sleep aide. It is much better than any over the counter sleep aide, as it doesn't give you that hang-over feeling in the morning like other things do. You can take these on a regular basis to get you back on a sleep schedule or just take them, as needed. Do not take them on a continual basis for more than three weeks at a time without going through that one week of cleansing.  You can also add Kava Kava with the Valerian Root if the insomnia is severe.  Taking the combination of Valerian Root and Kava Kava helps with headaches.

ESSENTIAL OIL OF LAVENDAR - It is used in aromatherapy and has been known to relax those who smell it.  Dab it, sparingly, on your pulse points - put about four drops into your bath water - dab a cotton ball into it and slip into your pillow case.

CHAMOMILE TEA - Chamomile tea is a natural relaxant.  You can usually buy it already prepared and in tea bag form at the local grocery store, but health food stores and www.naturesproducts.com also sell it loose.  If you buy it loose; just steep it in some boiling water - sweeten it with either honey or Stevia (a natural sweetener - is also an herb).


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