A Chat
Last year I prided myself on spending a small amount of time each week performing endometriosis research. I was so set on trying to find the best ways to manage symptoms, and maybe help propel research further. When the year started to go on and we got closer to the fall and winter, I feel like I was sucked into a whirlwind with no escape. I stopped researching. I stopped looking for answers and once again, I threw my illness on the backburner.
Although I will say I completed the major accomplishment of hitting the “sell” button on Barnes and Noble Press, I didn’t feel like I was as involved as I should have been. Most likely from fear. Definitely from stress.
You see, after my birthday, I just came under heavy amounts of stress. And to this day I still feel that stress is compounding with no relief.
However, yesterday I decided to do some research again. I have been struggling with an insane flare up for about 5 days now and I really was hitting a wall.
Then, I found this article:
The first sentence of this paper is so crucial. It reads as “Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent chronic inflammatory disease.”
FINALLY.
This battle has been going on for years and years with endometriosis being defined as so many incorrect things, and almost making it seem as if it wasn’t anything big to “write home” about. But it IS. A gynecological disorder sounds very different from a chronic inflammatory disease. The inflammation we experience in our bodies with endo is systematic. It is not just localized in one region. It may start in one region, but people forget that endo can be found in and on all areas of the body, including brains. This is something that happens at the cellular level. This could happen during cellular genesis. It isn’t just something that will come and “go away.”
I don’t understand why I still see scientists describing this in other terms. The science is constantly changing as technologies arise and continue to push research forward. But I felt a little sense of relief yesterday.
In terms of the article, the conclusion was not something I was happy to read. We all know that there are risks associated with any medicine/ supplement/ pill that we take into our bodies. And sadly, we are all told of the possible side effects in the beginning. At that moment, that is when we have to decide what we are willing to trade off as a risk versus living in pain. Now if you read this article and say “Well wait, the researchers say that long term therapy works in their sample size and the results were positive.” I will tell you yes, they were. However there are more studies following patients who received this type of treatment and experienced increased instances of cancer, due to the increase of progestin in their bodies.
Not such a great trade off.
It is a trade off I struggle with, as someone who has taken hormonal therapy and currently is in between hormonal therapy treatments.
Anyway, I just want people to know who read this, whether you suffer from a chronic illness or not, that chronic inflammation has no boundaries. You can do everything correct and still wind up in a flare. And just because your flare lasted one day in the past doesn’t mean it will be that way in the future. They can last much longer, and you don’t have to and SHOULDN’T feel guilty for taking time for rest. Others may not understand, and you may feel pressured or bad. But I am here to tell you that you are not alone.