ABC Endo: A Trinbago Survivor's Guide

When you get an ease from endometriosis woe, you feel full of light and magic.

IT WAS A guy pal who suggested: “Try taking a purge prior to your period.”

A little something he’d picked up from his girl, that has served me well over the years since I listened.

We endometriosis-copers tend to be anxious about trying anything that “messes with” areas close to our uterus, ever fearful it will exacerbate pain problems rather than improve. I get it. But we can try prudent new things in a careful way, to find out for sure if it will work for us.

A purge can be part of, but is not the same as, a detox (that topic for another day; and I’ll be sure to come back here and include a link). This purging I’m suggesting is something simple to do a few days before you menstruate. This can ensure that at least your bowels lighten up while your uterus, etcetera gets so heavy around this time.

Better out than in

Gives new meaning to "Nothing should be this hard."

Some women get constipated on their cycle, so this helps. And even for those who experience the opposite, a planned purge beforehand can have a controlling effect on your common period diarrhoea.

A purge can alleviate water-retention and bloating; rid your body of toxins and assist with expelling clots. Altogether, these can diminish pain.

You will have to take a laxative, and I advocate using something natural. My personal go-to options are: a full teaspoonful of castor oil; or two aloes powder capsules; or an 8 oz properly steeped cup of dandelion tea. Now, each of these causes a different reaction that can be discomfiting. Be aware.

Flush for a cause

I try to have yogurt when I purge, to reboot my acidophiles; and coconut water to boost my electrolytes. Peppermint, fennel, ginger and green teas all offer soothing during more unsavoury feeling moments.

Rather than simply pop something and wait to poop, you might want to approach your purge in a more structured manner. Three or two days before your period is due, ingest your choice of laxative and then follow some or all of the day-regime beautifully outlined by Dr. Keri Glassman, R.D. at the link: Today

Finally, even if you work a pre-purge into your prepare-for-period routine, you can still aim to get and stay regular. Proper eating, hydrating, exercising and relaxation methods will help with that goal, and profoundly and wonderfully improve endometriosis issues overall.

In beauty may you walk.

You'd be surprised what simple, nice eats can keep you regular

Word Warrior long time now, hit the link to see The Jhaye-Q Brew Archive

Hot Flushes, Anyone?

I LEARNED about castor oil packs while helping a sistuh save her womb.
She, in her forties at the time, was being told by doctor after doctor that the best "solution" to her fibroid issue was a hysterectomy.
They would say, "At your age, and you have two grown children, you don't need it."
You wish I was paraphrasing.
Ever the book-buyer, I passed her my copy of Sex, Lies and the Truth About Uterine Fibroids. The author, Carla Dionne, a registered nurse, saw fibroid patients face the same as my friend over her career. Then she faced it herself when she was diagnosed.
Her intent was to arm women with knowledge, thus, options; toward preventing the callous cutting away of a vital part of our female make-up.
I had not read the book fully. My bugbear was endo, after all.
But my friend took things to heart, and near well learned the book off by heart; then gave me the 4-1-1 on CO-pacs.

That's what sharing does: it comes back around again and the learning goes both ways.

Thanks girlfriend!

Speaking of which, CO-pacs can be an endo-gal's best friend as a long-term, curative method. My friend shrank her fibroid to half its size using this. I diminished endometrial implants, scar tissue, clotting, constipation and some of the pain resulting from them.
It's not a cure-all. But it is another piece of "regimen-arsenal" to rack up for your combat-endo forays.

WHAT YOU NEED

Castor oil (to local sistuhs, PLEASE, not that stuff sold in pharmacies by a certain charlatanesque local brand, that's mixed with who knows what. Check an authentic essential oils outlet, like Mustapha's on Henry Street, Port-of-Spain).
Plain white flannel
Saran wrap (or recycle clear plastic bags like your bakery bread comes in)
Heat pack of some kind (check on-line for make it yourself ideas)
Wipes
Scissors
Old Tee or towel on standby

Run off and gather these items, dearies!
In the next post, I'll tell you all the benefits of castor oil and HOW TO DO YOUR CO-PAC.

In beauty may you walk

Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

Did It Oil With Friendship

DO YOU get the sense I'm avoiding continuing talking about pain?
If I am, it's not conscious. I'm in pain right now. Sitting upright working on the computer for long hours puts a pressure on everything in the pelvic area. You can figure out where that leads. Pain here I come!
With endo, if it ain't one thing leading you down the path to pain it's another. So you have to build up as equally vast an arsenal against it. Right now, I want to give you something to put in your pain-fighting stockpile ... and in your teapot.
Reading Margaret Atwood's The Year of the Flood, I came across an herbalist character who used white willow against pain. I did a good bit of research before committing to give it a try myself.
I was tired of having to put painkillers into my system. I actually felt guilty, though I needed them. And I don't know if you've noticed, but some, despite their rep, just do not seem to work.
I used white willow as a tea. I did not have that groggy, dry-mouth feel as when I took some tablets, just a nice comfy mellow. It even worked fairly fast, though not suddenly; and without that washed-up comedown feeling after.

Where There's a Willow There's a Way

White willow was used way back in 400BCE, when the "father of modern medicine," Hippocrates, made patients chew on the bark to reduce fever and inflammation.

It contains salicin, similar to what's in aspirin, so allergic folk should steer clear.
Willow can help with lower back pain, headaches, menstrual cramps, as well as with osteoarthritis and tendinitis.
It is slower to ease pain than aspirin, but may last longer. Willow is also antioxidant, antiseptic and boosts the immune system.
You are advised against use if you deal with diabetes, gout, gastritis, hemophilia and stomach ulcers or related issues.
Willow may have contrary interactions with certain other drugs. Feel free to do further comparative research or consult a professional nutritionist or herbalist.

Willowing and Able

In a covered pot, simmer 1 tbs willow bark in 16 ozs of slow boiling water for 2 minutes; remove from heat, keep covered, and steep for half hour. Drink half a warm cup when faced with mid-level pain and relax. You can use honey instead of sugar. The flavour is bitter but not bad, so you can big-girl try it without any sweetening.

In beauty may you walk

Photo by Lisa Fotios from Pexels

ABC Endo: A Trinbago Survivor's Guide

Better out than in

Flush for a cause

In beauty may you walk.

Hot Flushes, Anyone?

WHAT YOU NEED

In beauty may you walk

Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

Did It Oil With Friendship

Where There's a Willow There's a Way

Willowing and Able

In beauty may you walk

By Sheer Willow Power

In Knowing We Accept Light and Shadow

BLOG OF PURPOSE

Featured Post

Endo in Your Briefs & In Brief

Categories

Blog Archive

Popular Posts

Translate