What You SHOULD Do
- Get your insurance in order NOW. Do not approach a doctor until you are absolutely sure that your insurance will cover you to see an Endometriosis Excision specialist. They may be out of network or out of State, and you do not want to be diagnosed with Endo and then have a refusal on your hands. Believe me, it's not fun. Remember, once you are diagnosed you will then have a pre-existing condition that insurance companies might not be willing to cover. It may take some time but it's worth the wait. If you have to change jobs then do so now. Endo is not going to get better and it's not going to go away so you need to start making provisions and insurance is your absolute #1 priority. It's worth noting here that some Endometriosis Specialists do not accept insurance, in which case start saving! If you already have been diagnosed with Endometriosis, but are changing jobs and insurance coverage, then call your insurance company and find out their policy on pre-existing conditions. Some companies accept your condition and will cover it but you need to know the terms so that in the future when something arises, you can be sure you are covered adequately.
- Arm yourself with information. Read everything you can. Understand the disease and the way it works, which treatment works and which don't, before you start anything. It will save you months, maybe even years of mistakes and pain.
- If you have had a previous surgery with a basic OBGYN, get photos from the surgery and a copy of your medical records. If you have already been diagnosed with Endometriosis this is invaluable. Many specialists will do evaluations of your medical records for free, and consider accepting you as a patient without a previous appointment on the basis of them. It doesn't matter what the OBGYN said about your disease, or what he staged it at....he could be wrong (and most likely is). The specialist will completely re-evaluate you when he operates on you, but these reports will help him decide what kind of surgery to expect.
- Change your diet. NOW. Do not wait. Cut out all junk, alcohol, soda (even diet) and sugar and refined carbohydrates. Eat pure organic foods, lean proteins and drink water. Read "Endometriosis: A Key to Healing Through Nutrition" by Dian Shepperson Mills
- Start using Natural Progesterone Cream, as advocated by Dr. John Lee, the renowned expert on bioidentical hormones. Read "Natural Progesterone: The Multiple Roles of a Remarkable Hormone" by John R. Lee
Buy now :
Natural Progesterone: The Multiple Roles of a Remarkable Hormone
If you are a woman in the last 15 years before Menopause (called Pre-Menopause), your hormones are fluctuating. If you have Endometriosis, you will probably have a condition called Estrogen Dominance. This doesn't happen because you have too much Estrogen, but because with each menstrual cycle you are releasing fewer and fewer eggs. If you fail to release an egg, then you do not get the natural release of Progesterone that occurs with it. The balance between Estrogen and Progesterone is very finite and minute. Not enough Progesterone allows Estrogen to run unchecked. Already knowing that Endometriosis is an Estrogen-fed disease, you can start to see where this is going. Estrogen Dominance can cause a whole host of problems, from anxiety, breast tenderness, cyclical headaches or migraines, depression, digestive issues, fuzzy thinking, palpitations, PMS, food cravings, irregular bleeding, water retention, weight gain to Endometriosis and Breast Cancer. I'm not saying it causes Endo, but it makes it worse as the Estrogen is an irritant and a fuel to the disease. Breast Cancer is also Estrogen-fed, so this is where it starts to get scary. Progesterone cream is in perfect harmony with your body's natural hormones (hence the term bio-identical), and will retore your Progesterone balance. - Sit down and talk to your spouse, your boss, your friends, your co-workers and your family. Explain to them about this disease...educate them. Make them understand that you don't just have "women's problems", but that you have a serious, incurable, auto-immune disease, and that there are going to be times when you are not capable of performing at your best. It's easier to explain it to them when you feel good, then when you are in pain or having a day of bad fatigue. They are more likely to be understanding and supportive if they realize what you are up against.
- Track your menstrual cycle. Write down which day your cycle starts and keep tabs on when the pain gets worse and which symptoms you have when. This will help you explain to your doctor what is going on and will help you manage your life. If you know you can expect hip pain on Day 14, then you won't plan on something strenuous on that day.