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How many of you have experienced pain during sex? How many of you have expressed your concerns to your doctors? Have you had any support, advice or referrals? Painful sex is often just another one of those endo symptoms that’s recognised but not addressed. It’s almost just a part of living with endo that we’ve been taught to grin and bear. I opened up about my experience of this with @womenshealthmag recently and now I’m taking it further. I’ll be interviewing a very exciting guest for Season 4 all about living with and healing from painful sex, how to talk about it, rediscovering your sexual identity after pain and even how yoni mapping and yoni massage can help... So I want to know, what are your questions? How can I make this episode as useful to you as possible? Share your experiences, comments, questions - all that good stuff below!
I'm going to admit something I don't talk about too much, last year I went through a period of months, perhaps half a year, where I spiralled cognitively and energetically due to endometriosis. By the end of this period, I was signed off work with anxiety and then had no job. I'm not quite ready to go into all the details, and it was my choice to walk away and into my long-term goal of being self-employed (it just came a lot faster than I anticipated!), but the impact of living with fatigue and the resulting brain fog and anxiety was 100% the cause of that role coming to an end. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I was managing my pain well, and all my other symptoms, but trying to stay on top of those and hold down a job with fatigue lingering in the background suddenly took its toll. I just couldn't get a grip on my energy levels and the way they affected my cognitive abilities. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Thankfully, I experience endo fog much less. I get it when I’m stressed, anxious or I haven’t slept well. Changing my lifestyle was one of the biggest factors to recovering from brain fog, but there are also other natural ways I've learnt to reduce it over time. Going self-employed seemed to be the key thing that pulled it altogether, but of course, not everyone wants to do that, so I've written a list of more accessible and affordable ways to reduce your endo brain fog. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ As always, what may work for me might not work for you and this list is by no means exhaustive - in fact, when I was drafting it I already thought of 3 other things I’d add to the list now! So expect another one at some point! I hope it helps you on your journey. 💛 Link in bio.
“I’m 30 now, and while I’ve battled through and achieved a lot, I didn’t finish university, I left my first business, and I left three jobs all because of fatigue. It’s awful leaving a business you started because you can’t keep up with the pace or your team. That’s a very hard wound to heal.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Hands up if fatigue/low energy/exhaustion is one of your endo symptoms... 🙋‍♀️ Yep, that’s my story above. Recently I was interviewed by @thefemedic after a study showed that at least 50.7% of those with endometriosis have frequent fatigue, and called for fatigue to be treated as a serious symptom. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Fatigue has been my longest standing endometriosis symptom and started years before my pain began. It’s also been my longest battle. Thankfully, after two decades, it seems I am on the other side of it - but stress and not looking after myself can cause it to creep back in again (as I’ve learnt recently!). Balancing my blood sugar has made the biggest difference to me, but there are also other ways I manage it too (I’ve got an entire article dedicated to this on Endo News, will share soon). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Head over to the link in my bio to read about the impact of fatigue, the lifestyle change I made to begin healing from it, and why it needs to be treated as a real symptom of endometriosis. Love to you if you are experiencing this battle right now. 💗
The final episode of This EndoLife Podcast Season 3 is out today, with Alice Smith! Alice is the 23 year old Trustee and Young Ambassador for Endometriosis UK causing a well deserved stir in education... The UK Government is reviewing what should be taught in Sex & Relationship and PSHE lessons in England, and Alice thinks it's about time that menstrual wellbeing made it on the agenda. 14% of menstruators are starting their periods in the UK without knowing what they are and 1 in 4 said they did not feel they knew what to do when they started their period. This is a big problem. If young people aren't being sufficiently educated about what to expect from an 'average' period, how will they know when something's wrong? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Alice and @endometriosis.uk have launched a petition to get menstrual wellbeing taught in schools. They want the stigma and shame of periods to be broken, and for all pupils to understand what's 'normal' and what's not when it comes to menstruation, so people can recognise sooner the signs and symptoms of endometriosis, PCOS, fibroids and other menstrual related conditions sooner. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I chatted to Alice about the petition, their social media campaign, her own experience of menstrual education in school and what we all can do to make a difference to future generations and end period shame. Listen by following the link in my bio or by downloading the episode in your podcast app!
One of the worst days of my endometriosis journey was a few years back, sitting at home at my desk, in a state of pure despair and hopelessness. Having spent most of the day trying to work through tears, I was on the phone to my third helpline, feeling desperate. It was so bad in that moment, it’s hard to believe a couple of days later that incredibly dark fog lifted as I entered my menstrual phase. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ My pre-menstrual phase or my inner autumn, was threatening to consume me and was seriously putting my wellbeing at risk each and every month. I found the strain of living with endometriosis, anxiety, depression and trying to make life work with all of this going on, always came to a peak in this phase and threatened to swallow me whole. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It was only when I began understanding my cycle and how my hormones played such a significant part in my mental wellbeing, did I realise how to handle this stage. I began learning how to slow down and rest, how to recharge, how to listen to the painful feelings that were rising during this time and respond to them appropriately, rather than trying to push through harder and faster, ignoring them and ending up in a tearful heap on the floor when they crashed over me. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Whilst some of us do have PMDD and that’s a much more serious issue which usually requires medical attention and support, in terms of PMS and the struggles we face during our pre-menstrual phase, there are ways to understand it, work with it and make peace with it. For me I found that everything endometriosis affected became exaggerated at this time, but now I actually look forward to it, because my body and mind knows it’s time to take it a little bit slower, and my endometriosis seems to like that. I couldn’t have got to this better place without understanding this phase fully and how it affects us both biologically, emotionally, mentally and even spiritually. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So if you struggle with this phase or it makes endometriosis feel 10 times worse, I’ve written a piece to help you understand it and work with it, hopefully making your endo healing journey that little bit easier. Link in bio. 💛 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Image by Rachel Levy
Natural pain relief remedies for endometriosis... ❤️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Many of you have sent me DMs asking me about the magnesium spray, balm and yoga I do for any pain I get during my period or an endo flare (though I don’t really get those anymore). This period has been pretty bad as a result of all the stress that’s gone on this month, but it’s still no way near what it used to be before I started treating my endometriosis holistically with nutrition and lifestyle changes and I was able to minimise a lot of the pain with my go-tos that I’ve been using and perfecting for years. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I’ve written a short piece on my 5 best natural remedies for endometriosis pain relief on the blog, so hopefully this will answer some of your questions! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The list of remedies and tools I use are personal to me, so always remember what may work for me might not work for you, and that if you need to use conventional medicine alongside natural options, that’s okay too - no judgement here! I also have a pretty extensive tool kit and do lots of work to prepare for my period during the month, but these are my favourite for natural pain relief in the moment. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Have a read of the list by following the link in my bio. 💛 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ P.S. I’ll be taking the rest of the day off to recharge, so I’ll be back tomorrow if you have any further questions or comments on this subject. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ P.P.S. Found this super cool bathroom on Pinterest, not my image, but would love to know who’s it is!
Domestic Violence post - please avoid if triggered. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So here’s the truth of it: When we finally found our new flat in Margate, I thought that was it. I thought my health would be fully on the up from here on out. I’d got to such a good place with my endo and I was adamant the thing I needed to seal the deal and also bring me the lifestyle I craved for my health was to move to the sea. We’ve been visiting Margate for years so I wasn’t unprepared for what I was getting into, but I wasn’t prepared for lots of noise and domestic violence in our building. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I heard the first incident when I was alone. I won’t go into details but it was incredibly difficult for me - besides the obvious fact that it’s natural to want to stop someone from being hurt - the pattern of events, his tone of voice, her tone of voice, reminded me of my own experience and of how many cases like this I have witnessed in my previous charity work and with loved ones. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It threw my plan of health completely off, every noise I hear puts me on edge. I’ve been calling helplines and trying to take the best course of action. I’ve only just got a grip on my definitely un-endofriendly comfort eating, I’ve been missing out on sleep due to the noise, my mental health has started to suffer. I’ve been questioning why this is happening, what my role is, why I’m here. I’m worried about what kind of pain is going to hit me when my period arrives on Sunday. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Then the lovely @gail_loveschock reminded me that this isn’t just a random event, that this IS part of my own womb healing and the healing work I do with others. It’s interesting that the obvious symptoms of endo (as in pain during my period and sex) began once I entered an abusive relationship and lost any sense of my own power. I’m not saying all of us with endometriosis have experienced some kind of abuse or trauma, but it’s a part of my story and a part that whilst I’ve thought about exploring and sharing it, I’ve kept quiet about and haven’t really addressed in my healing. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Since acknowledging that this is work I still need to do in myself... Carried on in comments...
I've been talking about the inner seasons of our menstrual cycle recently over on Endometriosis News and the time has come to talk about a more tricky subject; ovulation, your inner-summer. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I say tricky, for a number of reasons. Some of us with endometriosis who want to get pregnant but are struggling, may find time particularly difficult emotionally. Others, like myself, may find this is another time of the month when their endometriosis symptoms are more acute, as the egg is released from the ovary (which may have endometriosis growths or cysts on it). Those who are living with effects like fatigue and depression due to endometriosis, may find it challenging to hear hormone /period experts talk about ovulation being a time of great energy and good vibes. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So, before you head over to my latest column, I want to say - I hear you and I feel you and I've experienced my own deep challenges with ovulation and all seasons of the menstrual cycle. You may not feel any change in your cycle at all throughout the month (or however long it lasts), you may feel the effects of endometriosis all the way through at the moment. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Talking about working and tracking your cycles isn't a quick fix; your periods may be all over the place, you may feel up one day and down the next - working with your cycles is about understanding the subtle or not-so-subtle changes in our bodies that are unique to us. Just because ovulation is generally a time of higher energy, doesn't mean it will be for you - maybe pre-ovulation is the time you feel the impact of endometriosis the least instead. It's really about spending time with your body, so you can begin to appreciate and understand some of its patterns, so you can work with them, rather than against them. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So whilst this column does focus on how ovulation may help you feel a bit (or a lot) better during your cycle, please do not worry if you don’t feel amazing during this time. Get to know your cycle and begin working with it to seek out more of those good days. 💛 Link in bio to read.
In today’s podcast episode, I’m talking to Britt from @food.period - a start up company, which in my opinion, is revolutionary. Food Period make 'moon bites'; natural and nutritious energy balls, which contain specific seeds that are used in the nutrition protocol known as ‘seed syncing’, which helps balance our hormones and create easier, healthier periods. As I’ve mentioned before, endometriosis is an oestrogen dominant disease, and seed syncing helps reduce oestrogen dominance and brings our hormones back into balance, so I was of course super excited to get Food Period on the show! Jenn and Britt’s story to starting Food Period is pretty much jaw-dropping, with it all stemming from Britt’s diagnosis of blood cancer, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which she’s thankfully now recovered from. Both Jenn and Britt go on a journey together to bring their periods and hormones back into balance, and are now on a mission to provide others with a natural option to regulate their periods and reduce the impact of menstrual related conditions like endometriosis. If you’re keen to try out their seed syncing moon bites, the lovely girls at Food Period are offering $15 off your first box for the next 30 days with the code THISENDOLIFE I really hope you enjoy them and I can’t wait to get started with seed syncing myself! Would love to hear what you think about the episode and if you’ve already tried seed syncing, or are thinking of trying it! Have a listen by following the link in my bio or searching This EndoLife in your podcast app. 💛
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