Endometriosis without Downtime

I read an article the other day about endometriosis that talked about how it gets in the way of women’s lifestyles and careers and that many have to take multiple days off a month. I cannot deny that I have felt it create obstacles for me to get through certain chapters of my life. However, the amount of days I have actually had to take off have been few and I think it is based on these pain management and emotional management techniques that I have developed. I won’t deny that this is the hardest part of my life, the greatest trial I have been given. But, I will not let it conquer me and if you are a woman who deals with the same disease and feels the same way, I hope these ideas might help you a bit (though I know all our symptoms differ to a degree and some suffer pain even worse than my own).

(These are recommendations for endometriosis patients but I have no doubt that these tactics can help for other chronic pain sufferers)

Pain management techniques:

Livia

This is the HOLY GRAIL of pain management. It feels a little bit weird at first, but once you get used to it you can wear it to school and to work and almost anywhere– though it doesn’t work quite as well if your job requires lots of movement.

Why it works: the electric pulses shut down pain signals between your nerves and your brain

Excedrin

Excedrin is most popularly known as a medication for migraines, but they have an extra strength pain reliever that is not specifically for the head and I have found that it works extremely effectively for my stomach and pelvic pain. In fact, it’s the only pain reliever that does work for me.

Why it works: In addition to acetaminophen it has caffeine which has been proven to also help with pain relief

Salonpas Lidocaine Patches

When I’m using the Livia, I don’t need this, but when I’m tired of the electric pulses (or it’s nighttime and I don’t want to use it) these lidocaine patches do something very similar without the machinery attached.

Gum

This one might seem silly, but when I’ve taken my pain relievers and I’m using my Livia machine and I still feel quite a bit of pain, I have found that chewing gum is a good way to distract me from the pain and to direct the frustration I feel with it into something other than my work or anyone I love.

Why it works: bite the bullet

Diet

There isn’t really any scientific proof that changing your diet will reduce your pain level, but there are many women that swear by changing to a high fiber diet and eating more fruits/veggies as a way to reduce overall pain level. For me, that hasn’t been the main answer, but it does help solve certain problems. Personally eating really anything super solid doesn’t help me when TOM is in town, so I have come to depend on ENSURE shakes, CORE POWER shakes, DAILY HARVEST milkshakes, and soup when the time comes round in order to keep my pain level in check, prevent any disastrous intestinal issues and to maintain some semblance of nutrition. I have to say the CORE POWER ones are the true winners because they have a TON of protein, but they don’t taste all gross and whey-like.

Emotional management techniques:

Anyone that deals with chronic pain, whether it comes from endometriosis or another condition, knows that it doesn’t just affect you physically. Feeling strong pain all day every day for several days in a row can really get to someone emotionally. In fact, many endometriosis patients (myself included) are diagnosed with PMDD (an extreme version of PMS) because the pain affects us to such a point that our emotional reactions to our lives are completely different depending on where we are in our cycles. This is arguably more difficult than the pain itself, especially because it can take a toll on our relationships. Here are some tactics that I have used to handle the emotional rollercoaster my body goes on every month (regardless of whether or not I am on hormonal therapy/birth control).

If you aren’t in therapy, girl why not? If you are, I personally have found that being very honest about the way my heart and mind react to things differently when TOM comes to visit has helped me to develop methods for handling my thought processes, the waves of emotions I experience, and my interpersonal relationships responsibly during this time. Note: the rest of the things on this list I have developed with the assistance of different therapists. Nothing can replace therapy.
It’s perhaps not unexpected that as a musician, music impacts my mood in a deep way. But, I have found that on my hardest weeks the best thing I can do is listen to music that makes me really happy. Whether it’s Ne-Yo, Rachmaninoff, Sia, Grand Corps Malade, or Janacek– listening to music that reminds me of happy memories, that has happy lyrics, or that simply has a great beat can always help improve my mood. During hard weeks, you might not see me without earphones in when I’m not practicing or in class- and guess what? That’s ok. If music improves your mood, why not have it as an emotional IV?
I am actually a very extroverted person, something I never realized about myself until I got over my social anxieties. That being said, when one is in an emotionally unstable state, whether you’re extroverted or introverted sometimes it is good to just spend some time alone figuring out how you feel and why you feel that way before you misdirect negative emotions. Sometimes it’s best to face your emotions yourself before you interact with others. It can really save your relationships. I have sometimes regretted when I have felt angry or sad and jumped right into a normal social experience. Sometimes when you feel like that, you need to take some space. That being said, if you think venting to someone might help, that can also be helpful depending on the situation.
On that same line, journaling can be very helpful in times where you find your own emotions confusing. Writing things down can help as you analyze and come to terms with all that’s going on in your heart and mind. It can also help you find positive ways to deal with those things.
Allow for human weakness. That may seem like an obvious one, but if you are anything like me– you don’t want to feel sad or angry or frustrated ever. You don’t want to feel like you need people to take care of you and you don’t want to feel like you aren’t “Miss Independent” (-my man Ne-Yo). But wanting things and feeling things and being a human is something you can’t avoid when you have endometriosis and TOM is in town. And you know what, maybe that’s ok.