I rarely talk openly about Endometriosis, except for with a select group of friends, and never over the internet...ever. Not about my personal struggles, the disease itself, or about the repercussions it can cause in life down the road. Most of the time I try to ignore it, as if my imagination dreamed up this nightmare. I have struggled with this ever since I was 15. As I grew up, the side-effects didn't touch my everyday life except for fatigue, and who in life doesn't have a little fatigue?!
Truth is, it's very real and it's very much getting to the point where I can't ignore it anymore.
I remember being 18 years old and just getting back from Bolivia. I hadn't figured out what I wanted to do yet so I was living the good life, just spending time with friends and working part-time. I remember very clearly when my symptoms went from annoying to impossible to ignore. The pain I experienced at that moment was so severe that my mom had to pick me up from work right away. She took me to urgent care and after waiting for a few agonizing hours the nurse told me there was nothing they could do. I half expected that response, for I had been hospitalized with pain before and was only given electrolyte water for dehydration. During that week I remember feeling like this wasn't okay. That my body couldn't handle this type of pain anymore and that I needed to stop being lazy already and find. a. solution. I tried all the different solutions that doctors had for me. Lupron injections (extreme side effects including hot flashes, night sweats, and extreme fatigue), many different types of birth control (some that later stated that if take too long can cause infertility), and dieting. Dieting was the only outlet that I truly gave up on because the fatigue of having endometriosis and not drinking caffeine or having sugar while working two jobs and in school COMPLETELY threw me out of commission. All of this while my symptoms would worsen month after month. I hate hate hate the symptoms of endometriosis, specifically the pain. I felt like a baby because of how I acted about it, but I literally felt like my body was falling apart with no relief in pain meds. I never thought I would be that "sick girl" who called out of work or skipped classes because of pain. But here I was, month after month, in quiet agony only understood by the few girls I knew who also had this condition.
ALL THAT to say...I am tired.
I am tired of letting pain and fatigue rule my life. I feel the weight of needing to eat right and take care of my body, instead of ignoring a very real and very horrible part of my existence. I am tired of just ignoring the pain when I don't feel it and letting the pain rule my life when I do.
So, I am making a New Years resolution. Not for a week, but as a lifestyle change. Starting January 1st I will be eating a clean, endometriosis focused diet to starve the phyto-estrogen that is allowing endometrial cells to grow all over my body. I am ready to have energy! I know that it will not be easy, but with Josiah's INCREDIBLE support (no really, he is the BEST!) I feel like this is doable!!
The diet is simple: no red meats, no refined sugars or honey, no dairy, no caffeine, no wheat/gluten, and no alcohol. Whichhhhh basically means only dark leafy green veggies, lean meats, legumes, only organic eggs, nuts, seeds, and water. whooopieeeeeeeeee
I promise this will NOT turn into a complain blog, though! I plan to share recipes, challenges, victories, and stories of my health progressions with you all. If you think of it, pray for me! I hope in writing all of this out that I can encourage other girls who might have similar struggles. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or if you would like to know more about my diet or endometriosis!
xo
Wynt in the City
