Endometriosis is a terribly painful disease and unfortunately is very misunderstood by the medical community and public alike. As someone who has the disease myself, has undergone numerous surgical procedures and has had significant success with dietary therapies (as have many of my clients) I absolutely understand what you or your loved one is going through. The pain and symptoms- while often minimized by those who don’t understand- are indescribable, life-changing and disabling. It absolutely is not “just” menstrual cramps and it is certainly not all in your head!
Fortunately there is hope. Good treatments such as expert excision surgery do exist and complimentary treatments including anti-inflammatory nutrition and specialized pelvic floor physical therapy often make a significant improvement in one’s quality of life. While there has been progress in recent years improving the general level of knowledge regarding the effectiveness of these procedures and complimentary treatments and therapies; we still have a long way to go before endometriosis is better understood within the medical community and the public on a larger scale. The awareness just isn’t there yet, which is why we all too often wait years for an accurate diagnosis and endure years or even decades of ineffective treatment before accessing optimal care- if we receive it at all. This is why it is so imperative that patients are well-educated about their disease and options because their practitioners might not be so up to date.
I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to share some of my expertise on how diet and nutrition can help endometriosis patients with global endometriosis authority and leading center of excellence in effective endometriosis surgery: the Center for Endometriosis Care in Atlanta Georgia. If you or someone you care about is (or may be) struggling with this awful disease, please consider learning more about how diet can help relieve symptoms, a free file review with one of the compassionate surgeons at the CEC and reading more about the disease in the resource links below. Early, effective treatment is essential in preventing years or decades of unnecessary pain and suffering.
For more science-based,accurate and up to date information on endometriosis and excision surgery, please visit the following excellent resources:
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All material found on www.thenutritionista.ca is intended as general educational material only and should not be considered medical or nutritional advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition and has not been evaluated by the FDA. Please consult with your personal physician before implementing any health, nutrition, supplement or exercise program to ensure its safety and suitability for your specific individual situation
Hey, can I just ask, what is expert excision surgery? I have deep endo (uterosacral ligament and uterovesicle fold), suspected diaphragmatic endo and nerve damage, and after my laparoscopy my body rejected the only last suitable treatment for my endo (I’ve tried loads of different birth control pills before). I’m seeing a specialist consultant this month, is he likely to suggest this?
Thank you
Louise
Hi Louise, thank you for stopping by! Excision surgery is when they cut out all of the disease instead of just burning the surface. This is specialized, complex surgery that the overwhelming majority of gynecologists are not trained to do. It is very effective as well, since the 1950s we have known that when endometriosis is completely excised it rarely returns. This means that it is a very effective procedure and when done well often results in long term relief of endometriosis pain. It is not a hopeless disease.
I can’t say what your personal physician will suggest, but many so-called endometriosis “specialists” do not excise disease and simply burn the surface of lesions, prescribe hormones or recommend hysterectomies, so make sure you are seeing an excision specialist capable of dealing with such a complex case. I always recommend that people learn as much as they possible can about their condition so they can make informed and empowered choices. I suggest checking out this list of questions that you may want to ask your doctor when you see him next month: http://endopaedia.info/treatment10.html.
A few excellent up to date, non-sponsored by big pharma and science-based resources on endometriosis and effective excision surgery:
http://endopaedia.info/treatment9.html
http://www.endocenter.org/
http://www.centerforendo.com/cecarticles.htm
http://www.centerforendometriosiscare.com/resources/education-library/
I hope this helps and you are able to get great long term relief from your pain. Good luck!
Hi! Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us. I’ve been suspecting for awhile now that I have endometriosis but due to a genetic disorder I’m advised not to have any surgeries unless absolutely necessary. Needless to say, I haven’t had a laparoscopy performed to confirm or rule out endo. I want to treat my symptoms through diet and supplements but I also have some fairly severe food allergies. I am allergic to many (not all) raw fruits and vegetables and I go into anaphylaxis if I eat some things. I don’t eat processed food and try to buy healthy, organic options whenever possible. Do you have any recommendations on what nutritional options are still available to me if I can’t do the smoothies and other raw food options? Thanks!
Hi Lauren, thank you so much for your kind words! I would love to help you in any way that I can. Please contact us at info @ thenutritionista.ca and we would be more than happy to arrange an appointment for you with Erin to discuss your case and personalized dietary recommendations.