My personal story with endometriosis

Let me share with you a personal story: my vulnerable experience with a health condition that’s been present with me for almost two decades. As many things are, the healing came in a way that wasn’t anticipated.

From the age of 16 I suffered the most excruciating period pain every month. If I didn’t take analgesics in the ‘window of opportunity’ I would lose control of my body and find myself on a bathroom floor with intense uterine cramping with vomiting and diarrhoea (once in a shopping centre and the dark, dirty toilets at the beach). Sometimes I would wake in a sweaty mess in the bathroom due to passing out from the pain. I know this is not an uncommon scenario.

I was diagnosed with endometriosis via laparoscopic surgery in 2005. Endometriosis is one of those conditions where it is about management rather than cure. I was okay with that except from what I was told, this management meant I suppress my hormones with the oral contraceptive pill and copious amounts of pain medications.

I wanted to explore underlying imbalances contributing to this condition that was consuming my life.
From GP to gynaecologist I’d go, test after test, ultrasound after ultrasound, poking and probing, looking purely for a physical cause to a physical symptom. I was told the oral contraceptive pill was the only treatment option and that I should skip periods every 3 months to manage the pain and reduce the endometrial adhesions that were occurring each cycle. I was desperate and went along for the ride. What a lesson that was. I became an emotional wreck. The synthetic hormones were severely affecting my mood, mental clarity, emotional resilience, and I had no libido. After trying a variety of pills that made no difference I decided to ditch it altogether. By this time I was deep into my naturopathic studies, learning about natural options for establishing a healthy menstrual cycle, and realising potential contributing causes.

Further investigation revealed that my adrenal hormones were excessively high caused by chronic stress. I began to nourish my nervous system and adrenals through a combination of herbal medicine, diet changes, nutrition, chinese medicine, acupuncture and yoga. I felt so much more stable emotionally however the period pain had only improved a little. 5 years later the pain got so severe that I decided to have another laparoscopy to remove any adhesions and scar tissue that had not been removed in the first surgery, and I chose to have the popular treatment for endometriosis, the ‘Mirena’ – a plastic intrauterine device (IUD) inserted, to see if it reduced the pain. The surgeon said there were only very minor adhesions and that I should just manage my pain with analgesics. “Here’s a prescription for tramadol and endone, good luck, I’ll see you in 12 months.” Off I went, in anticipation that my severe monthly pain would finally decrease and I could get some temporary relief for the time being. I experienced uterine pain and spotting almost on a weekly basis. Specialists would tell me that this happens for some women and can take time for the body to readjust to the synthetic hormones.

Three years had passed. During this time I was doing a lot of energetic work such as reiki, meditation and also seeing a kinesiologist who used tools to help me process some emotions and unresolved trauma I had suppressed for a long time. What consistently came up for me was how much I was suppressing my creativity. Multiple practitioners stated the same thing, over and over. My sacral chakra (an energy centre just below the navel), which represents sensuality, sexuality, creativity and the reproductive organs was needing a lot more attention than I was giving it. I knew this fact about my unexpressed creativity but didn’t realise the extent of it. I dabbled in some creative pursuits here and there. Dance classes, singing lessons etc. But I never seemed to keep it up. The pain continued week to week so I finally removed the Mirena which was causing so much internal disruption. The pain stopped weekly but remained with my period.

Intensely frustrated, I just gave up. I let go of control. I stopped placing so much attention on this debilitating situation and chose to create a new way of life – one that worked for me. I began a few courses based around EFT (emotional freedom technique aka tapping) and discovered a set of subconscious beliefs that were keeping me in a state of illness, pain, fear and not truly living the life I desired. This turned a corner for me.
I started writing and styling food photography and began a second business with my partner – Positive Pop Creative. It was something real and tactile that I had to commit to. I felt the most connected to the real me in a very long time.

Here’s the fascinating part. Since practicing EFT and starting this business I no longer experience severe pain. In fact, I very rarely need analgesics. I take regular herbal medicine, nutritional supplements, exercise, I eat well and have deepened my spiritual practice. These are what keep me stable and all work to reduce inflammation and stress, but the turning point was letting go of the fear through using EFT and finally nourishing my creativity. Call it a miracle.

To find out how you or someone you know could better manage endometriosis symptoms, read “Endometriosis – can you manage it naturally?” If’d like to work with me to manage your endometriosis read more about my personalised sessions. I’d be honoured to be a part of your healing.