I first want to thank everyone for the outpouring support I received from my first Endometriosis post: My journey to gratitude. I was not expecting so many people to reach out via phone calls, texts, emails, etc. and I cannot thank you enough. It wasn't easy to originally put myself (+ Haj) out there, but the feedback we received made it all worth it. There are so many women going through similar issues with their hormones, including PCOS, unexplained pain with sex and even suspected Endometriosis (which was later confirmed after also going through surgery). The fact that my one story was able to give other women the voice and reason to be advocates for their own bodies and health is what my practice is all about. Many of you have also asked how I've been since my last post, so here it is!
Today marks 11 weeks post endometriosis laparoscopic excision surgery. Although I am not technically fully recovered (they say recovery takes 3 months), I am feeling back to my old self -- plus some bonuses! This process has definitely been challenging in regards to work, fitness, and keeping up with my social life, but I am finally starting to get it under control.
The first month I was constantly exhausted. The doctor recommended 2 weeks off of work but unfortunately with my work schedule, I was unable to make that happen, so I took 5 days off. Looking back, that is one thing I would definitely have changed. Even during my 5 days off, I really didn't fully let my body rest as much as I should have. From being on my feet for too long to lifting things I shouldn't have, my body was in a lot of pain. My advice to anyone who is going through this surgery (or really any surgery), is to take longer than you think you need.
Between the time that I went to the doctor originally, up until the day of surgery, I was struggling more than I ever remember. I don't know if it was because I was hyper aware of the pain now, but my PMS symptoms from cramping, to bloating and even my spotting were at a whole new level. I was really ready for some changes. Before going into surgery, I did my best to prep my body as much as possible. I removed the foods from my diet that are said to cause endometriosis (they don't know exactly what causes it, but it's clear that foods which cause inflammation play a huge role). So I cut out soy, dairy, and gluten. I upped my green juices, doubled my collagen intake (once in the morning and once at night), increased my vitamins and tried to limit my alcohol intake. For post surgery, I ordered new supplements like SAMe, L-glutatmine, and CBD and I felt as ready as I could have been.
For up to 4 weeks post surgery I drank a green or beet juice every morning, took two probiotics, two fish oils, SAMe, and L-glutamine, continued with the collagen powder in my herbal tea during the morning and night, drank turmeric shots for inflammation and ginger shots for my digestion, ate warming or easy to digest foods so that by body could use it's energy on healing instead of digesting and breaking down foods. The doctors give me a stool softener as the anesthesia can cause severe constipation and tell you that it is common not to have a bowel movement for a few days. A few days?? One of the most important things I learned in nutrition school was the importance of daily bowel movements, so I made sure that wouldn't be the case. I ate foods high in fiber (leafy greens, bananas, lentils, and dates!) and luckily didn't need to take the softeners at all. For pain management I did take the extra strength ibuprofen they prescribed but avoided the pain killers altogether and swapped it for CBD which may have been more of a placebo effect but seemed to have helped. I was very cautious about how much ibuprofen I was taking so really focus on my gut health to avoid any further complications.
I wasn't able to do any sort of exercise besides walking for the first 2 weeks which was really tough for me. Once I got the OK from the doctor I started back up with yoga immediately. Besides the occasional push to do something my body wasn't ready for (i.e. a back bend during week 3 :/) I felt like I did a good job of easing myself back in. Since all of my incisions were in the abdominal area I avoided any core work for about 2 more weeks and any twists. I went on an elliptical a couple of times and biked once or twice but didn't do any running until last week. Overall, my body is feeling as strong as it did pre-surgery which I am grateful only really took a month.
My first menstrual cycle after surgery definitely had some ups and downs. I wasn't sure what to expect since I know doing anything drastic to your body can cause it to get out of whack, especially in regards to hormones. From the books, articles, and podcasts I listened to, many women shared stories of being in even more pain post surgery than they were pre. I was so nervous for this. The first pain I experienced was from the insertion/removal of the catheter doing surgery, which let me tell you - feels like a UTI on steroids. IT WAS AWFUL. Luckily that pain and bleeding went away in about 24 hours. Besides that, I didn't experience any blood or spotting until I got my period. I kept questioning if this was my body adjusting or my new norm. I was praying for the latter! My period came exactly when it was supposed to (25 days after my last period) and lasted 4 days which was great but definitely was not pain free. The cramps and sharp pelvic pains were still there -- it was exactly how others has described it.
Cycle 2 was the same. No spotting whatsoever (wohoo!) BUT there were cramps throughout the entire month and lots of pain. The one difference between these two cycles was a shift in my lifestyle and diet habits. It was the holiday season (+ we got ENGAGED!) so there was a lot of celebrating happening. I quickly slipped back into eating foods that I shouldn't have been in addition to a lot of late nights and more alcohol consumption than normal. I could feel that my body was yelling at me to slow down so I made that a goal for myself in the new year.
These past few weeks I have really tuned into my body more than I ever had before. I again, cut out what I needed to -- the gluten, dairy, sugar, alcohol, soy, and caffeine. I have been back to my normal routine of getting to bed before midnight and sleeping a minimum of 8 hours each night. I didn't notice a huge difference in the first 10 days but this past week+ in particular has been a game changer. Not only have I seen an improvement in my skin, bloating, energy, and sleep, but my endometriosis pain has subsided. My period this cycle extended to 28 days -- I have not had a "normal" length cycle for as long as I can remember!! I only experienced minimal pain on the first day of my period and still had no spotting what-so-ever. I truly believe that it's a direct correlation to my surgery and how I have been taking care of my health.
Unfortunately, there is no "cure" to endometriosis but you can minimize the pain and inflammation which I have already felt first hand, in a short period of time. I know that it may not be sustainable for me to eliminate the above items in my diet full time, but I now have the awareness and knowledge to understand it will be the key to living with this chronic condition. These last few months have provided me the motivation and information to take control of my endo and hope to become pain free in all aspects of my body.
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