I saw my other, normal, doctor on Tuesday. It is very hard when doctors just dismiss things. She seems to think I should have a laparoscopy to check for endo, that the diet won't help at all, and that hormonal contraceptives, however bad, would be the lesser of two evils and I should just do that. She said she'd refer me to a GYN if the endo was positive - who would have more options for pain relieve - but strong narcotics is not that answer. The alternative is a hysterectomy, she said. Sigh.
I go between being fine and chugging along and wanting to just collapse and cry. I'm trying not to think to far ahead - and just focus on the now. But its hard when there are so many gorgeous little babies around.
Partner has been ok. But his tendency to just bury his head in the ground and ignore things (not just this) is making me want to scream at him every time I see him. Of course, he doesn't get why I'm upset about not being able to have more children - its not as if we could handle a baby right this very moment now is it *roll eyes here*. He doesn't seem to get that I don't want another baby right now either ... but sometime in the future maybe. Have a hyseterectomy takes away that choice forever.
So today I'm not doing too well.
I wonder if it has anything to do with having two cups of coffee this morning.
Or that I just haven't dealt with this all week and pushed all the feelings down and not thinking about it.
Last week I was diagnosed with adenomyosis. This is similar to endometriosis, but in this case the lining of the uterus burrows into the uterine wall, with a number of symptoms associated with it. The only cure is a hysterectomy. This blog will describe my journey through a complete change of my diet in an attempt to lessen the symptoms of this disease.
20 May 2011
17 May 2011
Got to love online forums
I found a FB group on adenomyosis - holy crap! Listening to other women and their stories - its amazing and so awful at the same time.
- my weird bone pain, and hip pain can also be attributed to the adenomyosis
- if its found on an ultrasound - its usually pretty far gone
- most of them have deficiencies in a number of vitamins and minerals - so I've made an appointment to see the doctor (a different one from the one I saw re: diagnosis) tomorrow to have a blood test to see where I am - this will help my diet plan as well to ensure I'm 'fixing' it as much as possible.
It seems that not many are doing anything diet wise - most on the site have gone the hysterectomy route, the others hormonal contraceptives.
So an update,
I went to the gym yesterday afternoon. Mostly good - some pain where my right ovary used to be. This happens occassionally, but its been more painful lately, with sometimes a sharp stabbing pain that takes my breath away. The pain got quite bad at around 18 minutes on the cross trainer, so that was it yesterday. I'll be going again today.
Dinner was the yummy lentil shepards pie, with popcorn for dessert.
Today has been ok so far - but probably too much dried fruit - which is high in sugar!
I have found a wonderful herbal tea from the Australian Fruit Tea Company - Green Tea & Mango.
- my weird bone pain, and hip pain can also be attributed to the adenomyosis
- if its found on an ultrasound - its usually pretty far gone
- most of them have deficiencies in a number of vitamins and minerals - so I've made an appointment to see the doctor (a different one from the one I saw re: diagnosis) tomorrow to have a blood test to see where I am - this will help my diet plan as well to ensure I'm 'fixing' it as much as possible.
It seems that not many are doing anything diet wise - most on the site have gone the hysterectomy route, the others hormonal contraceptives.
So an update,
I went to the gym yesterday afternoon. Mostly good - some pain where my right ovary used to be. This happens occassionally, but its been more painful lately, with sometimes a sharp stabbing pain that takes my breath away. The pain got quite bad at around 18 minutes on the cross trainer, so that was it yesterday. I'll be going again today.
Dinner was the yummy lentil shepards pie, with popcorn for dessert.
Today has been ok so far - but probably too much dried fruit - which is high in sugar!
I have found a wonderful herbal tea from the Australian Fruit Tea Company - Green Tea & Mango.
16 May 2011
Day 2
Day 2 is here.
Partner made me a rice milk coffee at breakfast. It was not pleasant. Perhaps if the coffee was stronger it would have been better. I had meusli and rice milk for breakfast - the rice milk was a bit stronger in taste, I think because it was the end of the carton. I made myself a coffee before coming to work.
I've had my almond snack and a cup of green tea with mango. I'm not sure if its caffinated herbal tea of not ... it doesn't say either way.
Lunch is a salad with chickpeas and pine nuts. I suspect I'm going to be very hungry tonight as its so very cold. I think a hearty lentil stew is on order. Then there'll be leftovers for lunch over the next few days.
Exercise - I'm planning on going to the gym this afternoon if I can get DD1 into the creche (Dear Daughter 1).
Other snacks today are manderine and apple.
I'm doing ok so far. That second cup of coffee didn't taste that great - and I'm not missing the sugar. I get occassional twinges, but nothing too major. I suspect it'll kick in in a few days. That's when I'll make the meusli slice to satisfy the sweet cravings. I would have loved a glass of wine last night, but it was fleeting.
Off to have another herbal tea.
Partner made me a rice milk coffee at breakfast. It was not pleasant. Perhaps if the coffee was stronger it would have been better. I had meusli and rice milk for breakfast - the rice milk was a bit stronger in taste, I think because it was the end of the carton. I made myself a coffee before coming to work.
I've had my almond snack and a cup of green tea with mango. I'm not sure if its caffinated herbal tea of not ... it doesn't say either way.
Lunch is a salad with chickpeas and pine nuts. I suspect I'm going to be very hungry tonight as its so very cold. I think a hearty lentil stew is on order. Then there'll be leftovers for lunch over the next few days.
Exercise - I'm planning on going to the gym this afternoon if I can get DD1 into the creche (Dear Daughter 1).
Other snacks today are manderine and apple.
I'm doing ok so far. That second cup of coffee didn't taste that great - and I'm not missing the sugar. I get occassional twinges, but nothing too major. I suspect it'll kick in in a few days. That's when I'll make the meusli slice to satisfy the sweet cravings. I would have loved a glass of wine last night, but it was fleeting.
Off to have another herbal tea.
Day 1
Yesterday was Day 1.
It started out ok. Rice milk was not offensive, but Partner made my coffee with normal milk. Oh well, not letting a good cup of coffee go to waste am I???
Lunch was leftover indian from the night before - a bit of chicken, and dhal - which is quite heavy on the fat content.
Snack - 1/2 manderine (I was sharing it with Partner)
Dinner - slow cooker roast vegetables. I used a little of the roast meat juice in my slow cooker for a little flavour, and also had the left over lentil pie from a few nights ago. Very yummy dinner. A bit longer for the potatoes would have been good but a very delicious dinner.
Snack - bowl of popcorn with a little Nuttelex instead of butter.
Exercise - running besides the kids while they were riding their bikes. We went to the big park, stayed for 40mins and then came back. Probably 40 minutes of exercise all up, intermittent running and walking.
Overall, not a bad day. Lunch could have been better, but not really bad.
Slept well last night so that was good too.
It started out ok. Rice milk was not offensive, but Partner made my coffee with normal milk. Oh well, not letting a good cup of coffee go to waste am I???
Lunch was leftover indian from the night before - a bit of chicken, and dhal - which is quite heavy on the fat content.
Snack - 1/2 manderine (I was sharing it with Partner)
Dinner - slow cooker roast vegetables. I used a little of the roast meat juice in my slow cooker for a little flavour, and also had the left over lentil pie from a few nights ago. Very yummy dinner. A bit longer for the potatoes would have been good but a very delicious dinner.
Snack - bowl of popcorn with a little Nuttelex instead of butter.
Exercise - running besides the kids while they were riding their bikes. We went to the big park, stayed for 40mins and then came back. Probably 40 minutes of exercise all up, intermittent running and walking.
Overall, not a bad day. Lunch could have been better, but not really bad.
Slept well last night so that was good too.
Planning
Yesterday was Day 1.
My plan is to ease into the new eating plan rather than cutting everything out and going cold turkey. I know that just won't work. I've also given myself a few days to plan to make the transition easier.
Breakfast
Commercial meusli with rice milk. Homemade meusli wtih rice milk.
1 x Coffee w rice milk. No coffee
Lunch
Salad - lettuce, celery, carrot, chickpeas, pine nuts
Leftovers
Dinner
Lentil Shephards Pie (get rid of ricotta cheese)
Pumpkin Soup
Vegetarian Pad Thai
Roast Vegetables (in the slow cooker, no oil)
Stew (slow cooker, lentils+vegies w/ brown rice)
A few meat meals No meat meals
Snacks
Fruit
Popcorn
Almonds
Meusli slice (homemade recipe) - uses too much sugar atm, so will have to modify it
Drinks
water
coffee (to start with)
Soda water
herbal teas
Vitamins
Multivitamin
Vit B
Vit D3
Calcium
Vit E
Omega 3
Iron
Exercise
Minimum 20mins per day - walking, cross trainer, running, weight training.
Cutting out:
Meat
Dairy
Eggs
Fatty foods of any kind
Oils, including vegetable oils
Processed foods, flours, sugars
Caffeine
Alcohol
Sugar
Soy
The key is planning. I have all these yummy meals spread out through the week - so that helps. I'll be cutting back on the caffeine - its been 2-3 cups of strong coffee per day + several cups of tea. Sugar has been out of control, as well as fats.
I also need to go through all my make up, face washes, shampoo & conditioner, etc looking for xenoestrogens. I need to replace my water bottles, and make sure I don't heat up food in plastic containers.
I've bought a heat back to help control the pain, rather than take too many Advil.
Currently, my symptoms include:
Very heavy periods, 2-3 days very heavy
Clots around the size of a 50c piece, +/-
Stomach cramps where I can barely walk
Back aches
Stabbing pain during sex
Pain shooting down the inside of my legs during my period
Nausea
Tender stomach
Cramps at other times of the month
So over the next few weeks I'll slowly sub out the remaining things that I'm having - any dairy, meat, etc.
My plan is to ease into the new eating plan rather than cutting everything out and going cold turkey. I know that just won't work. I've also given myself a few days to plan to make the transition easier.
Breakfast
Commercial meusli with rice milk. Homemade meusli wtih rice milk.
1 x Coffee w rice milk. No coffee
Lunch
Salad - lettuce, celery, carrot, chickpeas, pine nuts
Leftovers
Dinner
Lentil Shephards Pie (get rid of ricotta cheese)
Pumpkin Soup
Vegetarian Pad Thai
Roast Vegetables (in the slow cooker, no oil)
Stew (slow cooker, lentils+vegies w/ brown rice)
A few meat meals No meat meals
Snacks
Fruit
Popcorn
Almonds
Meusli slice (homemade recipe) - uses too much sugar atm, so will have to modify it
Drinks
water
coffee (to start with)
Soda water
herbal teas
Vitamins
Multivitamin
Vit B
Vit D3
Calcium
Vit E
Omega 3
Iron
Exercise
Minimum 20mins per day - walking, cross trainer, running, weight training.
Cutting out:
Meat
Dairy
Eggs
Fatty foods of any kind
Oils, including vegetable oils
Processed foods, flours, sugars
Caffeine
Alcohol
Sugar
Soy
The key is planning. I have all these yummy meals spread out through the week - so that helps. I'll be cutting back on the caffeine - its been 2-3 cups of strong coffee per day + several cups of tea. Sugar has been out of control, as well as fats.
I also need to go through all my make up, face washes, shampoo & conditioner, etc looking for xenoestrogens. I need to replace my water bottles, and make sure I don't heat up food in plastic containers.
I've bought a heat back to help control the pain, rather than take too many Advil.
Currently, my symptoms include:
Very heavy periods, 2-3 days very heavy
Clots around the size of a 50c piece, +/-
Stomach cramps where I can barely walk
Back aches
Stabbing pain during sex
Pain shooting down the inside of my legs during my period
Nausea
Tender stomach
Cramps at other times of the month
So over the next few weeks I'll slowly sub out the remaining things that I'm having - any dairy, meat, etc.
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