Adenomyosis The Truth Behind The Pain: Angela

Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog; today, we are diving back into a series close to my heart Adenomyosis The Truth Behind The Pain. If you have any questions, please be sure to leave a comment, and if you want to read more about adenomyosis, click here http://humblesoullifeofajuicer.blog/2020/11/18/ibs-and-its-connections-to-adenomyosis-endometriosis/.

Would you like us to use your real name or a fake one?

 Real is fine – Angela Arnold Ross

Where are you from? 

New Jersey by way of Australia

When were you diagnosed?  How old were you? 

Officially diagnosed about 2 years ago at 42 years but I have been fighting to know what was wrong since I had my daughter by c-section at 38 years.

How long have you had Adenomyosis? 

I bet I had it all my adult life – laparoscopic surgery in Australia at age ~19 years for severe “period pain” (think falling to the floor in pain) when I exercised and I think the MD said “endometriosis” then went on the pill until I had my daughter then it got worse from there – I always had bad periods but the pill helped. I fought with my OB/GYN when I moved from NYC to NJ after the baby to find out what was wrong as I was getting worse and worse.

Do you have children? 

One daughter almost 6 (going on 15 😊) On birth control or any medicine for ando? I tried IUD and went crazy on the hormones, tried low dose oral contraceptive as a last resort to surgery and then I think it made it worse! Or have you had a hysterectomy if so when? Hysterectomy was scheduled for 7/16/2020.

If you have had a hysterectomy do you still have symptoms? What are your symptoms? 

Before surgery: lower belly pain (stomach hurts to touch), bloating, back ache, depression, now the pain is so bad it is almost every day and I cannot work out as jumping up and down hurts )

What do you take for pain, nausea etc? 

I tried Tramadol, anti-inflammatories, medical marijuana but nothing has worked.

How long did it take you to be diagnosed? 

5 years of me fighting for diagnosis- all scans normal but have all clinical symptoms except heavy bleeding.

How has adenomyosis impacted your personal life? 

A lot – I yell at my daughter more when I am in pain (it is now chronic so it affects my mood a lot); I am often going back to bed to lie down as I feel terrible (with a hot water bottle) and cant look after my daughter, my daughter now knows that “mommy’s tummy is sore”, Mom is sick all the time.

What’s craziest/dumbest thing some has said to you?

My OB/GYN said “I have never heard of a pelvic pain/endometriosis specialist” – “maybe it is GI issue” (I have IBS and I know it was not GI) … when I told her the diagnosis from the other MD and refused to go to her for my annual “well …. have you ruled out fibromyalgia, pelvic congestion syndrome …” they were two diagnoses she never mentioned in 5 years ….I fired her as soon as I found my new surgeon at her hospital who SHE (amd he) knew!!!

Any other comments or questions you would like seen answered or heard ( what would you like the world to know about Adenomyosis)- the diagnosis is real, you might not look sick but you know your body

What would you like to see on the blog? Anything helpful around follow up after surgery, I am interested to know if I have any pain after surgery 

What diet do you follow? Have you changed it at all since being diagnosed? I haven’t changed my diet … I likely will have to after surgery – I am pretty fit (normally)

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IBS and It’s Connections To Adenomyosis & Endometriosis

Hey everyone, welcome back, and today we will talk about IBS and its connection to adenomyosis and endometriosis. I will tell you below for those who don’t know what IBS is or what the other two are.

IBS stands for Irritable bowel syndrome, which is a common disorder that affects the large intestine. Signs and symptoms include cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea or constipation, or both. IBS is a chronic condition that you’ll need to manage long term.

Adenomyosis is a condition in which the uterus’s inner lining (the endometrium) breaks through the uterus’s muscle wall (the myometrium). Adenomyosis can cause menstrual cramps, lower abdominal pressure, and bloating before menstrual periods, resulting in heavy periods.

Treatments: Hysterectomy, Pain Medicine, Birth Control, and Hormone therapy

Endometriosis (en-doe-me-tree-O-sis) is an often painful disorder in which tissue similar to the tissue that usually lines the inside of your uterus — the endometrium — grows outside your uterus. Endometriosis most commonly involves your ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the tissue lining your pelvis.

Treatments:  Hysterectomy, Pain Medicine, Birth Control, Hormone therapy, Conservative surgery, and Aromatase inhibitors 

If you are new to my blog, you should know that I am on the verge of having stage 2 adenomyosis and have IBS. In the medical world, ando ( for short) is known to get progressively worse over time without treatment. Not much research has been done, and I plan to change that now back to business. 

A common symptom of all three conditions are visceral sensitivity. This means someone with either condition has a lower pain tolerance for abdominal or pelvic pain. Their nerve endings may be especially sensitive. This can lead to a heightened response to pain. Some of the additional shared symptoms between all three and IBS include: 

• abdominal cramping 
• bloating 
• diarrhea 
• nausea 
• pain with bowel movements
• painful periods

Because of the shared symptoms, women tend to be misdiagnosed. 

How are they diagnosed? 

Honestly, they wing it. Doctors don’t have just one test that diagnoses either condition. When diagnosing IBS, doctors often try to rule out other medical conditions that cause similar symptoms. For example, lactose tolerance or Crohns disease. They may also order a colonoscopy or endoscopy. For ando & endo, there are a few different ways to be diagnosed, such as:

• Pelvic Exam
• Ultrasound ( Vaginal)
• Surgical laparoscopy 
• Medications 

What is it caused by?

Ando: 

There is currently no definitive cause; however, some research has suggested that hormones may play a role. Specific hormones thought to play a role include estrogen, prolactin, progesterone, and follicle-stimulating hormone. It seems to be a condition to occur later in life, in women who have had children already. Having had a C-section at some point appears to be a risk factor, as the procedure itself breaks through the uterine wall. Also I have seen cases of young women around 9 or 10. 

Endo:

No one knows for sure what causes this disease. Researchers are studying possible causes such as genetics or hormones. Endometriosis occurs more often in women who have short menstrual cycles or a longer-than-normal flow: Women who have fewer than 25 days between periods or who menstruate for more than seven days are twice as likely to develop endometriosis. And dioxin, an industrial chemical, may be a cause.

IBS: 

The third’s time a charm, right? Sadly there is no cause for IBS. There are possible factors like genetics and prior adverse life experiences (e.g., infection, trauma) that predispose someone to get IBS. You may feel muscle contractions, increased sensitivity to food, gas, or stool in the bowel. Other causes are brain-gut interactions. 

How are they tied together?

I know most of you probably scrolled down to figure out what the significant connection is?

With endometriosis, the tissue growths from endometriosis can develop next to the large intestine. Excess tissue can lead to inflammation and contribute to problems with bowel movements. 

With adenomyosis, sometimes the uterus is so enlarged that a lump can be felt in the lower abdomen and can also cause pressure on the bladder and bowel, causing urinary frequency and constipation. It’s typically the same with endo but a little different. 

I know that was a lot of information, so if you have any questions, please send them here.

(https://www.humblesoullifeofajuicer.com/question-me.php)

Check back in a few days for a new post. Stay bright.

Refrences: 

https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/endometriosis

https://www.webmd.com/women/endometriosis/understanding-endometriosis-basics

https://medlineplus.gov/endometriosis.html

http://endopaedia.info/subtype17.html

https://www.moms.com/adenomyosis-explained/

https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/endometriosis-and-ibs

http://sifaka.cs.uiuc.edu/~yuelu2/opinionintegration/health/Adenomyosis.htm

lhttps://patient.info/news-and-features/is-adenomyosis-the-cause-of-your-heavy-painful-periods