2016

So it’s the New Year! And it has been a bit of a while since I last wrote a post; and yes I have slapped my own hand for my slackness. 

There are a lot of things that have happened since my last post that I need to bring you up to speed on. 

Fiji was fabulous! I did get a cold literally a couple of days before I went but it left relatively quickly - did feel like absolute rubbish the first night there though. Pretty sure the hot weather helped as well! After I got over that little hurdle, the ultimate fun began. I fell more in love with my little brothers (which I had no idea was possible) and it was extremely therapeutic to be around a relaxed environment, surrounded by the nicest people I have ever met. The difference between one country and another really astounded me and opened my eyes. It definitely has given me wanderlust and made me realise how important travelling is to broaden your perspective on things in your own life and others around you. But I digress. I went snorkelling which was on a day boat trip to a separate island off of Fiji and it was truly magical. We learnt all the uses of a coconut, how different coconut products are made and the history of Fiji. I met some lovely people (the majority of whom were from Australia) and it was so interesting how different each person was and what they do as a profession.

One big thing that has recently happened is I got accepted into law at Victoria University! So as of late February I will be starting my work towards my future career. Asides from law I will also be studying international relations, criminology and theatre. This part of my life has been a long time coming. Endo really impacted my study life and has put me back a couple of years; so finally getting to this point makes me a little but emotional when I think about it. It’s really given me encouragement that endometriosis cannot control every aspect of my life - it definitely influences every part but not control which I previously thought it did. Victoria University has a lot of disability services that can help assist me in my study should endo get the better of me at certain times that I cannot predict coming.

Moving out of home is also going to be a thing to happen to me this year. Which I am extremely excited about. Being closer to University and in an environment where the median age is not over 50 sounds like heaven to me right now. Where I can sit around the parade with an ice-cream on a beautiful sunny day.

In terms of endometriosis, my pain is definitely becoming more frequent and intensifying each time but I am really going to try and get through the first year of university without surgery. I can definitely feel it growing back - especially on my bowel. For the first time ever I had to stop mid intercourse because I was in so much pain - and that really upset me. Was hoping that I wouldn’t be one of those endo girls going through the pain (literally) of not being able to enjoy something that is meant to be enjoyed.

I can’t think of anything else that you all need to be updated on but I will be sure to check in more than once every couple of months.

Lots of love,

Brie xx

Update

Hello lovelies!

Yes, it has been a while since I have written a post - life has been pretty hectic until a few days ago. Study was full on but now that my exam is done and over with I am free until next year!

So, what am I going to be doing for the next collation of months coming up until I start study again? Well, well, well. The most exciting of times - new experiences! In the next couple of weeks I will be travelling to Fiji to stay for a week with my father, step mum and little brothers. Of course, I have to factor endo into this. To cover all my bases, I’m taking my medicine in their original packaging which has my name on it to prove they are mine and also a doctors note verifying this just in case I get questioned on it. Better to be safe than sorry! Also need to check if I can take my wheat pack into the country. Would like to have all necessities just in case I have an endo attack as I’m sure all endo ladies could agree with.

I am also working at the moment in a small local law office which I love so much. The people that I work with are amazing and are so great at giving advice, teaching me new things about the law and generally showing me the ropes of how a law office runs. What I mainly do is scan documents, man the reception desk and go on general errands like getting mail and food (who could forget the food). My contract is for a limited time, so I may also soon be on the lookout for full time work to save up that money for university. Plus it would be nice to do some more room renovations!

In terms of endo, I’ve been handed a pretty good stick at the moment. Last night I got a decent amount of pain and nausea which cleared by this morning in time for work, which was very lucky. It may sound strange, but I can tell that my endo is growing back, especially on my bowels. It’s the same pain I felt for years before my surgery and has only just started to come back in full force, whenever it decides to cause me discomfort. It sucks knowing that I will need to have another surgery in the near future, especially since I want to study and travel and have nothing holding me back any more than it already has. But I am doing the best that I can with what I have at the moment and all that I’m doing now is preparing me for the moment when my specialist tells me I need another surgery.

Hope this quick update will suffice for now! Until next time (and a much longer and better written post) keep smiling lovely people and catch you later! 

Love Brie xx

Medication For Endometriosis

Hello lovelies,

There are so many options to attempt decreasing the pain that endometriosis can bring to you everyday. Natural or pharmaceutical, trying multiple things lift your chance of finding a solution to live as pain free as possible. Now, in terms of what to discuss with your doctor, I would air caution around this one. Unless you have acquired yourself an alternative doctor, stick strictly to the pharmaceutical side of things with your GP. From my experience, that’s the side that they stick to and are familiar with, the rest like your diet, natural remedies etc are left up to you. They don’t really have much to say on that side of things. Of course you can tell them if you are on a new endo diet, they will choose wether to listen or not. It can be frustrating when they don’t exactly listen and take notice to it, but always consider it a bonus when they type it out in your medical notes. Going on the alternative treatments is something that you will have to monitor yourself. 

In terms of pharmaceuticals, I say this; question everything. From my experience, there can be way more side effects than what a drug can actually fix. Do your research and despite popular opinion, do search google - but get your information from reliable sources. I cannot count how many times I have been told not to trust the internet but for myself, most times it has been correct. Except Web MD, I don’t like that website at all. A slight side effect and all of a sudden I have 2 months to live. Not good. Remember that doctors are heavily influenced by drug reps, so always be speculative and always get an answer on what a drug is, what it does, and what to do in case of an emergency after you take it. After all, you are putting more chemicals into your body. You need to know exactly what is going on. And document it! Have a diary where you write down what drugs you take and what day and time you took them. It takes a lot of effort to do, especially when you’re feeling quite under the weather but it is so important.

For myself in terms of pain relief that helps relieve whatever endo decides to throw at me, I have the Mirena IUD, am on the pill (contraceptive), amitriptyline, panadol and ibuprofen. At first the Mirena caused me some pain, I’d say around a couple of months and I had contraction like pain as one would experience going through labour. Now it’s just the matter of keeping the pain at bay with the Mirena, contraceptive and pain killers.

Finding what works for you really is a process of elimination and it can be a very very long process but it is worth it when you feel the pain lifting from your pelvis and anywhere else the pain may be lingering. Going to your doctor is worth the money to figure out what will be the best pain relief.

Much love,

Brie xx

Living With Endometriosis

The title is quite self explanatory although I’m going to dive into the deep end on this topic. So get your snorkels out, folks. 

Living with endometriosis is… difficult. And personally, I think that’s the perfect way to state what it is like to wake up every morning not knowing what is going to happen. Sure, us ladies with endometriosis can try to control what we have - some of us with great success. We can still go on trips, walk around feeling as normal as possible and still catch up with friends to see a movie or have a girls night. However, some of us aren’t so lucky. What is especially difficult about this condition is its inconsistency. One day you can be perfectly fine, no pain whatsoever and as happy as can be. The next day it could be the complete opposite. It will be a ‘lay in bed and don't even think about moving’ day. What is even more frustrating is the fact that even on a great day, pain can come along within milliseconds and your day is somewhat screwed. 

But us endo sisters take the punches as they come. We try and control this pain as much as we can with pain killers, diet, positive thinking, specialist visits and the support that we have around us. It is so important that when we are out in public, we have a back up plan just in case something goes wrong and we get a pain attack/flare up. We always have a bag which has our pain killers in it. And we can’t be too far away from the nearest hospital. If we travel, health care and where the nearest medical facility is, is of the upmost importance. Come to think of it, endometriosis defines every aspect of my life. Everything that I do, endometriosis is a factor in there somehow. I cuddle my cat but - nope she can’t lay on my stomach right now. Going for a driving lesson but having to make sure to take pain killers beforehand so nothing happens while I am driving. It’s all inclusive.

I wish for the day when my daily cramps subside, and I have the ability to go out and not be paranoid about what my body has in store for me. It’s going to take a lot of hard work, a lot of things/people to cut out of my life but my health comes first, and so does my happiness. Keeping positive is such a hard thing to do when you have a chronic illness but its so important. And keeping positive people around you is also important. As is letting go of the people who constantly bring you down. Keep the supportive people around you - let go of the ones who don’t and take you for granted. Another aspect of living with a chronic illness is having to explain to people why you can’t do certain things, or why you need to cancel plans at the last minute. I have come across people who completely understand. Either because someone they know also has a chronic illness or they just get it, and take your word for it. Others, not so much. They lose contact with you, or find no interest in your company anymore. And that is what you take as part of having endometriosis. 

On the positive side of it - endometriosis filters people for me. It shows me the people who care, the people who don’t, and the people who pretend to care when they need something from you. And that’s just life. Endometriosis has showed me what is important in my life right now, and to be straightforward and honest. Lots of people see me as being incredibly blunt and brutal. And I’m proud of that. It has taught me to stand up for myself when it really matters and counts. It has thickened my skin. Yes, I have scars from surgery. But it’s a daily reminder every day that I’m a fighter. I came into this world with clear skin. Assessing what my skin is like now, I can see that I have lived in my short 20 years on this world. I’ve loved, hurt, laughed, cried and been through every emotion possible. Endometriosis has matured me far beyond my years, and has given me the strength to let things go. It’s given me the opportunity to look at people around me from a different perspective. And for that, I’m extremely thankful.

I feel like there are so many things to explain about living with endometriosis and it can’t all be covered in one blog post so it’s something I can touch back on in the future. Thank you for reading this you lovely, beautiful people and I hope you are having a fabulous morning/day/night wherever you are!

Lots of love,

Brie xx