My Mother's Battle with Endometriosis
March 1, 2024
Endometriosis Awareness Month Special Feature
by Meredith Nathan, Pulling Down the Moon Massage Director and Creator of the Fertility Enhancing Massage Protocol™
Endometriosis, the expansion of the uterine lining onto the surrounding organs and tissues, such the ovaries, vagina, or even the lungs or brain, can create extensive bleeding and scar tissue in the body. When a woman with endometriosis menstruates, the uterine tissue outside her uterus also bleeds, but has no way to exit the body and becomes trapped. This can cause a swampy condition in the abdomen, leading to stagnation, adhesion, and scarring.
Symptoms run the gamut: one woman can be walking around completely unaware that she has endo, while another may be begging her partner to put her out of her misery every time she gets her monthly visitor. Theories on why it occurs range from estrogen dominance and hormonal imbalance to structural abnormalities and retrograde bleeding during menstruation to migrating fetal cells.
One in ten women have endometriosis, and yet in my experience, it often goes undiagnosed. Most commonly mistaken for severe menstrual cramps, I’ve spoken with countless women who felt their doctors had undermined their complaints of extreme pain, suggesting that they must just have a low pain tolerance. The fact that for a long time the only way it could be diagnosed was through surgery probably didn't help with the rampant misdiagnoses, and so many women haven't known they have it until they find themselves unable to conceive or having recurrent miscarriage. In fact, one study showed that endometriosis increases the risk of miscarriage by 80%.
What to do? The first step to treating endometriosis is diagnosing it. Thankfully, a recent new approach to detecting endometriosis that doesn’t require surgery has become available. ReceptivaDx is able to gently detect inflammation in the uterine lining commonly associated with endometriosis.
For most women who are diagnosed with endo, surgical removal of the wayward endometrial tissue is the best approach (though pregnancy may need to happen on a speedy timeline, since endometriosis will usually grow back in time). IVF can also increase chances of success for pregnancy.
Though there is currently no cure for endometriosis (other than menopause), a proactive strategy to handle the scar tissue and pain associated with it can make a world of difference in the quality of life and fertility of the women who have it. In my mother’s case, the endo required two painful surgeries. But for others, massage may offer a gentler solution. Massage can help break up scar tissue from previous internal bleeding - Mercier Therapy, a deep, external gynovisceral manipulation, has been shown to be effective at breaking up scar tissue associated with endometriosis. One of my patients who had confirmed mild endometriosis on her ovaries used a combination of Mercier Therapy and Fertility Enhancing Massage (FEM) for several months leading up to her surgery. On the day of her surgery, the surgeon confirmed that her endometriosis was gone.
My mother’s story ends happily. Despite the pain, the drugs, and the surgeries, she ultimately had two healthy children. But back in the 1970’s she didn’t have access to the resources and information we have today. Could there have been a gentler way to handle her endometriosis? Due to it’s severity, my mother would most likely have needed surgery anyways. But massage could have provided a wonderful compliment to her treatment plan with her doctor, providing additional tools for relieving congestion and scar tissue. It could have eased her pain and created a sense of well-being. And perhaps in nurturing her belly with positive touch, it could have helped her find peace with the body she so often felt at war with.
Learn more at our upcoming Fertility Enhancing Massage Seminar on Thursday, March 7th at 6pm CST!
Share on Social
Discuss With Us
Our Latest Resources
Spring arrives next month, and with it, more cold days (perhaps even snow)! But March also brings the promise of new life. We love this time of year. The ground starts to smell fresh and ripe. Small green buds begin to swell from the earth reaching up, up, up. Birds chatter in the trees. The sun stays in the sky a little longer each day. After a long, cold winter of hibernation, spring restores nature’s beauty. Spring inspires us to restore ourselves, too and these self-care techniques will lead you to restoration of mind, body and spirit. Hydrate. Drink a glass or two of water first thing in the morning. Keeping yourself hydrated helps boost your mood, improves brain power and protects you against disease. Make a gratitude list. Spending just a few minutes a day writing down what you are grateful for can dramatically shift your day. The more gratitude you have, the more open to abundance you become. Breathe. Set aside a few minutes each day to practice breathing. There are so many benefits! Among them, diaphragmatic breathing alleviates stress, reduces pain, strengthens internal muscles and moves blood to organs and tissues. If you’re not sure how to get started, try our Breathe & Restore Workshop or schedule an Soothe the Senses: Calm the Nervous System Fertility Enhancing Massage™ to receive some hands-on breath work coaching. Stretch. Five to 10 minutes of stretching in the morning increases energy levels, enhances circulation, reduces injury and centers your mind. Even better is a regular yoga practice. Get started by downloading the Fully Fertile App today to give you a jump start! Our next Signature Yoga for Fertility Series begins on Monday, February 24th to reduce anxiety and stress by 20% or more in just six weeks. Eliminate something from your diet that isn’t serving you. I nstead of overhauling your entire diet, start by taking out one food that doesn’t nourish your body. Replace it with a different item that supports your desire for restoration. Learn even more by working with scheduling a nutrition consult ! We look forward to seeing you virtually or in-person at one of our centers to help you get started. Many wishes for a beautiful spring!
Connect with others who understand your journey. Discover online infertility support groups to share experiences, gain advice, and find emotional sup
Discover Our New Testing Options to Support Your Fertility Journey
Questions or comments?
We would love to hear from you!
Fill out our form below and we will be in touch. We are open 7 days/week.
Footer Form
Visit Our Centers
Chicago (River North)
Highland Park
Resource Links
Copyright ©2021 Pulling Down the Moon Holistic Health | All Rights Reserved