March is endometriosis awareness month, and to help bring awareness to this invisible illness, the Pain Resource team has turned its attention towards highlighting the severity and importance of endometriosis research and understanding.
On Thursday, Pain Resource’s Staff Journalist, Zach Pottle, sat down with Dr. Elizabeth Garchar, a Fellow Fetal-Maternal Medicine at the University of New Mexico’s Health Sciences Center, to talk about the challenges of living with endometriosis, and how women can seek help with their diagnosis.
Dr. Garchar’s Instagram link is listed below, as well as her contact information.
Dr. Garchar’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liz_g_md
Dr. Garchar’s UNM Page: https://vivo.health.unm.edu/display/n50144
Dr. Garchar received her medical doctorate from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine; where she also went on to complete her residency as an OB/GYN. Dr. Garchar has authored several publications surrounding women’s reproductive health and has been a speaker at multiple conferences, her most recent being at the University of New Mexico’s Women’s Health Conference.
When speaking with Dr. Garchar, she highlighted the importance of women being “self-advocates” when it comes to their reproductive health. She went on to explain that many women she has seen in her time as a resident OB/GYN have felt uncomfortable discussing topics that surround their reproductive health, such as sex and vaginal pain.
One of the key points discussed with Dr. Garchar was the time it takes for women to receive a proper diagnosis. On average, women spend about seven years from symptoms to diagnosis. When speaking with Dr. Garchar, we asked why she thinks there is such a delay in the diagnosis of endometriosis. Dr. Garchar responded by saying that these delays can partly be due to women not being listened to when they are speaking with their doctors. She added that further research is also needed to understand more about the causes and risk factors of endometriosis, which can also help speed up the diagnostic process.
Signs and Symptoms
Pain and infertility are common symptoms, although 20–25% of affected women are asymptomatic.[1] Presence of pain symptoms are associated with the type of endometrial lesions as 50% of women with typical lesions, 10% of women with cystic ovarian lesions, and 5% of women with deep endometriosis do not have pain.
- Pelvic pain: This is the most common symptom of endometriosis and can range from mild to severe. The pain may occur before, during, or after menstruation and may also be present during ovulation.
- Painful periods (dysmenorrhea): Endometriosis can cause severe menstrual cramps that may worsen over time.
- Pain during intercourse (dyspareunia): Many individuals with endometriosis experience pain during or after sexual intercourse.
- Heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia): Endometriosis can cause heavy (44%) and/or irregular periods (60%), and hypoglycemia.
- Painful bowel movements or urination: Endometrial tissue can sometimes affect the intestines or bladder, leading to pain during bowel movements or urination, especially during menstruation.
- Fatigue: Chronic pain and other symptoms of endometriosis can lead to fatigue and low energy levels.
- Infertility: Endometriosis can affect fertility by causing scar tissue and adhesions that can block the fallopian tubes or interfere with ovulation.
- Gastrointestinal symptoms: Some individuals with endometriosis may experience digestive issues such as diarrhea, constipation, bloating, or nausea, particularly during menstruation.
- Other: Migraines, low-grade fevers, There is an association between endometriosis and certain types of cancers, notably some types of ovarian cancer,[30] non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and brain cancer. Stress may be a cause or a consequence of endometriosis.[35]Rarely, endometriosis can cause endometrium-like tissue to be found in other parts of the body. Thoracic endometriosis occurs when endometrium-like tissue implants in the lungs or pleura. Manifestations of this include coughing up blood, a collapsed lung, or bleeding into the pleural space.[13][33] Endometriosis may also involve the nearby colon which in rare situations may progress to partial obstruction requiring emergency surgery.[34]
PODCAST
Why Healing Endometriosis Symptoms is Different for Everyone with Katie Edmonds
Meet Leonie – ANOTHER EndoBoss Success Story – Heal Endometriosis Naturally with Wendy K Laidlaw
Meet the lovely Leonie from Switzerland, who shares another inspiring EndoBoss® story.
Leonie is 21 years old, and when she reached out to us last year, she was suffering terribly every day with pain scores of 5-7, along with severe back pain, painful bowel movements, ovarian cysts, bloating, and ovulation pain in mid cycle, to name a few of the many symptoms that crippled her ability to live her life.
Over the past nine months, Leonie has seen many significant and life-changing improvements, from stronger hair and nails, softer skin, the disappearance of Candida, improved and regular bowel movements, along with an improved digestive system.
In addition, she has also seen her period pain scores reduce by over half, with no daily pain and only 1-2 at her periods. Her energy and sleep patterns have improved, along with her confidence and sense of self.
Emotionally she is stronger in recognising how to protect herself whilst developing more skills in listening and identifying her personality ‘parts’ that need additional self-kindness, compassion and support. Leone has also learned how to put in new appropriate boundaries with those people who are disrespectful, unkind or toxic to her.
Leonie was surprised at how much the EndoBoss® Academy program helped her to heal emotionally and spiritually, which in turn, has helped reconnect her to her body in a new, healthy way and enabled her to understand it in a way she’s never known before.
Leonie felt that the program was a nurturing and loving environment that she had not experienced before. She continues to work on some more emotional aspects to strengthen her connection to her body, as she still has a little way to go to be totally pain-free each month which is now in her sights.
It’s been inspiring to work with such a young and beautiful woman at the beginning of her life to directly inform, educate and inspire her.
Leonie is now onto a new, healthy pathway and can understand the true meaning and messages behind any symptoms or pain showing up in her body – and how to take affirmative and impactive action.
Leonie felt she was surrounded by kindness, positivity, and a support system whilst she learned to recognise her value and worth in the world. She encourages any woman who has tried everything else to apply to work with the EndoBoss® Academy to help realign the relationship between their bodies and to become a boss over their endometriosis – an EndoBoss®.
HealEndometriosisNaturally #EndoBoss #WendyKLaidlaw
