HEALTH: Not All Cysts Are Created Equal

An ovarian cyst is a sac filled with fluid that forms on or inside of an ovary. But not all ovarian cysts are formed the same way or have the same effect on your body. The over 15% of women from puberty to menopause will develop functional cysts during their monthly menstrual cycle. Functional cysts are formed during or after ovulation. They can be as small as a pea or grow to the size of an orange. Despite the size, functional cysts are benign but can still cause you some trouble such as bleeding and pain when they rupture. The majority of the time these benign cysts just resolve on their own. If your symptoms become unbearable or the cysts grow over 4cm, a benign cysts can be treated with hormone therapy, natural remedies, or with surgery.

 

 

The functional cyst more sinister sister is called the chocolate or dirty cysts. Women who suffer from endometriosis usually develop this type of cyst. Chocolate cysts are formed when the endometrial tissue from the uterus transplants itself onto the ovaries. These cysts are fed by hormones which cause them to grow and fill up with blood. Chocolate cysts can greatly reduce your chances of conception and often causes intense pain when they rupture leaking old blood into the abdominal cavity. Treatment is the same as for the functional cysts; hormone therapy, natural remedies, or with surgery.

 

 

I have been diagnosed with having both functional and chocolate cysts. I was first treated with hormone therapy in the form of oral contraception and Lupron. The cysts remained unchanged but I developed a whole host of very unpleasant side effect. Eventually I decided to have surgery. I had an 8cm chocolate cyst removed from my left ovary and a 5cm functional cyst removed from my right ovary. Within 8 months a 6cm chocolate cyst developed on my left ovary and a 4cm functional cysts developed on my right one. I was lucky to meet a surgeon who also practices holistic medicine. He advised me to remove my left ovary because it was covered with endometrial tissue and removed the function cysts from my right ovary. He helped me put together a cocktail of vitamins and herbs that would help me balance my hormones and control the growth of any future functional cysts.

I currently take Vitex to balance my hormones and Vitamin E to control the growth of any function cysts. I have not been cysts free but now they resolve on their own rather quickly.

No T No Shade: Black Friday Madness

Five "T" Rating System: One T = Hell No
                                            Five T's = What are you waiting for

I have one thing to say... You're getting SNOWED.  It's Christmas time so that means retailers are turning on the snow making machines full blast. Visibility is at a minimum. One can hardly see beyond the blizzard credit cards. Children are being left behind in snowdrifts of shopping bags. Here's a snowplow to help you clear away the mounds of sale signs.

 



 
I spent my entire teen years in retail. I don't think much has changed. Every holiday season we are told to break out the sharpies and the 50% off signs... the same signs we breakout for spring sales, for summer sales, for fall sales, and for your everyday run of the mill clearance sales. Before breaking out the plastic, stop and ask yourself, "Wasn't that TV set cheaper during the big winter clearance?" Yes it was! Guys, ask yourself, "Wasn't that diamond heart pendent cheaper during the summer clearance sale?" Right you are again!

I give Black Friday Sales ONE T
Do yourself a favor, put the plastic down... work some overtime and save up your cash for when the real sales begin-
TWO WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS!

SPIRIT: Life

Life is a Book… Study It    Life is Beauty… Worship It   

Life is a Challenge… Meet It    Live is a Dream… Realize It   

Life is a Sorrow… Overcome It   Life is a Tragedy… Face it

Life is a Song… Sing It   Life is Love… Enjoy It   

 

Life is a Game… Play It   Life is a Promise … Fulfill It   

 

Life is a Struggle… Accept It    Life is a Duty… Perform It

 

 

Life is an Adventure… Dare To Live It!



FUN: CHRISTMAS MIAMI STYLE

Kick off your holiday with a trip to @Santa's Enchanted Forest South Florida's very own fabulous version of the North Pole. There are over 100 rides, shows, and attractions. Santa’s Enchanted Forest is the world’s largest Christmas theme park.

 

   

 

Get ready to be dazzled by hundreds of themed displays. Sing along to festive Christmas music, and delight you taste buds with delicious foods from around the world. You have every day until January 6th to come join in on the fun. Go to http://www.santasenchantedforest.com/index.html for your tickets. See you There:)

 

HEALTH: My Endometriosis Daily Cocktail

As Endometriosis, fibroid, and ovarian cysts sufferers we have an Oestrogen hormone dominance issue which is the cause of most of our problems. Adding insult to injury, prolonged stress canlead to elevations in cortisol (the stress hormone), which decrease the available progesterone and result in a hormonal imbalance. Your diet plays a very important part in the disease progression. Sugar, alcohol, caffeine from coffee and sodas, along with foods that contain large amounts of sugar and fat are not a girls’ best friend.

In a desperate attempt for a cure, I allowed myself to be injected with Lupron. The cure was a hell of a lot worse than the disease. I eventually had to have the surgery I was so desperately trying to avoid… three surgeries in total. After my final surgery, a partial hysterectomy, I wanted to avoid injecting or ingesting anymore poisonous chemicals so I decided to go holistic. This decision saved my life… literately.

Firstly, I had to rid my body of the poison that was injected into me and balance my hormones. The National Institutes of Health reports that research indicates possible connections between uterine fibroid and endometriosis symptoms and pesticides in common foods, hormones in feed for commercial beef cattle, and the use of food additives.  I didn’t want to flood my body with anymore chemicals and needed to rid my body free radicals so I do organics as much as possible. My diet consists of mainly fruits, vegetables, organic yogurt, free range chicken, and salmon. I honestly don’t remember the last time I ate processed food.

The cocktail was working well for a few months but, once I started ovulating again a new batch of symptoms cropped up. Excruciation back and joint pain accompanied my monthly ovulation. At first I tried acupuncture. It worked well in relieving my pain but was costly and its effect were not long lasting. After a couple of weeks of research I added Omega-3 fish oil and coconut oil to the mix. I am not saying I’m living a pain free life but, the anti-inflammatory affects and immuno support of the fish oil and coconut oil got me to a very comfortable and manageable point. For my breakthrough pain I take 600mg-800mg of Ibuprofen. And the only side effects I’m experiencing are glowing skin, healthy hair, and weight lossJ
 

 

No T No Shade: Lupron For The Treatment of Endometriosis

Five "T" Rating System: One T = Hell No
                                           Five T's = What are you waiting for

Lupron (Leuprolide Acetate) is a man-made hormone mainly used to treat men with prostate cancer. Lupron is also used to treat some hormonal conditions such as early onset puberty in children and @endometriosis in women. As per the @FDA, Lupron is considered an effective and medically safe treatment for endometriosis. I BEG TO DIFFER.

 

HOW DOES LUPRON WORK?

Lupron works in two stages. After your first injection, expect an increase in your symptoms which is due to increase in estradiol levels. You think that's bad, after a few more injections of Lupron ushers in stage 2. Your estrogen levels plummet bringing on a deluge of new symptoms.

 

According to Lupron manufactorer, Abbott Labratories, the side effects are: hot flashes, vaginal dryness, headaches, mood swings, decreased sex drive, depression, and forgettfulness. As a nurse and an endometriosis sufferer, I WISH I could tell you these are the only side effects! By shot number three, prepare for the worst and expect the worst.

 

 

Since my GYN at the time was getting a kickback of $300 per shot and a Hawaiian vaca/conference from the manufacturer, he left out a few things when explaining the effects of putting a 28 year old into chemical menopause. After shot number three I experienced:

• Hot and cold flashes
• Night sweats
• Palpitations
• Fainting and dizziness

• Rapid heartbeat and irregular heartbeat
• Headaches
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Vaginal bacterial infection
• Loss of libido
• Tenderness in the breasts
• Acne
• Sudden weight gain (I went from a size 4 to a size 16)

 

By shot number four I had to go on disability. My endometriosis pain was gone but, it was replaced with excruciating bone pain brought on by a 10% loss in bone density. I was reduced to a hobbling hot mess punctuated with extensive hair loss and an extra fifty pounds. There were days I begged for death. When God wouldn't answer my request I made a cocktail of bleach, Ativan, and Benadryl to inject into my bloated body.

 

As I was pricking my thigh with the needle God sent me a message from TV evangelist @Joyce Meyer. At the time, I didn't know of this woman and I swear I didn't leave the television on. She said, "God wants you to stop and think about what you will be doing to the ones you will be leaving behind." I dropped the poison filled syringe and broke down.

 

It took years for me to get back to looking and feeling like me again. Natural medicine saved my life... literately.

 

I give Lupron as a treatment for endometriosis (one T) T... and their lucky to get even that.

 

Consider Lupron only after exhausting ever other option.

HEALTH: Part I Endometriosis

THE BIG 3: The Price of Being a Girl

(I'm breaking down into simple terms what is THE BIG 3 and how can you help yourself: ENDOMETRIOSIS, OVARIAN CYSTS, AND FIBROIDS) By: MJ Louis, RN

Endometriosis affects millions of women yet still remains what

I like to call a phantom disease. Even with all our technological

advances it is very difficult to diagnose endometriosis without

actually cutting into you. At the age of 28 I was diagnosed with

endometriosis. But, I suspect that I had been suffering from

this debilitating disease since my teens.  Due to this disease’s

allusive nature, millions of suffers, including myself, are told

it’s all in your head or it can’t be as painful as you’re making it

out to be. Endometriosis IS real and can be as painful as

childbirth.  Endometriosis is not a fatal disease but the

unresolved suffering steaming from its symptoms can lead to

isolation and depression.

 

 

What is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a medical condition in which cells from the lining of the uterus (endometrium) appears and grows outside of the uterine cavity. The most common place where endometriosis is found is in the abdominal cavity involving the ovaries, bowel, bladder, and pelvic area. In some less common cases, such as me, the endometrium tissue is found outside of this region and migrates to other organs and joints. This displaced uterine tissue still behaves and reacts to hormones as if it was still in the uterus. In other words, when you are menstruating it menstruates as though it is still located in the uterus. This irritates the surrounding tissue causing the intense pain associated with endometriosis.

 

How the heck did it get there?!

 

There are several theories floating around as to the cause of endometriosis but none have been proven to be the definitive answer. One of the main hypotheses is called retrograde menstruation. In retrograde menstruation, menstrual blood flows back through the fallopian tubes and into the pelvic cavity instead of out of the body. There is also thought to be a genetic component to endometriosis. You are ten times more likely to develop endometriosis if your mother or sister suffers from it (I guess that’s explains why my mother, sisters, and daughter all suffer from endometriosis). Hormonal imbalance also plays a crucial part.

 

PLACES WHERE ENDOMETRIOSIS CAN BE FOUND

 

Signs and Symptoms

The number one symptom of endometriosis is reoccurring pelvic pain especially but not limited to prior, during, and post menses. The intensity of the pain is not indicative of the extent of the endometriosis. Other common signs and symptoms include: Pain with intercourse, pain with bowel movements or urination, heavy periods or bleeding between periods, infertility, fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and nausea.

 

How do I know if I have endometriosis?

Positively diagnosing endometriosis can be a tricky and grueling task. My symptoms reared their ugly head when I was only 15 years old but a positive diagnosis didn't come until I was 28. Currently, a doctor uses your signs and symptoms in combination with a pelvic exam, and/or a vaginal ultrasound to give you his best educated guess as to what ails you. A positive diagnosis can only be made by looking inside your abdominal cavity with a Laparoscope which is done under general anesthesia.

Help it hurts... Make it stop!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is NO CURE for endometriosis... Usher in the depression. It is a chronic illness. The conventional route of symptom management is with anti-inflammatory pain medications such as @ibuprofen, @Advil, and @Motrin (600mg 3 times a day when in crisis has worked very well for me); and hormonal therapies such as birth control pills, Depo-Provera, and Lupron (dramatically decreases estrogen levels in a very short period of time). (FYI: DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO INJECT YOU WITH LUPRON UNTIL YOU KNOW ALL OF THE FACTS!!!! Check out No T No Shade review on Lupron and Vitex)

 

As a last resort some women opt for surgery. The least radical route is conservative surgery involving the removal of the endometrial tissues leaving the reproductive organs intact. After the hell I suffered due to the Lupron surgery didn't sound so bad so at first I opted for the conservative surgery. Thanks to the skilled hands of my new GYN, I experienced 2 symptom free years. Unfortunately, the endometriosis returned with a vengeance bringing along its ugly cousins adenomyosis and ovarian cysts. This time around I wanted to just get it over with so I had a partial hysterectomy. Due to my age, a total hysterectomy was not offered to me.

 

By all means, I am not cured and pain free but I got my life back thanks to a skilled and honest doctor and natural remedies such as @Vitex, vitamin E, and fish oil.