{"id":8823,"date":"2020-03-02T09:00:19","date_gmt":"2020-03-02T14:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=8823"},"modified":"2020-02-21T10:24:43","modified_gmt":"2020-02-21T15:24:43","slug":"living-with-endometriosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/living-with-endometriosis\/","title":{"rendered":"What it\u2019s like living with endometriosis"},"content":{"rendered":"

At two in the afternoon, I\u2019m home in bed. I have three heating pads plugged in; one for my stomach, one for my lower back and hips, and one for my mid back, where the pain often just sits. My body is literally wrapped in heat, and still\u2026 the pain makes it difficult to focus.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not always like this, though. These days, the pain is typically concentrated around my periods, with the second day usually presenting as the worst. When I take care of myself\u2014when I get enough sleep, avoid caffeine, and stick to an anti-inflammatory diet\u2014it\u2019s more manageable. After having five major abdominal surgeries, my pain is much less than it was before.<\/span><\/p>\n

I have Stage IV endometriosis. In a lot of ways, pain is just my normal.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is endometriosis?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The<\/span> American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists<\/span><\/a> (ACOG) describes endometriosis as a condition where tissue from the uterus is found outside the uterus. These implants of endometrial tissue grow and bleed just as the uterine lining does each month. Only the tissue outside the uterus has nowhere to go\u2014it can\u2019t just shed out of your body like your uterine lining does. This causes scar tissue, inflammation, irritation and pain. In my case, it has more than once caused my uterus to become fused to my bowels.<\/span><\/p>\n

And this is not at all uncommon.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Who gets endometriosis?<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cIt is estimated that 5.5 million women in North America and 176 million women worldwide have endometriosis,\u201d says<\/span> April Summerford<\/span><\/a>, who has endometriosis herself and is a women\u2019s health advocate at Vital Health Endometriosis Center. \u201cIt affects 1 in 10 women in their reproductive years.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Carrie Lam<\/span><\/a>, MD, a board-certified family medicine practitioner, says \u201cendometriosis is one of the prevalent reproductive health issues and a leading cause of infertility.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the symptoms of endometriosis?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Dr. Lam says symptoms of endometriosis can include:<\/span><\/p>\n