Thanks for the shout out @A MyEndometriosisTeam Member. I agree with you that excision is a really good thing to have. It removes the endo from the roots as you said, and increases the chances of the organs functioning, keeping pain from starting and of carrying a healthy pregnancy. @A MyEndometriosisTeam Member, I can't remember if I already shared the resources or whether you had an excision surgeon do this surgery. Please forgive me; I try to keep everyone's stories straight in my head, but #endobrain! So I will put the resources below, just in case.

I will also say the first weeks after diagnosis are overwhelming, especially when you didn't have unexplained symptoms. So be patient with yourself. Give yourself the space and time you need to process. And even years after diagnosis, I still have days when I just don't feel like dealing with it and eating the gluten free bread! But I persist.

Feel free to read my story tab. The short version is: two excision surgeries, lots of diet changes, pelvic floor physical therapy, acupuncture and compounded suppositories of Flexeril (muscle relaxant) and Lidocaine (numbing agent) for pelvic floor spasms, aka Pelvic Floor Dysfunction. I too did not want to go the Lupron or Orlissa route; I have a strong family history of heart disease and osteoporosis, so I didn't want to add fuel to that fire. I tried birth control a few times without much help, except for Nuvaring which made me have a blood clot to my lung. There's more details on the surgeons I consulted or used in my recommendations tab.

Nancy's Nook on Facebook is a good resource. Lots of articles and a list of excision surgeons. I've also got a resource list here of stuff that helped me; other users have also found it helpful. I've got tons of other articles, so if you want anything specific, let me know. Some users told me the links don't open; please let me know if that happens to you. Happy to help however I can.

https://www.myendometriosisteam.com/users/5d1ab...

Other good articles:

endo overview:
https://pacificendometriosis.com/what-is-endo/

Excision surgery overview:
Excision Surgery Overview: https://pacificendometriosis.com/excision-of-en...

Treatment options: good explanation of hormones:
https://www.vitalhealth.com/endometriosis-speci...

Interviewing a surgeon:
https://www.endofound.org/preparing-to-see-a-do...

Resource site of an excision surgeon group in Atlanta
http://centerforendo.com/resources

If you do decide to use birth control, this episode was interesting. She discusses ways to support your body and prevent common nutrient deficiencies that birth control can cause.
http://www.jessicamurnane.com/the-pill-post-bir...

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A MyEndom...

The hormonal treatments, like anything else, work for some of us but not all of us. I was afraid of the hormone blockers like Lupron and Orlissa, because I have a family history of osteoporosis and heart disease. Didn't want to add any fuel to that fire. Nuvaring was wonderful! Until I had a blood clot; no more estrogen for me. And progestin only stuff like the pill didn't help. I expelled IUDs like a bad landlord. So I just stopped. But goodness me, if it helps your symptoms then go for it! Just know that it doesn't stop the endo growing if it's there; it only helps with symptoms.

Thank you @A MyEndometriosisTeam Member ! This is exactly the advice I need. With no prior knowledge from myself or my family, it’s hard to know what’s stopping you and scaring you. I don’t want to look down the road in the future and wish I did something else.

Absolutely, we all have to do what's right for us. Seeing a functional medicine practitioner or a Naturopath might be helpful. I'm working with an Integrative Medicine gyno right now.

https://www.ifm.org

@A MyEndometriosisTeam Member this was so so helpful because I don’t have symptoms associated with endo, which made me not wanna go on hormonal therapy. All I’m concerned about is stopping the growth and have been doing so much research on how to through food, vitamins/ supplements

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A MyEndom...