Deirdre's Brilliant Comment Has Resulted (Unknowingly) Into a Full-Blown Endometriosis Post!

Hi all!

An enlightened reader of our new endo blog wrote an inspired AND inspiring comment to my June 26 post "Endometriosis Patients Get Their Fair Share of Stress!"!!!

It was so inspiring to me that I was sure I'd run out of character space in the comments section. Soooo, my response to Deirdre's remarks is below. To read her short but very inspiring feedback/comment, see the the June 26th archive file for "Endometriosis Patients Get Their Fair Share of Stress!". Here is my response to Deirdre's post to the 6/26/08 article I posted. This is from 6/28/08 and is doubling as a fresh post by me for today:

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Hi Deirdre!

I’m glad you found us! Welcome to the new blog. :)

Thank you for mentioning the Center for Endometriosis Care located in Atlanta, Georgia. I do now remember seeing their website a few years back when I was very heavily into researching endometriosis on the Internet! I will have to pull up their site and refresh my memory! I do remember they had a helpful library section that I haven’t visited recently. I will definitely have to “take another look” at their site, now that you have reminded me about them! Maybe the library area I’m remembering and the educational articles you talked of are in the same part of the website? I can’t remember but I will definitely check it out. Thanks for the great idea for another helpful link! (If you page through my archives, you’ll find one of my earliest posts on this blog had a number of web links). This one wasn’t one of them; I had forgotten all about it. I’m glad you jogged my memory!

Yes, I have known about the OBGYN.com site for awhile.

See the link to it:

http://www.obgyn.net/.

You know some great resources)! :)

The 'http://forums.obgyn.net/endo/' section, in particular, focuses on ‘endometriosis in general’:

http://forums.obgyn.net/endo/.

As you mentioned, there is a cool forum available within that endo section. I remember posting back & forth on the OBGYN.net message boards years ago. I’m pretty sure that site is where I had gone through a phase of reading/posting tons of stuff on OBGYN.net (using the endometriosis message boards) over 10 years ago. (I remember the timeframe because I just celebrated my 10 year wedding anniversary and it was before that when I used to spend lots of Internet time searching for endo data).

Thanks for mentioning this too! I actually just pulled up the main starting page for www.obgyn.net and if you click on “select a topic” in the top right corner, a pull down menu appears.

In the http://www.obgyn.net/ pull down menu if you click on Endometriosis Zone, it will route you to ANOTHER cool website:

http://www.endometriosiszone.org/.

It's a neat site too.

Thank you for mentioning OBGYN.net!

I just stopped this mid-post to check my archives section… I wasn’t sure if I had listed OBGYN.net in early June (as intended) or not. I did not list www.obgyn.net in my June 2, 2008 article on endometriosis links: "Endometriosis and Endo-related Links You May Want to Check Out" but now our blog readers will know about it anyway thanks to you, Deirdre!

Thank you again for reminding me of how much awesome info is available over the Internet. When I was diagnosed in 1992, I didn’t even own a PC yet and if there was decent endo info available then by Internet (???) I’m sorry to say I sure wasn’t reading it!

I had gone to my local library in 1992 and they had NOTHING on endo. Not a word. The librarian even looked for me. No luck. (It was a very good library normally too). Times have changed.

It was in Barnes & Noble in the self-help book section that I found a listing in the very back of a women’s health book for the Endometriosis Association phone number: (1-414-355-2200). They now also have a website http at:

http://www.endometriosisassn.org/


This led me finding a local Endometriosis Association support group near me (the endo support group active in my area at that time). I was quite shy then (hard to believe, I know!!!) and quite nervous about calling a stranger to inquire about the endometriosis support group BUT I did it! (THANK GOODNESS)!!! My need and desire for support,help, and info overcame my fear of calling a stranger about my "endo story" and asking about the the endometriosis support group.

Through the local EA support group I was introduced to real live human beings besides me who had endo! IT WAS SO AWESOME TO TALK WITH PEOPLE WHO REALLY “GOT IT” !!!!!! It was absolutely refreshing and a huge relief to make that connection with others!!

IMAGINE: An entire room with women who had also been suffering in silence, like I did, UNTIL they reached out and found some of their fellow endo patients somehow! Our meetings didn’t have very many women but had PLENTY for effectively sharing engrossing “endo stories”!!!) I’ve learned that a support group of 2 can accomplish as much as one with 20. (I’ve been to meetings of both sizes). my friend Cathy taught me that "2 people makes a support group". She was right! I began my endo support group in August 2001 this is so very true!

As long as exchange of information is happening, it is ALWAYS worthwhile to network with fellow patients (of any illness) any way one can do so: in person is awesome if you can get it, phone works well too, email is outstanding, message boards & forums are super… Books are certainly a wonderful source too. No one loves books more than I do.

The thing is that when you interact with another patient BACK & FORTH and truly EXCHANGE ideas & info… it is a whole new level of support than simply reading a book without also having that more tangible connection. Comparing notes on doctors, treatments, success stories, losses, etc. really HELPS so many! I have learned SOOOOOOOOOO much about alternative medicine from my support group members that it's not even funny.

The beauty of blogging and giving feedback posts on endo blogs is that we can have an exchange while you are in the comfort of your own home even when you’d be too sick to find/make it to a support group meeting. I’m not saying anything can replace a support group meeting. However, blogging is increasingly becoming an important tool for reaching out to others for various reasons… including endo blogs.

It was in either 1992 or possibly 1993 (?) that I found my first endo support group. (I was diagnosed in 1992 after 10 years of not knowing WHAT I had)! For me… the rest is history! I started “surfing the Net” in 1995 and have been hooked since. I am really grateful to Endometriosis Association for the springboard of info I got from that organization in 1992.

So, again, thank you for reminding me about www.OBGYN.net because it is a well-known/reputable site in the endo community.

There are many endo patients who experience both endo and migraines. Many women in my current and past endo support groups have trouble with migraines. While I have no personal experience with migraines, I know from others that hormones can definitely be connected with migraines!

I have acupuncture treatments done regularly. While I personally have had acupuncture done for other medical reasons than migraines, I personally still do hand out “Traditional Chinese Medicine for Migraine” brochures (that I obtain from my acupuncturist’s waiting room area, with his permission, in short stacks at a time for giving to my endo support group). I’m not sure who the author/maker (?) of that brochure is and I can’t check now because I ran out of them. (I try not to completely ‘clean out’ my acupuncturists' waiting room brochures of ALL its brochures. So I do run out of brochures sometimes between our monthly endo meetings. Although it can be tempting at times to "hog them" because I take good care of my endo support group)! Ha ha.

Seriously, though, it may be a brochure affiliated with a product (Chinese herbs) or may not... I recall it being a brochure that was not specific to my acupuncturist’s office but was specific to migraines. I believe it was called “Traditional Chinese Medicine for Migraine”. If I remember to get more the next time I’m in I will try to remember to post the author/company that made the brochure but acupuncturists do treat migraines as a general rule of thumb. I distribute the brochures to my support group members at meetings since so many women have both endo and migraines!!

For women with endo (or anyone with migraines), acupuncture is certainly worth investigating! Please see my June 4, 2008 post Alternative Medicine Is Amazing! AND various YouTube acupuncture video clips (available right here on this blog!) if you (or anyone you know) is interested in learning about acupuncture. ACUPUNCTURE DOESN’T HURT! I CAN ATTEST TO THAT PERSONALLY! I even know of children who will attest to that. I delayed trying acupuncture for years over a fear of needles and now I wish I had tried it much sooner!

My licensed acupuncturist uses very thin Japanese-style needles. They DO NOT hurt and I am extremely sensitive (skin sensitivity and internally) compared to just about anyone I know. If I can do acupuncture with no problem whatsoever, I doubt if anyone out there would find it painful. I find it extremely relaxing. It even puts me to sleep sometimes!!! Acupuncture is MORE RELAXING THAN SLEEP to me. (I have sleep apnea and fibromyalgia and I really mean that quite literally!) I do not get restful sleep (except at acupuncture).

The YouTube clips cycle through on acupuncture, alternative medicine, endo, pelvic pain, infertility, laparoscopy, etc. The cycling of the clips is done by YouTube so you may have to be patient for the acupuncture clips to appear but when it is their turn to pop up, they will do so.

To view endometriosis-related YouTube video clips (including those on acupuncture) just see the “Pink Arrows to Open Slideshow. Random Videos will Cycle Through. Not responsible for content!” section in the right sidebar of my blog. If you look in the right (light pink background, medium pink text) sidebar, you’ll see what I mean. HINT: The videos occasionally collapse between cycles/groups of various topics. This is normal and when the videos are loaded they will re-appear on your monitor automatically. You don’t actually 'click' on the arrows as I originally thought to open the slideshow (I thought that clicking helped when I first created this blog but I’ve discovered that YouTube controls that part in their programming code for the slides).

Last but not least… I appreciate you sending the site of Dr. John R. Lee:

http://johnleemd.com/.

I had not heard of it before now and I did not yet have time to read through it BUT I did a quick peek at it -- just long enough to see that it looks interesting (and in line with the notion of alternative medicine options... i.e. things OTHER THAN just “drugs and surgery only" for treating endometriosis patients.

I am not a medical professional. I ask all readers of this blog to refer to the disclaimer at the very top of my homepage for this blog for more info on this.

Sorry about that interruption, Deirdre. Whenever I mention a site for a specific medical professional or treatment option I do my best to make it clear so my endo blog readers know that I don’t have personal experience with or knowledge of the person/treatment, etc. (in this case, I guess that would be Dr. Lee’s teachings, site, or any endorsed products)... I will look at his site about natural hormone balance, natural HRT, and bio-identical hormones. I will also ask my local endo group support group co-leader if she is familiar with Dr. Lee. (My endo group co-leader is a great resource for “natural hormone replacement therapy/HRT” vs. “traditional HRT” vs. “no HRT” at all and I’m sure she’ll find the site interesting too.

Finally, Deirdre… I would like to extend my sincere thanks to you… for stopping by and providing a number of interesting links and pieces of information! You gave me so much “fuel” with your brief comments that I am devoting this post to what we’ve discussed!!! Your references have inspired me to create this new post that will refer readers to that somewhat older related post on our 27-day-old blog. :)

Oops. I just realized this probably won’t fit into the comment board. I may very well make this the actual "Deirdre post" post itself!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH for an outstanding comment/feedback post/actual post!! I most certainly hope that you re-visit our new blog SOON (and often!)… You are clearly very well-informed about resources (and on everything from websites & links… to hormones… to “migraines and how they are connected to endo patients”!)

You made my day with your posted comment! You have no idea how much I have enjoyed replying to your comment. Also, as I said… your comment has inspired me to make a (this?) brand new post and the posts will reference each other for even more to see/stumble upon in this vast world we call the Internet. We’ll catch more readers by posting in TWO spots on such important topics/links than just ONE!

THANKS, Deirdre!!! Enjoy the remainder of your weekend! :) (I need to learn how to program smiley faces the "right way" in these comment boxes. I use them a great deal)!

Deirdre's initial comments (before mine above) are also listed below in response to the article that I posted called "Endometriosis Patients Get Their Fair Share of Stress..."

Thanks again,

Jeanne

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From: deirdre [mailto:noreply-comment@blogger.com]
Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2008 4:47 PM
To: endendo@frontiernet.net
Subject: [Jeanne's Endo Blog] New comment on Endometriosis Patients Get Their Fair Share of Str....

deirdre has left a new comment on your post "Endometriosis Patients Get Their Fair Share of Str...":

For any women with endo who find your site, this is an amazing place - the Center for Endometriosis Care in Atlanta

centerforendo.com, also look under ''educational articles''

and a chat board

http://forums.obgyn.net/endo/ENDO.0806/date.html

also, the pill and other things can lead to low progesterone, which can cause migraines

check out johnleemd.com

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Posted by deirdre to Jeanne's Endo Blog at June 28, 2008 4:46 PM
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This article was posted by Jeanne via "Jeanne's Endo Blog" at www.endendoat.blogspot.com.