It is that time of year again, and time for my shameless plug of a cause very close to me. Monday March 1st is Yellow Shirt Day, spreading awareness of the horrible yet common disease endometriosis. So wear yellow (anything, any shade that flatters you) March first to support those who suffer with this disease. I personally have been symptomatic with this disease for 14 years, diagnosed for 7 and have had 3 laparoscopic excisions and one mini laparotomy so far. It has spread through the entire pelvis and into my abdominal muscles.

A few endo facts

-An estimated 5-10% of women suffer from this disease and very often go undiagnosed. It takes an average of 8 years between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis. Women's pain is very commonly dismissed and not investigated. Most doctos tend to make a psychosomatic diagnosis before looking into phyical causes of pain.

-Symptoms include severe menstrual pain, chronic pelvic pain, bowel and bladder pain, deep pain during sex, infertility, heavy and/or irregular bleeding, ovulatory pain, lower back pain, chronic fatigue, recurrant miscarriages, and IBS-like symptoms. It is most often found in the pelvis, but can occur anywhere, even the brain. Rarely, even men can get endo.

-The only way it can be diagnosed (and the most effective treatment) is to thoroghly excise all visible lesions and send the biopsies to the pathology lab for microscopic diagnosis. Laser surgery, cautery, hysterectomy and strong hormonal medications are not nearly as effective in treating the pain and infertility as a very thorogh excision. Occasionally, endometriomas (cysts full of endometriotic tissue and blood) show up on imaging studies; however most of the time imaging studies and physical exams come back unremarkable apart from pain.

-Many doctors still believe in Sampson's theory, which basically hypothesizes that endo is caused by menstrual backflow through the fallopian tubes. This has been definitively disproven; last year a study found biopsy positive endo in 4/36 female infants at necropsy among other studies proving that this is a disease you are born with complicated with immune and endocrine imbalances.

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Redheads have more fun.

Will do!!

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I'll wear one too.

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I've been having problems with computer since May. I'm on a loaner now and still waiting for a new one. If I don't get back to you or am not on board, it would be most likely due to another computer problem.

Barbie thanks for remind us, ill wear a yellow jacket tommorrow.
(I looked up on the endometriosis ,and it is serious stuff, i am so sorry that you are going through it)

Bugjune--from your photo, you are always wearing a jellow jacket.

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I've been having problems with computer since May. I'm on a loaner now and still waiting for a new one. If I don't get back to you or am not on board, it would be most likely due to another computer problem.