Living with Endometriosis: The Complete Guide to Risk Factors, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

by Samantha Bowick, Ken Sinervo MD (Foreword by)

Overview

BEST BOOK AWARD WINNER - WOMEN'S HEALTH (AMERICAN BOOK FEST)

A knowledgeable handbook with a patient's perspective for women afflicted with the common, debilitating, painful disease known as endometriosis
More than 176 million women worldwide suffer with endometriosis, a condition causing agonizing pelvic pain which affects every aspect of a woman’s life. While there is currently no cure for endometriosis, patients can take action to reduce their symptoms and improve their overall wellbeing by following a comprehensive wellness plan.

Written by an experienced author who has lived with endometriosis for years, Living with Endometriosis includes expert advice drawn from doctors and researchers tackling this debilitative disease, along with tips for recognizing symptoms and getting the most effective help possible.

Living with Endometriosis includes:
• Up-to-date information on the latest hormonal and surgical treatment options
• Information for a broad, full-body approach to wellness
• Guidance on becoming an active advocate for your personal care
• Valuable medical and community resources for endometriosis sufferers


Learning to live with the chronic pain of endometriosis can seem overwhelming. Don’t let endometriosis defeat you; make the choice to seek out the best possible care that works for your needs and take your life back from endometriosis!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781578267477
Publisher:	Hatherleigh Press
Publication date:	05/01/2018
Series:	Living with , #16
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	144
File size:	886 KB

About the Author

Samantha Bowick has a Master of Public Health degree from Liberty University. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Care Administration at Columbia Southern University. She is devoted to using her education and experiences to advocate for women who suffer with endometriosis. She currently lives in Aiken, South Carolina.

Ken Sinervo, MD, MSc, FRCSC, ACGE is known around the world as a pioneering, compassionate endometriosis surgeon and one of the foremost care providers in the field. A noted author and speaker, he has many publications and presentations to his credit, and remains an active, contributing member of many professional medical societies. The Medical Director of the Center for Endometriosis Care and an Advanced Gynecologic Minimally Invasive Fellowship Preceptor, Dr. Sinervo also devotes countless hours to the training and education of tomorrow's surgeons. He has won countless awards for his dedicated service, and is known as a physician who always goes above and beyond for those in his care.

Read an Excerpt

I am not telling my story so that people will feel sorry for me; I want them to understand, as best as they can, just how much pain we go through on a daily basis and how much our lives change because of endometriosis.

Let me start off by saying that you are not alone and that you will get through this. Over the years, I have done an extensive amount of research on pelvic pain and endometriosis (one of the many benefits of having a smartphone while sitting in waiting rooms) to better educate myself. I knew when I first started having pain there was something wrong; my body would not be hurting if everything was fine, right? It is not normal to be in pain at all, whether it be pelvic pain or any other type of pain. If you are in pain, it is time to get help.

Any woman can have endometriosis. A woman may have the disease and her sister may also have it, but not show any symptoms; it depends on the person. There are even celebrities who struggle with endometriosis. But you’d never know to look at them; those of us with endometriosis are forced to be the strongest women we can be, doing as much as possible to hide how much pain we are really in. Having been through so much physical pain, we can handle anything that comes our way! But because we do not want people to pity or feel sorry for us, we instead put on a happy face and smile through the pain. Perhaps you feel that if you were to talk about it with someone,they would brush it off, saying it is all in your head. I have had quite a few doctors tell me just that, and it is extremely upsetting every time it happens.

But I just kept pushing, seeking the answers I so desperately needed. And now, I am so thankful I had the willpower to do that.

Nobody wants to talk about female problems, but not talking about them does nothing to help anyone—and that is where I draw the line. I am going to share every aspect of my journey—the good, the bad, and the ugly—in the hopes that it will help you live a healthier life sooner, rather than later. Hopefully, my story will inspire you to seek the help that you need to live the healthy, pain-free life you so deserve. Remember: it is not your fault you are in pain; it is not anyone’s fault. While it may be hard to find a doctor out there who really cares and who knows what they are talking about, just keep fighting, because they are out there.

WHAT IS ENDOMETRIOSIS?

The endometrium is the lining of the uterus that sheds every month during what’s known as your period. Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (the endometrial stroma and glands, which should only be located inside the uterus) is found elsewhere in the body1. Places this disease can be found include (but are not limited to): colon, rectum, appendix, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. Some women may have endometriosis on many organs in their body, but may not experience any pain, while others may have a small amount of disease, but excruciating pain.

If a woman has endometriosis, when it is “that time of the month” the endometriosis tissue that is on the other organs—for example, the ovaries—will also bleed just as the normal tissue does. This causes inflammation, which causes pain. It is not known why this happens, or why it is more painful in some women than in others, but it is known that estrogen causes the endometriosis to continue growing.

Some of the symptoms of endometriosis include pelvic pain, painful periods (cramping), infertility, and pain during sexual intercourse. Sometimes, other conditions can be confused with endometriosis; for me, my misdiagnosis was irritable bowel syndrome. This type of misdiagnosis means it takes the patient longer to be properly diagnosed with endometriosis and receive treatment.

While reading, keep in mind that everyone is different, so what works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. By no means do I claim to be a doctor. I have been through the agonizing pain of endometriosis for many years and have experienced the treatments available for endometriosis, which is what I look to write about here.

I missed out on so many fun things because of this disease. I am now twenty-seven years old, and most people my age are out partying, taking trips, or enjoying college. But I could not do any of the things I enjoyed because I knew I would be in constant pain. I have felt like a lot of people do not see me as a person after they hear about my diagnosis. Instead, they see me as my diagnosis: endometriosis.

This book presents my experiences with endometriosis in the order that they took place in my life. I hope by writing all of this, I can help more women understand this disease, and perhaps help doctors to understand how their patients suffering with this awful disease really feel.

—Excerpt from the Introduction by Samantha Bowick

Table of Contents

An Open Letter to Endometriosis
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1: My Story
Chapter 2: Endometriosis Explained
Chapter 3: Surgical Treatment Options
Chapter 4: Non-Surgical Treatment Options
Chapter 5: Alternative Medicine Options
Chapter 6: How to Find the Right Doctor
Chapter 7: Lifestyle Changes
Chapter 8: Related Illnesses
Chapter 9: How Endometriosis Affects Those Around Us
Chapter 10: Awareness
Conclusion
More From the Author
Appendix A: What to Bring to a Doctor’s Appointment
Appendix B: What to Ask Your Doctor
Resources and Relevant Research
About the Author

Editorial Reviews

"...an integrative guide for anyone who has or cares for someone with this painful and enigmatic disease. Both a memoir and educational review, Samantha has given a voice - and hope - to others by sharing her journey in a brave, straightforward way. The valuable insight, resources, coping strategies and personal triumphs found herein will empower others to take charge of their health, connect to better care and support, and to live well - in spite of endometriosis."
—Heather C. Guidone, Surgical Program Director, Center for Endometriosis Care

"Many women living with endometriosis will relate to Samantha’s experience as described eloquently in her book: having their pain and symptoms dismissed and misdiagnosed, seeing multiple doctors, and enduring many failed treatments. However, Samantha’s book also offers hope for women who are suffering, in its descriptions of all the current medical and alternative treatments for endometriosis, and in her own personal story of what has worked for her. Samantha’s honest descriptions of her experiences with endometriosis are especially valuable since frank discussions of endometriosis often involve subjects that are still taboo in our society. Samantha encourages women to speak up about their disease and not suffer in silence, to research their options, and to take charge of their health."
—Philippa Bridge-Cook, Ph.D., Executive Director of The Endometriosis Network Canada

"Endometriosis affects an estimated 176 million individuals globally at significant personal and societal costs. Yet despite its vast prevalence, the disease remains underappreciated. Diagnostic delays continue, substandard care is constant, and misinformation surrounding endometriosis abounds. Living with Endometriosis is a book of validation, hope and encouragement: by sharing her personal journey, sound advice and disease education, author Samantha Bowick empowers others to seek out optimal care through early intervention, accurate diagnosis and proper treatments, enabling them to live well in spite of endometriosis."
—Michelle E. Marvel, Founder & Executive Director, Endometriosis Research Center

From the Publisher