Getting healthy

[Laurab82]

Six weeks ago I had a lap I was diagnosed with endo. I had a cervical erosion cauterised and mirena coil inserted. I'm getting better each day but still very tired and can't walk far. I'm gaining weight and it's really getting me down health wise and emotionally. I have a gym membership and have always struggled diet wise I will lose a little and then I struggle after that. Can anyone please give me tips and advice on exercises I can start off with and any diets that have worked for them. Thankyou xxx

[MariBiscuits]

Yoga is a nice gentle exercise you can do (there are even specific exercises for pelvic pain), plus you can do it at home using YouTube videos if you need to... and build it up to faster/more intense yoga as you improve.

Diet wise, some people find making diet changes or eliminating certain foods helps, and you often see 'endo diets' mentioned online, however they tend to be a bit inconsistent, and what works for one person might not work for another, so if you are considering cutting out any foods, I'd suggest eliminating one thing at a time and seeing how you do. Everyone is different though. Some women with endometriosis are overweight, but many weigh less than average, some have bowel symptoms that seem to be impacted by diet, and others don't... so it's an individual thing, and you sometimes have to experiment a bit to see what works for you. Eating good food (such as fresh fruit and veg) and avoiding too much junk is always a good idea though, and could help you feel a lot better as you recover from the surgery.

If you are interested in the diet side of things, google endometriosis diet, and you will get lots of results (there is also a nutrition related endo group on fb that should come up if you search on there), but as I said they can vary, so I'd suggest reading through a few to get a good general picture... and maybe be wary of sites that make unlikely claims or insist you will definitely be able to cure yourself entirely with diet. Eating healthier can definitely help though, and diet changes can help with some symptoms (for example if someone has bowel symptoms eliminating certain foods might help them).

You mentioned you had a a cervical erosion cauterised and mirena coil inserted during your surgery, but do you know if they also excised (cut out and removed) the endometriosis? Hopefully they did, and your symptoms will continue to improve (as it can take a while to heal up after surgery and for the mirena to settle down), but if your symptoms continue I'd suggest confirming the disease was excised... as any remaining endometriosis could continue to cause pain and symptoms.

[Laurab82 in reply to MariBiscuits]

I had helium beam treatment xx

[MariBiscuits in reply to Laurab82]

This is veering off the original diet/exercise question, I believe the helium beam both coagulates (burns) endometriosis rather than vaporizing or excising it (hopefully some other members will be able to confirm this and add their thoughts/input). Excision is generally considered to be the best option, especially for deep disease, but many surgeons do use helium beam or diathermy, which unfortunately can be less effective.

Don't panic though, while the success rates for excision are higher, and it's definitely recommended for deep disease, you are still healing, so hopefully in your case this surgery will give you long term relief. I just wanted you to be aware just in case your symptoms continue, so you know there are other options you can look into if needed.

If your symptoms do continue, I'd suggest finding out if there is a BSGE listed endometrioisis centre in your area, and finding a surgeon who will excise the disease and give you the best chance of long term relief.

Anyway, I hope my comment hasn't worried you unduly. As I said, while excision is thought by many to be the best possible option, you are still healing and hopefully things will continue to improve.