So Here's The Skinny: My Fight with Endometriosis

A lot of people have been asking me what diet I followed after losing weight this year. A couple of things are important to know before I let you know what I did. I am not going to lie to you about different methods that effects my results. My "diet" was based on a lot of different factors relating to my body and my activity level. You can skip down to My Diet section, but it would mean a lot to me to read my story before. To understand my diet, you need to understand my story. 

My Story

My Endo story begins on Feb 23, 2012. In the middle of my spanish class one morning I reached down to get my book out of my bag and felt a searing pain run across my stomach and up into my abdomen. The pain burned and felt like someone was stabbing me. I found it hard to take a breath and I began to sweat immensely. I ran to the restroom and soon became dizzy. I left the bathroom and somehow made my way across campus to my dorm room where I stripped off all my clothes that where covered in sweat. I lived in an apartment style dorm where I had a personal bathroom so I laid in the floor of the bathroom and prayed the pain would pass, though it did not. My roommate finally told me she was taking me to the hospital. It looked as though I had just stepped out of the shower and I was white as a ghost. When we arrived at the hospital I was told to sit and wait so I could have a blood test. When they took me back for the blood test the nurse asked me my age I replied that I was 20. Thats when her attitude suddenly seemed to change. She asked me repeatedly if I could be pregnant. I kept replying no, but she glanced down at my belly (which was bloated from recent wait gain) and asked again. I was mortified. She even made me take a pregnancy test. After the test showed I wasn't pregnant I was sent out to the waiting room for 6 hours with a plastic bucket in case I got sick. When it was finally my turn to see the doctor they sent me for a CT scan. Nothing. They saw nothing. I was shocked. 

"Look again, please."

"Ms. Burdick there is nothing there, there is nothing wrong with you."

"Look again."

"Go home."

For six months I watched as I lost my body. I gained weight like crazy. I began having acne all over my face that where the size of half dollars. Every month I would have these painful spasms that left me on the floor of the bathroom for hours. I would miss days of classes do to not being able to get out of bed. I lost touch with everyone. I never left my room and I never left my bed. 

In December my doctor told me that she thought I could be suffering from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome cause by being overweight. I was told to lose weight or keep suffering. I was put on a medicine known as Metformin. This medicine would enabled my body the ability to break down foods like normal. This medicine would help my body in the ability to lose weight. Along with the medicine I had to change my eating habits dramatically. After 4 months I had lost about 10 pounds on the medicine. Along with the weight loss though I began experiencing increasingly horrible pains in my stomach and back and constant violent nausea from everything I ate. 

I couldn't take it anymore and I sought a specialist. After an ultrasound, blood test, 4 MRI's, and a physical test showed my body had a large 6cm mass in my pelvis that needed to be removed before it twisted and caused my blood supply to be cut off to my organs. On June 14th at 7:00 am I went in for a laproscopic surgery to identify and remove the mass. When I woke up, everything changed.

I was diagnosed with severe Endometriosis. 

(Endometriosis (en-doe-me-tree-O-sis) is an often painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus — the endometrium — grows outside your uterus. It causes large masses to form in the body as well as the ability to adhere organs to one another. This condition causes extreme pain only aided with multiple surgeries. It also is known as the "Working Woman" disease due to the fact it most commonly causes infertility.)

It has no cure.

My endo was so severe it had reached my appendix causing it to become infected and inflamed. The doctors told me it had open sores and adhesions covering the entire thing, so they performed an emergency appendectomy. The endo was covering my pelvis walls and bowls and I would need begin treatment soon. I have yet to begin my treatment, but I rejoice in the reality I finally have an answer. It was devastating that I had this disease, but I had a new power that changed my attitute towards my suffering. This was the cause of my pain and violent sickness. This was the reason it hurt to work out, walk, laugh, drive. This was the reason I became a shadow of my high school self. I wasn't crazy. There WAS something there. All of the things I suffered from came to light along with the realization that I could fight this. My doctors explained this would be a difficult fight. Treatment comes in the form of a drug called Lupron. Lupron will cause my body to go into medical menopause for 6 months so I stop producing the estrogen that feeds my endometriosis. The internet informed me I will suffer insufferable hot flashes, severe mood swings, dark depression, neurological problems, dramatic weight gain, bone density loss and the loss of all will to have human contact. Others say with the help of Add Back Therapy I'll probably sweat a little more at night, and maybe have the occasional  "grumpy day"

I guess we will have to find out.

God has given me the gift of leaving all of my reproduction organs (ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes) untouched by the endometriosis. This gives me the gift of still being able to have children one day. A gift most women with Endometriosis do not receive. My doctors where even baffled at the pattern of my endo. 

So. I say, bring it. 

Endometriosis took my life and my body, and now I want it back. 

My Diet

Summer of Sophomore Year in College I weighed 165 pounds at 5'7. I was textbook "obese" as my doctor informed me. 

Somehow without even realizing it I became "heavy", "chubby", "curvy", or what others informed me as "fat". The truth was I was tired of trying to walk to class and being out of breathe and sweaty by the time I got there. I was tired of having to "adjust" every time I sat on my boyfriends lap because I was to heavy. The extreme pains and depressions I was feeling doctors believed was due to my body. It was time for a change. This change would not come naturally because of my medical condition. To much estrogen in the system causes it to be nearly impossible to lose weight by just exercising. I tried for years and years only ever losing about 5 pounds and then gaining back 10 lbs a month later. It was horrible cycle that caused me to gain about 30 pounds since I had graduated high school. I was physically tired, emotionally drained, and I felt embarrassed. I had lost the person I was, as if this new person had eaten her. I was active in high school, playing sports and attending school functions. I had a close group of friends and dated an amazing guy from the football team. I was happy and vibrant and pain free. Now I couldn't fit into any of my clothes. I was bloated all the time. I was in pain all the time. I was tired and food was my comfort. I ate CONSTANTLY. Since it hurt to much to go work out losing weight wasn't an option along with my 3 one dollar tacos from Taco Bell. Junior year I hit my peak at 167 pounds.  I has also begun to get cystic acne nodules that covered my face leaving open sores on my cheeks and chin. My parents sent me to the doctor for answers.

Around this time I was put on the Metformin I mentioned earlier. This medicine did SQUAT. I maybe lost 10 pounds on it, but the truth was with being nauseas all the time after I ate (due to my appendix being infected) I don't really feel I can give it credit for doing anything. SO I decided to take matters into my own hands. I asked my doctor about creating a nutrition plan that would help me lose weight as well has help my pains I was having. I didn't want to follow a pre existing diet because I had tried before and always failed. She told me to start making my grocery list based off the "approved" foods listed on http://www.diabetes.org/

or the diabetes association. It would have foods that would avoid carbs, sugar, and sodium. It would replace carbs with protein. List: Chicken, eggs, veggies, fruit, fish, fish, fish, more veggies. 

It sucked.

In the beginning (first 3 months) I spent a lot of time cranky from not being able to eat what everyone else did. I was hungry. I was mad. I was tired. I wanted a cheeseburger. I cheated. I wanted to give up, and I did, a couple times. I knew that I had to lose weight. I knew I needed to do this for me. So I started again. This time I didn't give up. I set my calories at 1200 for the day and I tracked it down to the calorie until I learned portion sizes and my body would become full at that portion. This took months. It was annoying, but I would over eat unless I knew. 

I also worked out for an hour. I would run and do weights. The first couple of months it sucked, but it soon became easier. I had to learn to do the exercises correct with correct form to really benefit. By the end of school I lost about 25 pounds. 

When I got home the pain became so great I could no longer work out, so I adjusted my eating and continued on. 

My doctor informed my that though expensive organic foods would benefit me the most. I switched things like cheese and milk for their organic alternatives due to the hormones that regular had. 

I cooked everything I ate. I even packed lunches if I was going places. I got cookbooks, I would Pinterest recipes (be careful with this, really study the ingredients). I would also make my own stuff. 

I eliminated salt & sugar as much as possible. I would not add any nor would I buy products that had it in it, "sodium free" or "Sugar free". Instead I would use things like Truvia. I LOVE Truvia. 

I would fix my plate, then go sit and eat. If I already had my portions set on my plate. I would feel more full than sitting on the couch with the whole box or bag. 

I had cheat days every Saturday (2 months),  then every other Saturday( 2 months), then finally every first Saturday of the month. It made it easier not to quite. It also gave me something to look forward to.

I made sure I had support from family and friends, but I had to learn to be able to sit next to them while they ate pizza and I had fish and veggies. This is when the real work comes in. 

I had NO fast food. (Not even Chickfila) 

Mrs. Dash seasoning (Salt Free)  is a life saver. 

I only did chicken, turkey and fish. On sandwiches or by themselves. 

Healthy food is expensive. I was blessed to be able to buy the foods I needed to eat well. This was a huge part. It will be expensive.

Beware of white bread. Whole grain, flatbread, pita are your friend. 

Mayo - bad, Ketchup and Mustard - Good. 

NO SODAS OR SWEET TEA... ICE drinks are carbonated mineral water. If you are having a hard time without carbonated drinks. They are delicious (strawberry lemonade is my favorite). 

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things:

I learned to love my healthy food and I learned to live without the junk food. I still have days I crave things, but I have can have treats that don't compromise my progress like Adonia Greek Frozen Yogurt, or sugar free chocolate pudding. The truth is.. it's hard, it's expensive, it's not fun, you will sometimes be hungry, but in the end it is more worth it than anything you even ate. 

My best advice would be to make your own "diet" follow the foods listed on the Diabetes Association website and set your calories to your activity level. Don't starve yourself, but changing your portion sizes will leave you hungry in the beginning. 

Don't become obsessive, calorie counting can take over your life. Let it go. 

Cheat sometimes. 

Do the research and ask your doctor. Foods you think are okay can sometimes be not the best for your body. (Due to my endo I have to be careful with milk and dairy and red meat due to hormones) 

For women reading this who have Endometriosis. I know the feeling of being in to much pain to work out or even be physical. You CAN do this just by eating better. I didn't have to spend hours at the gym to lose the weight. 

Do this for you.