Welcome!
You are not alone.
I hope you find hope and many friends here!
Please show respect for
my Christian faith 
.
This site is not a substitute for Dr. visits.
NO soliciting please.
Lori
|
Support for endometriosis sufferers
Welcome! |
|
| Return to Website | ||
 First |
 Prev |
 Reply |
 Home |
Next  |
Last  |
| Viewing Page 1 of 1 (Total Posts: 5) |
| Author | Comment |
Allie
 Apr 23, 08 - 7:32 PM |
Athletes and endometriosis
Hi, My name is allie and i was diagnosed w/ endometriosis in September 08. I quickly got a laporascopy and am now on bc. I was wondering if anyone knows anything about athletes and endometriosis. I am 20 years old and i am a dedicated soccer player at my university. Unfortunatley, endometriosis has quickly crushed my dreams of SUCCESSFULLY playing a Division one level. I can not make it through a game with out having bad burning pains throughout my whole stomach. My doctors told me it was because of adhesions and the endometriosis pulling on my organs or what not. But i got a surgery and it still hurts for quite a bit when i play and the only alternative we really see is to go back in or just quit playing. I have played soccer my whole life and have worked extremelly hard to get where i am right now. I do not want to quit because of endometriosis but it is not fun for me anymore. Endometriosis pain makes me look like i am not even half the player i really am. I do not want to embaress myself in front of coaches, players, fans and especially myself anymore. If anyone knows anything about endometriosis in athletes please let me know. Thank you, Allie |
|
BookShe
Apr 24th, 2008 - 1:45 PM |
Re: Athletes and endometriosis
Hi Allie, I haven't read anything in terms of endo being different in athletes. I can tell you about what I experienced. I had adenomyosis (endo in the muscle wall of the uterus), external endo, and a lot of adhesions. I had one laser lap to ablate the endo, which made it, and the adhesions, a lot worse. Then, I went to the Center for Endo Care in Atlanta and had a 2nd lap in which excision removal of the endo was performed. At that time the doctor told me of the suspected adeno. The symptoms are basically if the uterus is enlarged, soft, and boggy. I ended up having a hysterectomy a few months later, at which time I had many adhesions that were attaching my bowels to my uterus. They all had to be lysed before the uterus could even be removed. That all being said, I am not an athletic person, but I experienced what you are describing when I did exercising like running, and working out. Definitely pain, a burning, and pulling, and a sensation of feeling bloated. I don't know if it was from the endo, adhesions, or the adeno of the uterus, but I can tell you that since my surgeries at the CEC, I have been pain-free. The problem with adhesions is that you need someone very skilled at the surgery, so that they aren't made worse, but even at that, nothing can stop them from coming back. I am not sure what the current best anti-adhesion barriers are right now, but back when I had my surgery a few years ago, there weren't many good ones. I think there was an experimental spray gel that was only being used in Germany. It hadn't been approved by the FDA yet. I don't know what the current status is. Have you seen the CEC's website? They have a lot of good information. I would highly recommend them. www.centerforendo.com Hope that helps, Sheila |
|
becky
Apr 24th, 2008 - 4:04 PM |
Re: Athletes and endometriosis
Hello Allie, I'm so sorry your endo is affecting your soccor, that is really sucky. I know how you feel, a little. I'm a dancer and at first I stopped dancing because the endo was so bad. However I finally got so mad that I had stopped that I went back to it. Now even when I'm feeling bad I still usually go to my dance class. It gives me a feeling of empowerment, that I didn't let endo stop me. The same goes for going hiking. My boyfriend and I love the outdoors and do a ton of hiking. Sometimes he'll ask if I want to go and I hesitate thinking about my cramps but then I'll say yeah! I know if it get's really bad I can rest and go home but at least I didn't let the endo stop me. Anyways that's how I've dealt with it, but I'm not on a professional team or anything. I think you should listen to your body and get enough rest and maybe take a break for a little while or maybe decide to "fight it". Good luck! Becky |
|
Steph
Apr 24th, 2008 - 4:53 PM |
Re: Athletes and endometriosis
Hey Allie, I know how you feel. I was very athletic up until about 21 when my painful, heavy periods came back and even when I wasn't in pain the fatigue sapped all my energy until it was all I could do to shower and make it to class. I'm with BookShe. I had a lap about a year ago (once I finally quite being stubborn and saw a doctor) where they lasered out everything and I think all it did was make things worse. Thankfully through changing my diet, seeing a chiropracter, learning stress management (stress=anxiety=pain=more stress, etc.), and introducing light exercises (walking, stretching...it is so hard to not be able to do do what I used to!) has helped to get my pain and fatigue where I can function day to day. However, if I push myself above my limit (even when I'm feeling "up" to it), I pay for it the next. God has definitely taught me about humility and patience! I don't keep up with sports I'm not actively participating in, so I don't know if there are any professionals out there with endo. But that doesn't mean that you can't be the first! However, I would recommend not pushing your body too far as that can make things much worse. You'll know when you've hit that point. If you find out anything let us know. God bless, Steph |
|
Becky
Apr 26th, 2008 - 10:02 PM |
Re: Athletes and endometriosis
Hey Allie, I just found this article about a famous tennis player that has endometriosis. I thought you might be interested. Becky http://www.christianitytoday.com/cl/8c6/8c6046.html When Dreams Slip Away Tennis pro Mary Joe Fernandez was close to reaching the top when things fell apart. by Mark Moring -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- She had been chasing The Dream for most of her life. And on one Sunday afternoon several years ago in Paris, it was well within her grasp. So close, she felt she could reach out and touch it. But then, just as suddenly, The Dream vanished. Actually, it had turned, as dreams sometimes do, into The Nightmare. "It was," says Mary Joe Fernandez, "the hardest thing I've ever dealt with." "I Was Really Scared" Mary Joe had put up with the cramps in her side for a long time, almost since the time she started playing pro tennis at age 14. The cramps had been a nuisance, but they hadn't kept Mary Joe from becoming one of the best players on the planet. She has been ranked in the Top Ten most of her career, peaking at No. 4 in the world in 1990 and '91. In the spring of '93, when she was 21, Mary Joe was playing the best tennis of her life, and fast closing in on The Dream … of winning a Grand Slam championship. The Grand Slam of tennis includes four tournaments: The Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open. Every tennis player dreams of winning at least one of those titles. Mary Joe had come close twice, losing in the finals of the Australian in '90 and '92. The Dream was definitely within reach. And then came the '93 French Open final in Paris, where Mary Joe played Steffi Graf, then the world's top player. Mary Joe won the first set, but Steffi came back to win the match. Mary Joe was disappointed, but that was only the beginning. The painful cramps were getting much worse. "I didn't know what was going on," she says now. "All I knew is that I had a lot of pain in my pelvic area. And I was really scared." A few months later, she was in the hospital, facing surgery. Doctors diagnosed Mary Joe with endometriosis, a painful gynecological condition that affects one of every six women in the U.S. The surgery was a success, and Mary Joe was put on medication. She was able to return to tennis within a few months. "Fortunately," she says, "it turned out to be something that's treatable, and now I can manage the pain very well." But she has never been the same since. Yes, she's won two Olympic gold medals in doubles, prizes she'll always cherish. But The Dream of winning a Grand Slam continues to slip away. "I don't know that I'll ever win a Grand Slam," says Mary Joe. "The French Open in '93 might have been my last opportunity." She pauses, thinking about what might have been. "I had been playing really well," Mary Joe says. "I was about to make a big breakthrough. I was ready to challenge for No. 1 in the world. And then, boom, the endometriosis. "I didn't know if I'd ever be able to play again. I thought I was going to lose everything I'd worked for. It really shook me up. I prayed a lot, and my family prayed a lot." "Why DO I Believe?" Prayer and family have always been two of the most important things in Mary Joe's life. "I grew up in a very faithful home and a great environment," says Mary Joe, who still lives at home with her family in Miami. "We went to church every Sunday. My parents taught me morals and values, and passed their faith down to me. "But when I was about 19, a friend started asking me lots of questions about Christianity, like, 'Why do you believe what you believe?' I started thinking, Why DO I believe these things? I realized I believed them because my parents believed them. "That's when it hit me that I needed to make the faith my own. Even though I had been around it all my life, I had to make a personal commitment. So I started reading my Bible a lot, starting with the Gospel of John. I had never read the Bible much before then, but as I read, it really started hitting me: This is my faith. It's all right here in the Bible." That faith has helped Mary Joe weather the storms—and nightmares—of her career. Like endometriosis. And nagging injuries and illnesses—including a bout with pneumonia—that have slowed her down at one time or another. "I really think I would have lost it by now if it weren't for my faith," she says. "But God has used those tough times to make me stronger, to help me grow spiritually." During those times, Mary Joe often recites Psalm 27:1, her favorite Bible verse: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" Says Mary Joe, "I've learned I can't do anything on my own, but I can do anything through Christ who strengthens me." Still Chasing Dreams Even though she hasn't reached The Dream of winning a Grand Slam, Mary Joe hasn't given up. "I think I still have a few more good years of tennis left," says the 26-year-old. "I've still got some dreams and goals I want to pursue. What's the worst that can happen? I might fall short, but I'll do my best." That, says Mary Joe, is the key. "It's not important whether or not you reach your dreams," she says. "What is important is that you trust in God, try your hardest, and do your best. That's the best way to chase your dreams." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1998 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine. For reprint information call 630-260-6200 or e-mail clmag@CampusLife.net May/June 1998. Vol. 56, No. 9, Page 46 |
| First |
Prev |
Reply |
Home |
Next |
Last |
bravenet.com|
Today's Verse |