In 2009, I moved to the DC area and began experiencing excruciating abdominal pain a few months after starting a new job. After multiple emergency room visits and doctor appointments, I still had no answers for the source of my pain. The next two years were filled with tests and specialists poking and prodding me. I had no diagnosis for this pain that lasted for days at a time, but we found a host of other issues that needed prescriptions. I have always hated taking pills and preferred to sleep it off if I could, but I had to give in just to make it through some days. I knew staying on medication was not the ideal long-term approach I wanted, so my first real diet changes started here. I cut back on processed foods, minimized my meat intake to mainly chicken and fish, and added more raw vegetables to my diet.  By summer 2012, I felt much better and experienced pain rarely. The next two years passed, and I thought very little about what caused my pain and what made it disappear. I was healed!

Or so I thought until it happened – I started feeling sharp pains in my stomach that were worse than before. They forced me to stand while working because sitting hurt too much. I would find myself hunched over on a counter or desperately reaching for something to hold when a shocking pain would hit me. This nagging pain constantly ruined my days when it would run down into my hip. I could not understand what was happening in my body. Neither could my doctors. It really confused us when the pain sporadically jumped to the left side of my body. After ultrasounds, CT scans, an endoscopy, a Hida scan, and a host of tests, I still did not have an answer. But by the power of science, we discovered that I had anemia, gastritis, esophagitis, a hiatal hernia, an overactive gallbladder, and neutrophilia. None caused my abdominal pain though, and the medications to treat them were causing side effects.

I am incredibly grateful for the flexibility I had to telework so I didn’t have to suffer during my commute and the entire day. But that was not always an option. I used over 200 hours of sick leave because I could not push through the pain some days.  Netflix and sleeping were great in the beginning, but I grew tired of living on the couch and lying in bed. I wanted to be productive, so these became research days. I knew the meds only masked the pain, and I was determined to discover the root cause. I started researching alternative approaches and decided to pay attention to my body. I noticed each month that the pain got worse at the start of my cycle or that certain foods could trigger it. I began tracking my food and found a correlation to animal products. I slowly cut out those products and became a “weekday vegetarian,” which meant no meat during the week and chicken or seafood on the weekends. What often happened is that I went 3 or 4 weeks without eating any meat. I never thought I could be a vegetarian, but I was slowly becoming one unintentionally. I tried giving up cheese, but I loved it too much and struggled greatly trying to find things to eat without meat and cheese. So I decided I would not eat it as often.

Then something interesting happened. I traveled to another state, and I could eat meat and cheese without being in as much pain. As soon as I returned to DC, the pain returned when I tried to eat the same things. I ate mainly fruits, veggies, and whole grains again to feel better. Then I traveled somewhere else, and the same series of events happened – little to no pain while gone and then resurfacing immediately upon my return. Then I went overseas and ate chicken, indulged on different cheeses, and drank way too much wine. I felt pain for 30 minutes twice in two weeks. I returned home and found myself in pain once again. Now I believed it had to be more than just the food. Stress seemed to make my pain occur or intensify. So I decided to test my theory by taking a break from work and going home to Florida because sunshine and warm weather make everything better of course.  I noticed that work caused some stress, but diet was a bigger factor in my pain. Upon my return to DC, I committed to eating a plant-based diet and finding ways to alleviate my stress.

I had a strong suspicion that dairy was at the heart of my problems. Completely eliminating dairy yielded big results for me. I decided to refocus my research efforts to abdominal and pelvic pain associated with dairy, which presented new leads. So after my previous gynecologist had ruled out my anticipated diagnosis, I felt a second (and third and fourth) opinion was required. They requested more tests, but I finally got the closest to a diagnosis than I had ever been. The next three opinions from different doctors in different offices were for the same diagnosis – endometriosis. Yes, I finally had a name! While happy to know what to search, I was disheartened by the information available to help determine the best treatment as I read about terrible experiences and suggested cures, ranging from having a baby to surgery.  I am so grateful for the women who shared their struggles. I identified with the frustration after being unable to do more than make it from the bed to the bathroom in a day. I felt relief that the pain was not all in my head as some people and doctors even said.

But I was disappointed that every option seemed to not address the root cause. Endometriosis can spread or return. Excision surgery, for which I was scheduled at one point, seems to be the best method for removal with the lowest recurrence rate. I was told I should take birth control pills after surgery to help it not grow. I did not see this as the best long-term solution for me, especially since I got different answers saying extended use was not required or that I would need it until I wanted a baby. I vividly remember one doctor asking why I was so adamant about not taking the pills. Besides my history of migraines with aura that prevented me from taking most types of pills, I had encountered too many horror stories about taking even the progesterone only pills recommended. I researched and researched and researched. I canceled my surgery, never filled the birth control prescription, and decided to take a holistic approach.

I saw that some women found relief with diet changes, stress management, and acupuncture. I spent weeks reading study results about different approaches to dealing with endometriosis. I was happy to see that there were positive results for approaches other than surgery and pills, but I acknowledged that surgery would be the only way to confirm if I actually had endometriosis. I continued my plant-based diet and confirmed that most animal products contributed to my pain. Based on some articles and personal stories, I decided to eliminate soy as much as possible. I think avoiding soy was the hardest part because it is in so many things, but the extra effort I put into managing my food has been worth it. Over the years, I learned about estrogen dominance and noticed a connection to my previous migraines, sensitivity to soy, and significant hormonal changes at the start of my cycle. In addition, I conquered my fears and decided to try acupuncture. At my first appointment, I had 6 needles in my stomach and 2 in each foot. After getting used to the initial pinch, I was incredibly relaxed and have been hooked since then. While I am not well versed in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), I researched TCM and issues related to the reproductive system and found that acupuncture assists with stagnation of the blood. While I am unsure of exactly how these changes affected my body, I was amazed as I started to feel better. I spent fewer days in bed in pain. I found that the random shooting pains in my abdomen disappeared. While I was not intentionally trying to lose weight, I enjoyed the additional benefit of dropping almost 10 pounds in the first month as well. Neither my primary doctor nor I could explain why I felt better, but we were just happy that I was. I saw six months of improvement and took sick days far less frequently.

I wish I could say I never had pain again and lived happily ever after, but that is not my reality. While having less pain is awesome and I am grateful for fewer days just lying helplessly in bed, I still have pain and struggle with making it through the day sometimes. I received test results showing cysts, and I have experienced more pain in other places with unknown causes. But I did get other opinions that suggested it was not endometriosis after all, and I did not have surgery. I offer this information because I want you to know that I have not solved all my problems. I cannot tell you how to change your life with guaranteed results. I initially chose to focus on my food and discovered along the way that my products needed to change as did my daily habits. I was encouraged to keep pushing by friends and family who were excited that I was feeling better.

Beyond my personal motivation to feel better, I have an incredibly supportive spouse who took care of me on the bad days and adopted the lifestyle changes with me. My healing started with my desire to get better. It has transformed into something greater. I want to tell those surrounding me with love that I not only feel better but also that I am a better person. Because without them, I would not be sharing my journey and helping people around me make changes that positively affect their lives.

My goal is to assist you with making lifestyle choices that will benefit you. Figuring this out on your own can be challenging, and sometimes just having someone to provide guidance can make a difference. I understand this may be overwhelming and want to help you make conscious choices that will lead to your personal optimal me state.