Tuesday, May 31, 2011

On a more serious note...

I don’t normally blog about very serious topics, but it has been a year since I was diagnosed with stage 3-4 Endometriosis, and so I decided to try and create some awareness about it as before I was diagnosed, I had never even heard of Endometriosis and knowledge on this condition could help many women, as it did me. Sorry it’s a bit gory, but its necessary to understand the severity of Endometriosis.
When a woman has endometriosis, the endometrial stroma and glands (which should be located only inside the uterus) are also found outside the uterus. Endometriosis lesions can be found anywhere in the pelvic cavity, including all the reproductive organs as well as on the bladder, bowel, intestines, colon, or appendix.
The main symptom of endometriosis is pelvic pain. The pain often correlates to the menstrual cycle, but a woman with endometriosis may also experience pain that doesn’t correlate. For many women, the pain of endometriosis is so severe and debilitating that it impacts their lives in significant ways. Endometriosis can also cause scar tissue and adhesions to develop that can distort a womans internal anatomy. In advanced stages, internal organs may fuse together, causing a condition known as a "frozen pelvis."
It is estimated that 30-40% of women with endometriosis are infertile.
The cause of endometriosis remains unknown. Although several theories have been promoted, none explains all cases of endometriosis. We do know, however, that this disease process is not brought on by anything a woman does or doesn’t do.  
The symptoms of endometriosis vary greatly from woman to woman, but may include one or more of the following:
  • Pain with menstruation (more than mild cramps)
  • Painful sexual intercourse, especially with deep penetration
  • Painful urination 
  • Back pain before and during menstruation
  • Leg pain before and during menstruation
  • Abdominal swelling and bloating
  • Nausea and vomiting, especially when associated with the menstrual cycle
  • Fatigue
  • Heavy or irregular menstrual bleeding
  • Infertility
  • Shoulder pain during menstruation 
Endometriosis symptoms are often worse before and during menstruation. However, many women with endometriosis experience pain at other times also. Some women experience endometriosis pain that is not related to their menstrual cycle.

Additionally, some women with endometriosis don't have any symptoms and may not know they have endometriosis until a problem, such as infertility, is discovered. The extent of endometriosis has no correlation to the amount of pain a woman will experience.
There are a few different types of treatment for Endometriosis which include some medicines, the contraceptive Pill, or surgery. After exhausting all the treatments, I had to have surgery to remove the Endometriosis, which covered a large portion of my ovaries and bladder.
If you or someone you care about has endometriosis, it is important to research the disease as much as possible. Many myths and misconceptions about endometriosis still persist, even in medical literature. For many women, management of this disease may be a long-term process. Therefore, it is important to educate yourself, take the time to find a good doctor, and join a support group. 

When I think about what I went through, I realise how important it is to spread awareness about Endometriosis to men and women, as so many women have it and don’t do anything to fix it because they are uneducated on the disease. Although it is a scary thing, if found early enough, it can be handled correctly and have less of an impact on your life and fertility.  
If we all help spread awareness about this disease we can help save so many women from the threat of infertility and really make a difference in so many people’s lives.

Monday, May 16, 2011

As promised!

As promised, the pictures of some of mine and my sisters newest grunge rings....

Enjoy

xxx



Sunday, May 15, 2011

Im back, Baby

Im back after my long, long holiday! During these public holidays, I was blessed enough to visit Maun, Botswana again. On the way there, we had quiet a lot of trouble due to a public holiday, as well as a go-slow strike, and ended up being stuck at the border for 7 hours. Because of this we ended up having to sleep in Francis Town, and travel through to Maun the next day. We found this cute little hotel that had been opened the day before, which was great because we had a brand new room, with brand new towels and linen!

In Maun, there was a big group of us so we really had a great time. We spent a day in Moremi, a game reserve, and Vic took us on a beautiful scenic flight over the Okavango Delta. We really had a great trip and got to spend lots of quality time with Vic, which is ultimately the point of visiting Maun :)

Although I love Maun and seeing Vic, I craved blogging very much! But as soon as a got back to Johannesburg, I had so much work to do that i didnt get to blog! But im back now, and it feels so great to be back in the blogging world, so you can expect more interesting blogging to come :)

 Sarah, Me, Ilze, Lilian, and Vic
 Myself, Sarah, and Merida

 Our Pilot and my boyfriend, Vic

 Wikus, Vic, Sarah, Ilze, Merida, and Me


Fatso and Tintin with Vic
 Ilze and Wikus in a Makoro
 The queue at the Botswana boarder

The Makoro Boats

Rings and Things

Lately I have been so into big grunge, chunky rings and jewellery, but I decided not to blog about it until I felt I had enough of my own (pictures will follow of mine). In winter it’s difficult to wear accessories because you are covered in layers and coats and things, and so I start getting accessory withdrawal symptoms. To curb these cravings, this year I’m going crazy with rings! The bigger the better, and the more the merrier. I like colourless rings this winter, like silver, gold, black, and gun-metal, so that you can match them with everything and wear them every day. These are some of my favourite rings and ways to wear them.

Enjoy!!

xxx

                                                             Pamela Love Cage Ring


                                                             http://deeryme.blogspot.com/2010/09/finger-candy.html

                                                             http://maizenista.blogspot.com/2010_12_01_archive.html
 Pamela Love Cage Ring