Ep57: Endometriosis is NOT the Endometrium. Part 2

Updated 1/2023. In part 2, we talk about how endometriosis is different from the endometrium in terms of its estrogen and progesterone receptors. These directly affect the biological processes of the endometriotic tissue, causing it to act differently than the endometrium does in response to estrogen and progesterone, ultimately leading to… you guessed it! Pain…

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Ep56: Endometriosis is NOT the Endometrium. Part 1

Updated 4/2023. Endometriosis is tissue that is SIMILAR to the endometrium (uterine lining) but it is NOT the endometrium. Yet many websites, medical bodies, well-meaning advocates, and even misinformed doctors continue to get the definition of endo incorrect. Is it really such a big deal to know that endo is NOT the endometrium? Yes, because…

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Ep55: Endometriosis and Estrogen

Updated 1/2023. We talk about some of the roles that estrogen can play in endometriosis and how it can make it’s own localized estrogen. We dispel the myth of retrograde menstruation and discuss why mouse endometriosis models are problematic. We also discuss the myths that everyone with endometriosis is estrogen dominant (not true!) or that…

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Ep54: Do You Hate Your Personal “Endometriosis Diet”?

Updated 4/2023. Many of us follow some kind of specific way of eating to help reduce our pain, fatigue, or flares. This could be an anti-inflammatory diet, gluten-free, dairy-free, or another way of eating. It often involves cutting out specific foods, and it can feel restrictive, limiting, or sad that we no longer eat the…

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Ep53: You Are Not A Burden

Updated 2/2023. Many of us with chronic illness feel like a burden. We find ourselves apologizing often, feeling guilty when we ask for help, and not setting boundaries/ pushing ourselves in order to overcompensate for having endo and being a ‘burden.’ We talk about why we might feel this way, why we are NOT a…

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Ep52: How Sleep Affects Our Health and Pain Levels

Updated 2/2023. We all know that sleep is important and that we should get enough sleep, but this can be hard to put into practice, especially if we have health problems that interfere with our sleep. Today, we explore why sleep is so important. We also have another episode coming up in the future on…

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Ep51: Practicing Gratitude to Help Our Mental Health

Updated 2/2023. Gratitude has many benefits and can even change the way we feel about our lives, but it can be hard to practice when we are suffering and exhausted from our endometriosis symptoms and challenges. We talk about how powerful stories are and how books, movies, and connecting with each other can help us…

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Ep50: Medicine’s Sex and Gender Bias. Part 4

Updated 4/2023. Part 4 – But Doctor, It’s Not Psychosomatic! This is the final episode in our 4 part series on medicine’s sex and gender bias, in which we continue to focus on how this bias affects the care of people assigned female at birth. Today, we wrap up everything we spoke about in the…

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Ep49: Practicing Self-Compassion After an Endo Horror Story

Updated 2/2023. Ever had a flare that was so incredibly awful you felt like you were in an actual horror story? Amy tells us about a time when her period unexpectedly came while she was sightseeing on vacation (by herself) and her struggle to make it back to the semi-privacy of the hostel. Afterward, because…

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Ep48: Medicine’s Sex and Gender Bias. Part 3

Updated 4/2023. Part 3 – Why Is Pain Dismissed in People Assigned Female at Birth? In this episode, we explore the “gender” side of the sex and gender bias in medicine. We look at assumptions and stereotypes specifically related to people assigned female at birth and illness as held by the overall medical community. We…

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