adenomyosis
Episode 169–My Conversation with Bindi Shah
Episode 106–The Rest of the story
Hello everyone! Welcome back to Childless not by Choice, where my mission is to recognize and speak to childless not by choice women and men around the world. Civilla Morgan here. I am spreading the great news that we can live a joyful, relevant, and fulfilled life, although we did not have the children we so wanted. I would also like to thank everyone who recognizes that we are not all living the same type of life.
Welcome to episode 106!
- Patreon Contributors: I would also like to thank my Patreon contributor Ivy Calhoun for her monthly financial contribution to the platform. Whether you contribute via patreon.com/childlessnotbychoice, or you go to the website and contribute via PayPal, your contributions are appreciated and used to help the platform get the word out. Thank you!
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- Ivy Calhoun
- Your Name Here
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Or
Visit the website at http://www.childlessnotbychoice.net, look to the left on the home screen and click on the link below the telephone to leave me an up to 90-second voicemail.
- We are going to one episode per month starting in March.
- I am working a day job now.
- Honoring my parents.
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Well, thank you for listening to this episode of Childless not by Choice! Until next time! Bye!
‘To recognize and speak to the broken hearts of childless not by choice women, and men, around the world.’
‘Spreading the great news that we can live a joyful, relevant, and fulfilled life’.
Episode 106–The Rest of the story
Hello everyone! Welcome back to Childless not by Choice, where my mission is to recognize and speak to childless not by choice women and men around the world. Civilla Morgan here. I am spreading the great news that we can live a joyful, relevant, and fulfilled life, although we did not have the children we so wanted. I would also like to thank everyone who recognizes that we are not all living the same type of life.
Welcome to episode 106!
- Patreon Contributors: I would also like to thank my Patreon contributor Ivy Calhoun for her monthly financial contribution to the platform. Whether you contribute via patreon.com/childlessnotbychoice, or you go to the website and contribute via PayPal, your contributions are appreciated and used to help the platform get the word out. Thank you!
https://www.patreon.com/Childlessnotbychoice
- Ivy Calhoun
- Your Name Here
Questions or comments? Contact me at:
Email: Info@civillamorgan.com
Or
Visit the website at http://www.childlessnotbychoice.net, look to the left on the home screen and click on the link below the telephone to leave me an up to 90-second voicemail.
- We are going to one episode per month starting in March.
- I am working a day job now.
- Honoring my parents.
- The Podcast will continue on!
- If this podcast, this platform, has helped or encouraged you; make a contribution toward helping create awareness and conversation.
- Your patronage, Paypal contributions, and product purchases help the podcast.
- Thank you for tuning and staying plugged in with us!
My contact information:
Website: http://www.childlessnotbychoice.net and http://www.civillamorgan.com
Facebook: booksbycivillamorgan
Twitter: @civilla1
Instagram: @joyandrelevance
Pinterest: Civilla M. Morgan, MSM
LinkedIn: Civilla Morgan, MSM
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/childless-not-by-choice
If you would like to become a one time or ongoing sponsor, or if you would like to advertise your business or an upcoming event, contact me at info@civillamorgan.com for details.
Remember, subscription to the podcast is free. Simply go to Apple Podcast, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, Overcast, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Search for Childless not by Choice, and hit the subscribe button. It’s that easy!
Well, thank you for listening to this episode of Childless not by Choice! Until next time! Bye!
‘To recognize and speak to the broken hearts of childless not by choice women, and men, around the world.’
‘Spreading the great news that we can live a joyful, relevant, and fulfilled life’.
Looking Back, Looking Forward
Looking Back: The first year of my childless not by choice journey
My husband and I sat in the waiting room of the fertility doctor’s office waiting to get the results of the extensive testing we had endured just a few weeks before. Every single test was still fresh in my mind and I had still not recuperated from the trauma of the rounds of bloodwork and the multiple ultrasounds I had done in the weeks leading up to this day. It should not have been a surprise that we would get bad news that morning, but I still held on to hope.
We were called into the doctor’s office. For the next 45 minutes, he explained to us all the health factors that were most likely contributing to us not being able to conceive naturally. I was a complicated case. As he talked, I found myself holding back the tears and with each new medical condition he brought up, I felt my heart breaking just a little more. Endometriosis, Adenomyosis and a blocked tube meant that his only recommendation was IVF. By now, I was crumbling, and I could tell by the look of concern on the doctor’s face that my pain was starting to show. The nurse gave us a packet of paperwork and told us to go home and think about it and call back if and when we were ready to get the IVF process started. I felt all my hope leave me that morning.
That was a year ago. I did go home to process it and pray about it… but I never called back. I decided instead to face this journey of childlessness. In the first year of my journey, I’ve learned some valuable lessons that are worth reflecting on and sharing with other women who may be walking their own path of childlessness.
Give yourself the time you need
Two days after our doctor’s visit, I made the huge mistake of hosting a barbecue for a group of our closest friends – four of them, couples who had just recently had babies. For a few hours that afternoon, my house became a nursery full of crying babies and nursing moms. I was in total denial at that point. As soon as the company left, I crashed physically and emotionally and it took me days to get myself back together. What I had not yet learned that day was that I was starting my grieving process and that I needed to give myself time to acknowledge my loss. This is crucial but incredibly difficult. As women, we tend to want to quickly move on to the solution or to the part where we are “better”. Sometimes we want the world to think that we are fine in spite of our wounds and we put on a mask of “all is good”, when it is clearly not. It is okay to not be okay all the time. And it is certainly okay to give yourself the time and permission you need to deal with your pain. For me, that meant spending time by myself, journaling, reading, crying, meditating, listening to music, etc. Healing requires that you devote time to yourself and make yourself a priority. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Hold on to your decisions 
Before the infertility roller coaster, my husband and I made the decision that IVF was beyond our limits. We were convinced that IVF was too invasive and I was unwilling to subject my body to the strong medications and the high level of stress that come with it.
So when IVF was suddenly the ONLY option, many well-meaning people assumed that we would be going down that path. No one seemed to understand our choice to refuse IVF as an option for us. Few have been able to accept that childlessness can be an option too. I learned that even in the middle of chaos, you must make the choices that are right for you, even if those choices are not understood or accepted by others. It has been a big relief to know that although I’m still childless, I have stood by my values and made the decisions that are right for me. Childlessness is tough enough and you do not have to let your choices be swayed by the opinions of others.
Make peace with your body
In the months following my diagnosis, I felt like a complete failure. Being made aware of all the many things that were “wrong” with my body, left me feeling like damaged goods. I started believing that my body had betrayed me by not functioning properly and doing the one thing that it was supposed to do naturally. It wasn’t until recently that I started realizing that my body has been housing me for 38 whole years! For the length of my life so far, it has awakened every morning. It has seen, tasted, touched, moved, breathed…. My body is a miracle. It is far from perfect, but it is still a temple. So I’ve started to practice mindfulness and gratitude for it. Infertility makes it so easy to get hung up on the parts of us that are “not working” that we fail to see all the many wonderful parts that are. Being present and grateful for what is working in your life (and your body) is what helps to get us through the tough times.
Be kind
It is true what they say that everyone on this planet is dealing with their own type of battle. We may see other people’s lives and think they have it so much better, but we never know what they are facing. It is important to treat others with kindness and respect, even while in the middle of our own storms. It is just as important to extend that same kindness and love to Ourselves.
My first year was not easy, but even through the many ups and downs, I’ve noticed myself growing as a person. I believe that a positive and kind attitude is what determines whether we thrive or wither through this childless journey. I have hope that life can and will be much better.
Episode 85–Adenomyosis in April
Hello everyone! Welcome back to Childless not by Choice, where my mission is to recognize and speak to the broken hearts of childless not by choice women, and men, around the world. Civilla Morgan here! I am spreading the great news that we can live a joyful, relevant, and fulfilled life, although we could not, did not, have the children we so wanted.
‘To recognize and speak to the broken hearts of childless not by choice women, and men, around the world.’
Spreading the great news that we can live a joyful, relevant, and fulfilled life’.
- Patreon Contributors: (Patreon contributors are those who have taken an interest in my platform whether they fit the childless not by choice demographic or not. They have decided to contribute a certain dollar amount on a regular basis to help fund my dream of creating awareness and conversation for the childless not by choice community globally. Click the Patreon link for details and to become a Patron!)
https://www.patreon.com/21stcenturyhannah
- Jordan Morgan
I had never heard of Adenomyosis until just a month or so before this recording. I was searching around for what infertility issues were highlighted in particular months throughout the year, when I happened upon Adenomyosis, and that it was highlighted in April. After reaching out to an Adenomyosis website, and never hearing back, I back burnered my research. After all, I had never heard any of the women in the Facebook group mention it.
But then, I had the opportunity to speak to one of the women in our Facebook group Childless not by Choice with Civilla Morgan Facebook group, and she said that was her issue! Go figure! She asked that I look into doing an episode, so here we are!
The next thing I wanted to know after figuring out just what Adenomyosis is, was how is it similar or different from Endometriosis. Because at first glance, they seem very similar. In fact, I did an episode on Endometriosis a while back. Here is a link to that episode.
http://childlessnotbychoice.net/episode-59-endometriosis/
So, what is Adenomyosis? Well, according to our friendly neighborhood Google, ‘Adenomyosis (ad-uh-no-my-O-sis) occurs when endometrial tissue, which normally lines the uterus, exists within and grows into the muscular wall of the uterus. The displaced endometrial tissue continues to act as it normally would — thickening, breaking down and bleeding — during each menstrual cycle.’
But before we continue, I would like to ask our guest, Sandra, to talk to us about her experience with Adenomyosis.
Hi Sandra, welcome to the show!
- When did you find out you had Adenomyosis?
- What did the doctors suggest you do?
- You have a global audience right now, what would you tell other women who suffer with Adenomyosis to do as far as coping, interacting with the medical community, and with their family and friends, even foods that you avoid?
- Is there anything else you would like to add before we wrap up this portion of the episode?
Thank you so much for your time today!
I so appreciate Sandra coming on and telling us in her words and experience, more about this disease. As I continued my research, I found this website, dr.seckin.com, on that website, they explained that, quote:
‘Adenomyosis is endometriosis strictly in the uterus. It causes the endometrial tissue of the uterus endometrial cavity to grow into the uterus muscle-damaging the uterine wall. It is similar to endometriosis, except with endometriosis the tissue grows outside of the uterus. Endometriosis and adenomyosis are both metaplasia conditions, meaning that the diseased cells will change into the organs in which they invade. In the case of adenomyosis, this causes abnormal uterus cell growth. Due to the similarities, but subtle differences between adenomyosis and endometriosis, adenomyosis is often referred to as the “sister” disease of endometriosis.’
So in a nutshell, endometriosis affects the outside of the uterus, and adenomyosis affects the inside of the uterus. Just when you think things can’t get worse, there is just a different way for childlessness to infiltrate itself.
To complicate things even further, apparently, with exceptions, of course, endometriosis tends to cause infertility, meaning you will probably not have children. And in Adenomyosis, you may still be able to have children before Adenomyosis sets in your later years. Go figure. So, once again, according to drseckin.com, a younger woman can get Adenomyosis and end up never having children…why? Because if she has Adenomyosis, she probably has Endometriosis. Wow!
Interesting Statistics from drseckin.com:
- About 40% to 50% of patients with adenomyosis are likely to have endometriosis.
- 50% of patients with adenomyosis will also have cases of fibroids.
- 1 in 5 patients diagnosed with endometriosis after the age of 30 will have adenomyosis or be at risk for the disease.
- Patients with adenomyosis will often also present with anemia, which is a condition where the body has a deficiency of blood cells or hemoglobin and in turn will result in a pallor and weak appearance.
- Adenomyosis is a major cause for hysterectomy.
Symptoms:
Symptoms can range from heavy periods, to difficult bowel movements, to no symptoms at all. See the drseckin.com site for the full list of symptoms.
And of course, talk to your OB/GYN about the options that suit you. Everyone is different, so what may have worked for your friend or even your sister, may not work for you. And while we are on that subject, I know I sound like a broken record, but have questions when you go to see your doctor. If you feel you need to, based on what he or she suggests, get a second opinion.
In the show notes, I added a link for webmd.com because there seemed to be a video embedded I would guess, more information about Adenomyosis. I was not able to get it to play. Hopefully, you will be able to.
I also went to healthline.com because I have used them for research in the past. But after several websites, the information is generally the same. I just want you to see the research links that I used.
‘Much like Fibroid tumors, Adenomyosis produces physical, emotional and psychological challenges that can significantly affect a woman’s lifestyle. As symptoms progress, many patients begin to feel “trapped” without a way to escape this disease.’–
http://www.alternativesurgery.com/education/adenomyosis/
Now keep in mind, my podcast episodes are not suggestions for treatment. I am simply researching issues and diseases that affect our childless not by choice community, to bring awareness. You should still see a doctor of your choice and come to decisions with your doctor as to best treatments for yourself.
Having said that, I have put the link to alternativesurgery.com in the notes below under ‘links used for research.’ Also, there is a video on that website under the Adenomyosis section, that is just over a minute long.
As I said, I had no idea this disease state existed before this month, the time of this recording. I truly learned quite a bit in conducting my research. If this is something you have been diagnosed with, or you are now wondering if this is what is actually the diagnosis, I hope you can talk to your medical professional with less trepidation after listening to this episode.
Thank you for listening. And please check out the show notes for each episode, and for my contact information. If you would like to leave me a message in 90 seconds or less, visit the website, http://www.childlessnotbychoice.net, look to your left, and click the link below our old timey telephone!
We have more great episodes coming up, so stay tuned!
Links used in my research:
https://www.drseckin.com/adenomyosis
https://www.webmd.com/women/guide/adenomyosis-symptoms-causes-treatments#1
https://www.healthline.com/health/adenomyosis
http://www.alternativesurgery.com/education/adenomyosis/
Articles of note:
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30343129
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5605513/Men-getting-shut-fertility-discussions-warns-leading-gynaecologist.html
https://slate.com/human-interest/2018/03/childless-women-are-not-necessarily-workaholics.html
My contact information:
Website: http://www.childlessnotbychoice.net and http://www.civillamorgan.com
Facebook: booksbycivillamorgan
Twitter: @civilla1
Instagram: @joyandrelevance
Pinterest: Civilla M. Morgan, MSM
LinkedIn: Civilla Morgan, MSM
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Thank you for listening to this episode of Childless not by Choice. I appreciate it!
Until next time! Bye!
