Sunday 3 February 2013

So I went out today still made me feel rough and tired but was better than Friday. But I've found that there is some foods you can buy from supermarkets. Now I went to a Tesco Extra and I know there may have been more there than in most so sorry if this doesn't help. I got a different type of non-wheat bread which I might try later so I will let you know how i get on with it. But to my surprise I found some pre-cooked meals. I found them in the Gluten free range which I will point out was less than a row in Tesco which is disgusting considering the amount of people that can't eat this stuff. But I did find two pre-done meals that follow the Endo diet one is a Chicken Casserole and the other is a Vegetable curry. Don't get me wrong I'm going to be making most my meals from scratch but lets not be unrealistic I am a working girl and at some point I'm going to get lazy and I'm going to want to come  in and put something in the oven. So I'm really hoping they are nice, I don't expect amazing but nice would be good.

So that was the practical things I bought but then I had a bit of fun and found Gluten Free Diary Free Chocolate buttons, again I know Chocolate isn't part of the Endo diet but a girls got to live, and to by surprise they aren't bad. You can tell after a couple that they aren't quite right but they will do for the occasional slip. Then there was the Wheat free Gluten free Diary free double chocolate cakes. I'm telling you about these things as this was my big worry that I wouldn't find any nice things to eat but I have so I'm a little more chilled. I also found some great drinks that are meant to help and aren't bad for the diet.

Then I came home and started cooking. So I've cooked from scratch a Thai Red Curry Sauce and a Tomato Sauce both smell fab and taste even better, there is allot to be said for fresh ingredients. I'm going to take some picture once they have cooled down and I'll post them.

Can't actually wait to start eating more of this stuff I think my diet and general health is going to be so much better.

Day 4

Ok it's Day 4.

So I did the hardest thing in the world yesterday (little extreme I know). But it was. I bagged up all my old jars of sauces, pasta and yes it went too a girls best friend Chocolate.  I took them down to my local food bank so I didn't waste them. But it has made it all the more real that it is soo hard to eat on this diet and I can see why people don't manage to do it. But after my soul killing experience I have done it and I ate Endo friendly meals yesterday. I had fruit for breakfast (that's getting old fast but I'm gonna address that later), tomato soup for lunch and Chicken and Spicy Chips for dinner, all of this was homemade I will add. To be honest it wasn't terrible it was a very time consuming process but the food wasn't terrible I seasoned the Chicken and chips and soup so it was very tasty. I didn't like rye bread and that means I'm going to struggle for a loaf but I'm going to do some research and  I just wish I could go to Sainsburys and buy jars or meals. But i have an existing idea about that which I will share soon.

So my day today it going to be preparing some foods for the week ahead. I'm going to make my Thai Red curry tonight and cauliflower soup for lunch but I'm going to make enough for two servings and see how it goes. My aim is going to be to cook on a Sunday all the sauces etc that I will need for the following week so I can come home from work and get on with cooking the meal. So wish me luck and I'll tell you how they taste later today. If you fancy trying any of the meals I do just let me know and I will email you over the recipe.

Signing off for now.

Friday 1 February 2013

So day two. Went out for an hour shopping today and anyone who tells you you will be back to normal a couple of days after an op clearly hasn't had one. Basically I felt like crap. I'll be fine but back to house rest.  Anyway day two and whilst the book I'm using for support and meal idea says treat yourself after week ten of being on the Endo diet (or as I call it the End Of fun diet) I decided to do it on day two. So I've had my nails and eyebrows done. Gotta say this is the first time I've actually felt like it in a long time. That's probably because I'm not in as much pain. But anyway it has cheered me up and even if I can't do much yet I can at least feel a little better by getting dressed and looking normal like myself again. It also helps that I have a friend that does nails and beauty treatments so I didn't have to go to a salon and if I didn't feel great and needed to stop I could. But for anyone else in the Warrington area she is ace and makes you feel really at home and well worth booking in with. Her facebook page is Confidence Beauty Permanent Make Up. So I'm waiting for my jars to come tomorrow and all my Endo friendly food is being delivered tonight from Ocado. I've got to say I'm actually looking forward to it and I'm going to throw myself into this. You will also all be please to note that I have been good today, I had fruit this morning, Chicken Salad this afternoon and Chicken Stir Fry tonight. I know there is allot of Chicken in that diet but I do actually like Chicken and its the best meat for an Endo diet and I'm sorry and whilst I'm very much committed to the Diet I just can't stop eating some things yet. I will also fess up I am still drinking tea with milk. It is Decaf and I have also started drinking green and cranberry tea so I'm having less but I am having it. I will do my best to stop but think that one is going to take me a while. So I'm signing off for today and I will let you know how my cooking experience goes tomorrow.  

Thursday 31 January 2013

The Begining

Ok well here it goes.

I've just come out of hospital after surgery for removal of a 4cm cyst and Endometriosis and I'm a little shell shocked to say the least.

All the symptoms have probably been there for well over two years but like an idiot (and I expect most women at 25) I ignored them for about a year. However it all came to a head about six months ago when I started bleeding. Yes this is going to be a blog where I hold nothing back. It was horrible and wasn't like a period. It was what I can only explain as clotting blood. I got scared because it went on for about three weeks. I then went to the Doctors and was told I probably had an infection. They took swabs and sent me away with antibiotics. As the weeks carried on and the course finished it wasn't any better. The bleeding then changed to a white slimy discharge and I was in discomfort (more than normal). It then became an unbearable pain in my groin. Now as I said I have been very silly and  night, and it was excruciating completely knocks me off my feet. I'm hutched over and nothing seems to help other than time and the lack of movement. By the way it this seems familiar then please go to a Doctor before you let it get as bad as it has for me.  

Anyway I was referred to the hospital where they fund a 2cm cyst on my left ovary. I was then referred to my local Gyno department at the hospital. By the way this isn't a quick process either, my scan was end of September, Gyno appointment was end October and between them I had had two episodes of crippling pain. So I went to my Gyno appointment and saw a consultant who advised me that she thought I had Endometriosis. Now as I said I'm 25 I had never heard of this before nor did I have a clue what it was or meant. It was then briefly explained to me what Endometriosis was and how it forms. I was told I needed a Laproscopy to remove the cyst and burn away the Endometriosis. It was briefly mentioned that it can cause infertility but she didn't expect that to be a problem due to my age. So I went away and again like most people I opended the laptop and read everything I could about this condition. To my horror I found out that they is no cure for Endometriosis (despite what people may claim). So I read how dietary changes can help and I started implementing the easy ones like Decaf products and I waited for the letter confirming the date of my operation.

Well it came and I had my operation on Sunday just gone. The cyst had grown to 4cm but they were still able to remove it by keyhole but contra to what they originally believed the Endometriosis was severe. So now it's gone from a quick op to try and remove the Endometriosis, to me dealing with this disease that may make or have made me infertile.

So this is the beginning of my fight against Endometriosis. The first part is change my diet. Easier said than done but I'm gong to try. I've made a list of meals that I am going to try and make and I've bought some jars to start making my own sauces. Order a whole lost of ingredients that are Endo diet friendly and now its time to start trying them. Wish me look and I will update daily with the meal how I made it and how my general experience is going.

I've started this blog as I wanted somewhere to let out what I'm feeling and also document how hard this is. I just hope that in years to come some other young girl reads this and it makes her life easier than mine is at the moment trying to find foods and knowing whats normal with this disease and whats not.