Endometriosis, Women’s Health, and Healing

Why is it that the biggest risk factor for autoimmune disease is gender?!

Did you know being a female is the biggest risk factor for an autoimmune disease, which is where the immune system attacks self. 

From the psychoneuroimmunology lens could this perhaps be correlated with the social constructs and pressure of being a woman?

Autoimmunity rates have risen dramatically in the past 50 years, and so has the social role of women. 

Ladies, Maybe you agree with me that the demands and expectations on women are nearly impossible to fulfill on our own?

Not only are we pressured to be beautiful, youthful, and fit we are also now required to make a living and take on most of the nurturing roles within the family and the responsibilities of maintaining a functioning household. This can lead into a much deeper exploration on relationships and health.

We also relate Earth with the feminine principle, and as humans we have put so much expectation on the Earth to give unconditionally.

Sure the 60’s and 70’s were exciting times when women fought for equal rights in the working arena, yet as I write this women are still paid only ¾ of what a man is paid within the same job and there are still very few female CEO and management members in the fortune 500 companies. 

Perhaps the increased rates of self attacking disease in women is because we as women are exhausted and attacking ourselves because we just can’t keep up with the rising demands. 

I am not a feminist. I am a woman who prefers to have my role as a woman to be relaxed, creative, a nurturer and keeper of the household, garden, family. I prefer to be a healer in my communities.

I spent most of my life suffering from the nasty autoimmune disease: endometriosis, adenomyosis, and uterine fibroids. It became so debilitating that I decided to have a hysterectomy. 

My Uterus was covered in fibroids, endometriosis, and a rare condition of lesions inside the lining of the uterus called adenomyosis. 

All of my education, studies and lifestyle choices were focused on figuring out how to feel better. So I became a yoga, meditation and Reiki student and teacher. I became vegetarian at age 6, vegan at age 15, and raw vegan in my 20’s where I have committed 60-100% of my vegan diet to raw foods. For many years I eat 100% raw vegan. I studied everything I could about natural healing, spirituality, and lifestyle. When living with such debilitating pain I found peace in Education, Healing, Spirituality, Religion, and the Sacred texts. 

As a healer I know the body and the mind and emotions are interconnected. I had done so much inner work I knew it was time to receive a surgery intervention for my body. I believe because of my inner work there was great peace and confidence with my decision.

It was my 40th birthday when I decided it was time to have a hysterectomy, my symptoms were increasing and my health was deteriorating with anemia, constant bleeding, weight loss, dizziness, and an incredible challenge to work teaching yoga, and participate in relationships.

Since my hysterectomy my life has completely changed. It is as if I am finally able to live! It took me a lot of time and acceptance before finding a female doctor who actually understood and lived the experience of endometriosis, and lived successfully post hysterectomy. 

I now live with no pain! I am able to plan ahead in my schedule, I am able to be in a healthy and beautiful relationship, and I am empowered in my feminine nature. 

Sometimes fear does not subside and we have to do it afraid. 

Sure I had fears of major surgery but I was convicted in my spirit this was my path to freedom. I feel no loss. I believe so much in my healing journey that I became a functional nutritional counselor to better help and support others with managing autoimmune diseases with lifestyle improvements. I also studied in graduate school Health Psychology, Psychoneuroimmunology, Epigenetics, and Stress and Coping to further explore health, mind, spirituality, and behavior. I teach now and have been sharing yoga for over 25 years professionally. This is the catalyst for my coping, peace, and self confidence. 

I am grateful to see other female health practitioners exploring more into women’s health and looking at the complexities from multiple lenses. I am grateful to not only have personal experience, but experience that has propelled my education and life’s purpose. 

Here to help,

Shannon