When you start trying to delve into everything in this world that could possibly be contributing to your infertility; you’d better be prepared to just give up and crawl into a cave. Living out the rest of your days in complete and utter solitude without any of conveniences currently enjoyed by modern man.
I suppose I’m getting ahead of myself. You have no idea why I’m suddenly afraid of the world. Last you heard, it was just gluten and dairy that had made my list.
Well… the list has expanded.
First of all, I’m not sure if you realize this, but as a past vegetarian; I used to eat a lot of soy. Like, a lot a lot. And, as most women in this world now know; soy is the devil in terms of infertility. So, there’s that.
Granted, I of course couldn’t blame myself for that one – I was only a child. I sent my dad a text message today accusing him of breaking my lady parts by allowing me to eat that crap (and in some ways encouraging it – hence my preference for miracle whip over actual mayonnaise as a result of my upbringing).
Yep. I’m mildly convinced that this is all his fault, and I told him so.
I’m sure he appreciated that.
Soy is, and has been, on that list for a long time.
After meeting with Dr. Naturopath yesterday though, the list has gotten out of control.
It was my one month follow-up, and we were meant to go over what my diet should consist of from here on out (now that I have completed the cleanse). We reviewed my supplements, and discussed which ones I need to stop taking prior to starting hormone treatments for the next round.
The next round which Dr. Naturopath suggests happen sooner than later. She feels as though I have just completed a successful cleanse and am currently eating healthy and doing everything I can do to be on top of my game. According to her, now is the best time to do this.
So, Dr. Naturopath is definitely on team November.
She did keep saying that though; that I was doing everything I could. I think she knew that I was concerned about the return of my cramps and back pain; that I was feeling a bit anxious and unsure about whether or not there was something I was missing.
I point blank asked her if she had ever seen anyone treat endo 100% naturally, and she was honest with me. She said she’s definitely seen it, but that there is a spectrum; a spectrum that revolves around how severe the case is, and how committed the patient is.
Given how severe my case is, one would assume I would need to be extra committed.
We discussed my diet from here on out, and as I expected; cheese is still a big no-no. In fact, it may be the biggest no-no. Cheese and I will not be reuniting again until I have those two lines.
And even then, it is apparently best for me to keep it fairly limited.
I did point out the fact that there are women in this world who get pregnant every day while drinking, smoking, and eating all kinds of crap (way crappier crap than cheese!) – but she reminded me; those women don’t have endometriosis.
Stupid endometriosis. I will forever blame you for the breakup of me and my cheese.
The rest is more manageable though. For the most part, she just wants me to stick to an organic whole foods diet (which I have been doing, but I just have to say – do you people have any idea how expensive or time consuming an organic whole foods diet is! Insanity I tell you!)
If you think you missed the gluten free part of that though, you didn’t!
Don’t get me wrong; she still wants me to keep my gluten intake pretty low. But, she said that she would prefer I eat an Ezekiel tortilla or slice of bread over a gluten free substitute. Whole, fresh grains over compressed and processed alternatives.
I can do that.
You see, I don’t have Celiac disease. There has never been any concern about me having Celiac disease. That just isn’t the issue here. So, complete gluten restriction isn’t exactly necessary. Gluten in high doses isn’t great for you (or for endometriosis), but she said that in moderation – as long as it was in the form of whole grains – it was OK.
I still need to keep it out of my diet most days, but just knowing that I can make a burrito if I’m craving one (or a sandwich every once in a while) warms my heart!
I also got one other little bonus - she gave me the go to have a glass of red wine on occasion. No over-consumption, and nothing on a regular basis; but she said that she saw no issues with my having a glass or two in moderation.
So, those nights when social activities come up and I’m worried about being the odd man out? I can now officially go back to enjoying a glass of wine with my friends and not being the girl on the wagon.
Score!
It is so weird to feel like I’m being granted little gifts when in reality restricting myself of any of these things a year ago would have been torturous to me, but right now – it feels like small victories.
Again though, she returned to the fact that I am already doing everything I can do. That 90% of treating endometriosis naturally revolves around diet, and I have already made those changes. I am already paying out the butt for organic foods and spending more time cooking every night than I ever have in my life. I'm already healthy in that way. I already follow the diet and choke down handfuls of supplements every day.
There isn’t much left to do.
Still, seeing my anxiety and recognizing my desire to be as committed as possible (to genuinely doing everything I can do), she went on to list some of the outside toxins that I could likely benefit from avoiding. Toxins which it turns out are everywhere. Toxins which we are all exposed to every day, but which may not be doing any of us any good.
Plastic. Any and all plastic. Plastic bags. Plastic bottles. Plastic Tupperware.
None of it is safe.
And forget about putting it in the microwave.
Water. If it comes from the tap (which - living in Alaska, is actually quite good), it isn’t safe. Turns out I need a filter.
The microwave. Bad news bears. Avoid it at all costs. Cook everything on the stove.
There was more. Lots more. But, my head started to hurt just hearing that list. I don’t even want to tell you all how often I use the microwave – still, even cooking my meals every night.
Heck, I steam my organic vegetables in those plastic Ziploc steamer bags in the microwave!
My head was spinning thinking about this new information.
I’ve done pretty OK with this whole “no dairy” thing. In fact, I’ve done far better than I ever would have expected. It's been a month, and I haven’t caved around cheese once. I’ve discovered the wonder that is coconut milk (coconut milk ice cream, yogurt, and cereal companion), and I’ve done pretty well. (No one better tell me that coconut milk has been linked to infertility. My fragile soul just can't handle that....)
But this? This new information that makes me think I’ve been doing it all wrong? That the world is simply not safe?
I’m not sure what to do with all of this.
I need a bubble. A big bubble where only certified whole organic foods can be filtered in. A bubble that will protect me from the outside world and all the dangers that are out there. A bubble that will keep my endo from spreading by keeping me from being exposed to anything. To everything.
A bubble that had most definitely better not be made of plastic.
ADSPACE
