"I've had to explain [Adenomyosis] so often and in an "elevator pitch" way so that people don't just discount it as, "Oh, mystery illness." It's like, No, this is a uterine condition. It causes these things. This we know. And if you've never heard of it before, now you did. So we can stop saying, "Well, we're not going to research it because no one's ever heard of it." Well, guess what? That's what I'm doing. I'm talking about it."

" — Emily, 5 Days Until Uterus Eviction Day

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In This Episode:

• It's the last ovulation before Uterus Eviction Day! There will still be ovulation afterwards, if my ovaries are kept, but hopefully not as much pain as I'm currently feeling!

• Official (not at all) term for my procedure: Hysterectomy, hold the eggs?

• There's a possibility of Endometriosis being found (spoiler below!)

• Once again I am asking, How did I get used to ALL THIS PAIN, ALL THE TIME?!

• Is it weird I get sympathy fatigue? Like, I just want to exist and be in pain without others feeling uncomfortable for me. Yes, I know I'm wincing. It's fine. Just keep talking, I'm listening.

• There's some real and honest sex talk in this episode: How orgasms (or Vitamin O) sometimes help my cramps, and how I'm not looking forward to going without (penetrative) sex for 8 weeks during recovery (but I get it) (how many parentheses can I fit into these show notes and episode?).

• I had a friend tell me that once you turn 40, you stop giving a F*ck. I turned 40 this year and I can say for certainty "The Change" has begun, in that sense.

• I may look stressed when brainstorming, but I love it. Give me a yellow notepad and I am stoked!

• To prioritize my tasks, I like using the Eisenhower Method — categorizing what's Urgent/Important; Urgent/Not Important; Not Urgent/Important; and Not Urgent/Not Important.

• I've had to push the deadline of my book back multiple times because of my Adenomyosis, and the guilt and frustration are apparent. I used to use writing and researching as a distraction from the pain and something I could do in bed with the heating pad, but I've found it harder and harder to concentrate as the pain's gotten worse. (There are other factors at play, but the Adeno definitely doesn't help.)

• Thinking of Adenomyosis and my daily "budget" of time, energy, motivation, and spoons, and making a connection between the "Snowball" debt-paydown method and what the hysterectomy means for me in terms of that budget!

• Two podcasts I reference in this podcast: Journey to Launch and Wellness While Walking. Check 'em out!

• I'm holding on to the idea that our bodies are designed to heal. That's helping me when it comes to thinking about recovery soon.

• My future in the podcasting space comes up a bit in this episode, and it's something I'm actually struggling with during the series. At one point, I considered this to be the last podcast I wanted to ever work on. We shall see.

Note from Future-Emily:

Yup, Endo was found. And even though most of my pain is gone, there's still some remaining, either leftover from surgery (I'm about 9 weeks out as I write this) or it's the Endometriosis they were unable to see or extract. But! The vast majority of the pain and discomfort is GONE! :-)

Additional Links and Resources:

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• Adenomyosis - Symptoms — Mayo Clinic

• Adenomyosis - Diagnosis + Treatment — Mayo Clinic

• Adenomyosis: A Significantly Neglected and Misunderstood Disorder - Book by Maria Yeager

• Adenomyosis Advice Association Facebook Group — Facebook

• Helpful Reddit r/hysterectomy Post To Read If You Have Pre-Op Anxiety — MamaO2D4

• HysterSisters — Hysterectomy Support & Stories

• Tara Brach's Podcast and Radical Acceptance Book

• Adenomyosis at hysterectomy: prevalence, patient characteristics, clinical profile and histopathological finding — PubMed

• Adenomyosis: An update regarding its diagnosis and clinical features — PubMed

Disclaimer: This podcast is based on personal experience and should not be taken as medical advice. Resources are provided for you to look into further and talk with your medical support team about.

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