While several companies are working to develop one, there is no single blood test that can definitively diagnose endometriosis yet. It takes a long time to determine if a test has the reliability “so that no patients with actual endometriosis
We get a lot of questions about what to expect before and after surgery. On our Resources page, we have added a section on Preparing for Surgery- Pre and Post-Operative. In the Before Surgery section, you’ll find links to topics
Both migraines and endometriosis affect a high percentage of the population. Endometriosis affects about 10-15% of the population, while migraines affect >12% of the population (Parasar, Ozcan, & Terry, 2017; Yeh, Blizzard, & Taylor, 2018). So is any association between
While many individuals have bowel/gastrointestinal symptoms with endometriosis (like diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and pain with defecation), most will not have endometriosis directly on the bowel itself. (See more on bowel endometriosis here). For those that do, there are different approaches
Is there a genetic component to endometriosis? According to various studies, there is. (You can find links to several of these studies, including the ones below, in Origin Theories of Endometriosis.) This past week someone asked if there is an
When looking at endometriosis, it is important to know what it looks like, where it is found, and how it functions. This can affect treatment by knowing how medications may or may not affect it and how surgeons can effectively
How do you create an action plan for your endometriosis? Where do you start? Start by understanding your disease and knowing your options. This website was created to help you navigate learning about endometriosis. In Endometriosis Action Plan, we show
How to use this website This website is designed to help you navigate learning all you can about the latest research on endometriosis, so that you can make informed decisions about your care. It takes some time, but it is
Parenting with endometriosis can be difficult, and you are not alone in your struggles. In “Parenting with Endometriosis“, Nancy Petersen discusses findings from an informal survey on the difficulties others have experienced trying to be a parent with endometriosis. She
Are you looking to get outside, socially distance, AND support endometriosis awareness? Several organizations have set up Virtual 5K’s that can be done anywhere! Here are two that are coming up: August 29, 2020, Anytime, Any Place: Feeling separated from
Endometriosis has been found in some strange places. One of the places it is very rarely found is the heart. We recently added to “Weird places endometriosis has been found” two surgical videos of endometriosis being removed from around the
UK Resources
Inflammation with Endometriosis
Teens and Endometriosis
Welcome to Nancy’s Nook! This is an endometriosis learning library. It contains information collected and shared over many years. We have now compiled these resources and present them for you as a living library of information that will continue to
By Nancy Petersen, RN retired, March 2016, Reviewed 2020 When do you stop pursuing care with the local GYN and think about finding greater expertise? I know about financial constraints, but I see folks all of the time having 3-4-6-7
By Nancy Petersen, RN, retired April 15, 2016 Updated 2020 ENDOMETRIOSIS: minimal disease can’t get no respect. We have seen recently a move to discount minimal disease as not requiring surgical intervention. Rather the story goes, its minimal, use some
The move back to mental health issues and central sensitization issues is dangerous. It gives inadequately trained surgeons tools to abuse patients who still have active disease. Most of the time, the patients we refer on have been dismissed as
Podcasts: “The growth of a patient movement around endometriosis and what physicians may be missing, with Nancy Petersen”: https://www.mdedge.com/podcasts/gynecologic-surgeons-unscrubbed/growth-patient-movement-around-endometriosis-and-what “Endometriosis: The role of imaging, the strength of a multidisciplinary team, and educating patients as well as physicians, with Nancy Petersen”: