Endometriosis pain management and the ‘Spoon Theory’

WHEN I think of endometriosis, the first word that comes to mind is pain. In the weeks before, we learned about the symptoms and a lot of them are pain related. This week’s article is about ways we can manage pain at home before we go to the ER. I will also explain what the “spoon theory” as it is a great way to manage pain.

Firstly, I will enlighten you on the “spoon theory”. This has helped me so much. Basically the spoon theory works like this: a person experiencing pain or with chronic pain has a select number of spoons (remember this is theoretical). These spoons represent all the things you do like chores, errands and activities, for example, going to work, cooking, or even cleaning. Each time you do an activity, you lose a spoon or more.

For me, because I have such severe endometriosis, my spoons run out very quickly. If I have 5 spoons to use in a day, I have to use them very wisely. When I get up, I have to bath, that takes up a spoon. Yes, you may be wondering if bathing is painful? It is, if you are in serious pain.

After bathing I have to dress up, that’s another spoon gone. After that I have to get something to eat, that’s another spoon gone. So that’s how it goes. Basically what I’m saying is that you need to manage your day as wisely as you can, every activity you do may actually be straining you. Pace yourself and don’t sweat the small stuff. Don’t give yourself too many things to do when you are in pain and use your spoons on only the really important stuff. The reality is that when you are in pain you cannot do what other women are doing and that is okay. Use your spoons and be kind to your body. I’ve learned to do this even if people call me lazy but it’s about you. Now let’s talk about ways of alleviating pain. 1. Painkillers (discuss this with your doctor) 2. Visiting a pain management clinic 3. Using a hot water bottle 4. Stick on heat patches 5. Using a TENS machine. A tens machine is machine used for pain relief. It creates electrical currents produced by the device to stimulate the nerves for therapeutic purposes.

6. Make a rice pack: Get a sock, fill it with rice then secure the top, creating a seal. You can even add some essential oils to make it smell good. Put this in the microwave and heat for about a minute. Put this where you are feeling the pain. I have been doing this for some months now and it really does alleviate pain.

7. Try acupuncture. I have tried this as well and it has helped me with nerve pain 8. Make a castor oil pack: get a piece of flannel or cloth, enough to cover your abdomen. Saturate the cloth in oil. Lie down and place the cloth on your abdomen. Cover the flannel on your abdomen with cling wrap. That’s your castor oil pack! You can further lie down and put your hot water bottle on top. You can even move around with the pack inside your clothes. This has helped me countless times. Do not, however, do this when you are on your period. 9. Changing your diet (as we talked about last week) 10. Drinking ginger and turmeric tea (reduces inflammation): grate 1 thumb of ginger. Add ginger to boiling water. Strain. Add ½ tsp of turmeric powder. Add lemon to taste. 11. Manage stress levels. Stress increase pain. 12. Exercise : this doesn’t work for everyone so if it’s not helping and making you worse, please stop. 13. Naturopathic care 14. Do yoga 15. Steaming: boil water and put it in a bucket. When the temperature is okay to sit on, sit on the bucket and allow the steam to travel up your vagina. This will relax the pelvic muscles and can reduce pain. Pain is a horrible thing, trust me I know. I hope these methods will help.

Until next week, be safe and remember, I am here for you. You can contact me on +263778026402. MY mother was strict and tolerated no nonsense from us. I knew that I always had to do right or face the consequences. The house had to be clean at all times, and everyone, from a certain age, had to do their own laundry. We had to dress decently and nobody was allowed to go out at night. We were taught to respect our elders and she always reminded us to respect the community we lived in.

Her word was law and no matter how ridiculous you thought her instructions were, you were not allowed to talk back or even question her decisions. I on the other hand, was a rebel, a subtle, underhand one for I was too much of a coward to dare contradict her to her face, but a rebel all the same.

I learnt to make sure my laundry was done, even if I had to secretly pay someone to do it. I found ways to dress decently without being too old-fashioned. I learnt to be responsible and to always deliver what was required of me, but with maturity, my rebellion died down.

As I grow older, I find myself trying to emulate her in many aspects of my life. I always laugh at myself whenever I tell my kids not to dare talk back at me or when I tell my younger sisters I’m not going anywhere with them dressed like that! Looking back, I regret how we treated my mother as a monster for trying to entrench in us true African values and principles.

My mother was an excellent English teacher and she helped many people to pass the subject at O-level. She would buy us novels as presents and we all were members of the local library. I remember going through the entire ‘‘Nancy Drew” series and I am sure I read all of Enid Blyton’s novels.

In retrospect though, I do not remember her ever speaking to us in English at home. The only time she addressed us in English was when she was teaching us the subject for school. We were therefore, a purely Ndebele-speaking family.

My father on the other hand, was a Ndebele teacher and at some point the national chief examiner for the subject. He bombarded us with Ndebele novels and folktales so there was no escaping the language, and by default, the Ndebele culture. The English language for me, has therefore always been strictly for academic purposes and for entertainment or leisure through