Pelvic Floor PT: Not Just Kegels

February 21, 2019 by Staci Wolfson in Endo + Chronic Illness

The first time I heard of pelvic floor physical therapy, my best friend told me her doctor recommended she try it several months after delivering her first child vaginally. Unsurprisingly, a lot of women experience changes postpartum ranging from uncomfortable sex to peeing a little when they laugh.

Of course, after her first appointment, I was morbidly curious and wanted to know all the details of what pelvic PT entailed.

My curiosity is not uncommon. Later when I was talking about my endo experience on Instagram, literally EVERYONE wanted to hear about pelvic floor PT. Although it makes perfect sense that any set of muscles might require some maintenance after a trauma of sorts, and the pelvic muscles are no exception, no one seems to talk about pelvic floor PT, so no one knows much about what goes on with it.

Endo is a Full-Time Job

January 11, 2019 by Staci Wolfson in Endo + Chronic Illness

When I was raising money for the Endometriosis Foundation of America during my training for the NYC Marathon, I started to get paranoid.

It’s never fun to ask people for money, even though it wasn’t going to go in my bank account. I started to wonder if my training for the marathon made it seem like having endo was no big deal. For people who don’t know me or another endo sister that well, they might not know what it means to have endo, because like many chronic illnesses, it is invisible.

In other words, if I broke my ankle and was walking around on crutches, any random stranger would be able to see that I was (literally) hobbled by an injury. But if I’m having killer cramps, or it feels like my ovary and fallopian tube is being tied into a knot, you can’t tell that by looking at me (unless you know my “I’m in pain” face intimately).

This blog is in a large part about making endo more “visible” for people who aren’t as well acquainted with it. In that vein, today I am writing about all the things I started doing in the last couple years (aside from surgery and painkillers) to try to manage my endo symptoms, preempt the pain, and reduce it when I do have a flareup.

The Key to Pain-Free Periods

September 28, 2018 by Staci Wolfson in Endo + Chronic Illness

Roughly around this time last year, I found a lump in my neck.

It was right around the Jewish holidays, and I was going to synagogue with my parents the next day. On the way to shul, I pointed it out to my mom, a nurse, and said, “Tell me I don’t have to call the doctor about this.”

In June I had undergone a second abdominal surgery for endometriosis. The recovery was slow and painful. The tests, doctors’ appointments, and prep in the weeks leading up to it were mentally and emotionally draining. The battle with my insurance company to get some sort of reimbursement was soul-crushing.

I couldn’t face more medical travails. But of course, after feeling the lump, my mom responded with the answer I didn’t want to hear, “You have to call the doctor for that.”

The Not-So Endo My Story

April 13, 2018 by Staci Wolfson in Endo + Chronic Illness

When we last left our heroine (::ahem:: me), she was somewhat arrogantly thinking she had nothing left to write about endometriosis.

Scars, Sweat, + Tears

March 21, 2018 by Staci Wolfson in Fitness + Wellness

Aspiring Under Armour model ::hair flip::

Every Thanksgiving, I'm grateful for my legs.

I realize that sounds weird, especially since, if you know me, you know I'm not the "gratitude journal" type of girl. Don't get me wrong, I see the value in being conscious of the great things you have in life and not taking them for granted. Hashtag blessed just isn't really my thing.