Seeking info about resolving pain of enomitriosis

[Paloma]

Paloma - very interesting. Do you have any more info...locale of this doc...do acupunturists have different specializations or "names" attached to their field? I'd also really like to know what herbals he rx'd.

This is on the west coast.  It is at a complimentary medicine clinic and the acupuncturist specializes in reproductive medicine.  I'm sure a little search can find one in her area.  Also the herbs he proscribed her were a Chinese medicine called Shao Fu Zhu Tang. Hope this helps.

[DrBombay]

I'm not a woman, doctor, or priest but I think that this person suffering should just let the pain run it's course. Whenever I'm in pain, I always think about how Hell is infinitely worse. Pain is very spiritually beneficial.

So there's that or taking prescribed painkillers, which is physically and spiritually unhealthy in my personal opinion.

At any rate, I'll say a prayer for this lady.

There's nothing spiritually unhealthy about taking painkillers.  That's an absurd statement.

[Neo-Floriano]

I'm not a woman, doctor, or priest but I think that this person suffering should just let the pain run it's course. Whenever I'm in pain, I always think about how Hell is infinitely worse. Pain is very spiritually beneficial.

So there's that or taking prescribed painkillers, which is physically and spiritually unhealthy in my personal opinion.

At any rate, I'll say a prayer for this lady.

There's nothing spiritually unhealthy about taking painkillers.  That's an absurd statement.

It's just an personal opinion of mine. I think Pope Pius XII had something to say about it.

[verenaerin]

I'm not a woman, doctor, or priest but I think that this person suffering should just let the pain run it's course. Whenever I'm in pain, I always think about how Hell is infinitely worse. Pain is very spiritually beneficial.

So there's that or taking prescribed painkillers, which is physically and spiritually unhealthy in my personal opinion.

At any rate, I'll say a prayer for this lady.

There's nothing spiritually unhealthy about taking painkillers.  That's an absurd statement.

It's just an personal opinion of mine. I think Pope Pius XII had something to say about it.

Quote?

[Neo-Floriano]

I'm not a woman, doctor, or priest but I think that this person suffering should just let the pain run it's course. Whenever I'm in pain, I always think about how Hell is infinitely worse. Pain is very spiritually beneficial.

So there's that or taking prescribed painkillers, which is physically and spiritually unhealthy in my personal opinion.

At any rate, I'll say a prayer for this lady.

There's nothing spiritually unhealthy about taking painkillers.  That's an absurd statement.

It's just an personal opinion of mine. I think Pope Pius XII had something to say about it.

Quote?

It turns out that he only spoke about those on their deathbed. Perhaps to prevent despair?

http://www.sspx.org/against_sound_bites/religious_moral_aspects_pain_prevention.htm

[OCLittleFlower]

I'm not a woman, doctor, or priest but I think that this person suffering should just let the pain run it's course. Whenever I'm in pain, I always think about how Hell is infinitely worse. Pain is very spiritually beneficial.

So there's that or taking prescribed painkillers, which is physically and spiritually unhealthy in my personal opinion.

At any rate, I'll say a prayer for this lady.

I don't much believe in painkillers either -- and flat out refuse to take them myself -- however, one must treat an underlying condition causing the pain.  Either that or, with an ailment like endo, you are sick for the rest of your life and others must support you financially, etc, etc because you will never hold down a job or even remain in school.  If I had not saught treatment for endo, I would never have even graduated from high school, let alone been able to live anything close to a normal, functional adult life.

Pain pills, IMO are like covering a hole in your wall with a poster.  What Donna wants for her friend is for a method to fix the hole and make the wall sound once more.

[OCLittleFlower]

OC, yeah the severity makes me think not to go w/ alt. remedies but it appears the multiple surgeries aren't doing it. I saw a youtube of an endo doc advise "fast, conservative" means (he also spoke of auto-immune connection...kinda made me pause because he seemed like a very conventional MD -- anyway). I wonder if cleaning out the adhesions/etc; can sometime make things worse? Eg, using on very oily skin alcohol/harsh astringents can make the sebaceous glands "want" to produce more oil.

I've never heard that removing adhesions can make things worse, but I have heard that it's hard/impossible to get it all because they don't always grow in normal patterns.  So the long term success of the surgery is very poor, because what remains continues to grow.

[Caviezelfan]

I have an aunt who had such severe endometriosis that she had no choice but to have a full hysterectomy, which threw her into surgery-induced menopause.  She told me that the cramps and pain were so severe that she could hardly walk, and painkillers did nothing for her.  I don't think any woman should suffer this kind of pain; I have the same severity of pain, and the doctor suspects it's endometriosis.  I would not wish the pain on my worst enemy.  A woman has the right to seek some kind of medical help for this horrible condition, and there is nothing immoral nor sinful about taking painkillers to relieve the cramps.  Some women with endo do get relief from painkillers, some do not.  It doesn't hurt to try, and if the painkillers give relief, then I am all for it.  I refuse to just let the pain get out of hand to the point that I can't think, eat or even walk.  If it can be stopped, then I will stop it.

[Revixit]

I'm not a woman, doctor, or priest but I think that this person suffering should just let the pain run it's course. Whenever I'm in pain, I always think about how Hell is infinitely worse. Pain is very spiritually beneficial.

So there's that or taking prescribed painkillers, which is physically and spiritually unhealthy in my personal opinion.

At any rate, I'll say a prayer for this lady.

What kinds of pain have you personally experienced?

I would bet that you have not experienced severe pain for any length of time.

[Serva_Ancillae]

I believe the authentic Catholic thinking on the issue of analgesia is that it is altogether morally permissible and not in itself lack of resignation to God's will. Many saints teach to embrace the cross we are given but not to seek crosses for ourselves and that we ought to work to remove sufferings and trials if legitimately possible while patiently bearing the sufferings while they last.

I used to be quite against pain relief myself so I think I know where you're coming from but (certainly in my case) it stemmed from a misunderstanding of the value of crosses and the right order we need to apply in our lives. A cross is not valuable for the weight of it or the length of it; the merit of a cross comes entirely from our patient bearing of it. So one soul may receive as much merit from ten minutes of a headache embraced for love of God until the pain relief kicks in than another soul who merely puts up with twenty years of chronic, debilitating pain. That's a hard one to get our heads around but that's the reality of it.

The other aspect is achieving right order in our lives. If that soul experiencing chronic pain refused pain relief and it caused them to be unable to carry out their duties of state at times -- let's say a wife not being able to keep up with the housework when she otherwise would -- that would be a real fault and truly spiritually unhealthy. Duty of state, not long prayers or heavy penances, is our ticket to heaven. Sufferings are an aid to conquering ourselves and allow us to atone for our sins, they should never be seen as anything like an end in themselves, and as such they need to be moderately used as a means to our final end.

With those principles in mind, it is entirely right to seek relief from - not only a medical condition - but also from the pain of it and may even be meritorious for a soul if they seek to do God's will and better accomplish their duties of state thereby.