Endometriosis can be so difficult to manage and can leave you feeling overwhelmed, but using a symptom tracker to manage your symptoms can help you feel more in control and provide a way for you to track trends.
What are the symptoms of Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a long-term, chronic condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places in the body. It it seen frequently around the uterus, fallopian tubes and reproductive organs but has been found outside of the pelvis (although this is more infrequent).
Symptoms of Endometriosis include:
- Abdominal and lower back pain - Usually worse during your period
- Period pain that stops you doing your normal activities
- Pain during or after sex
- Nausea, sickness and diarrhoea during your period
- Difficulty getting pregnant
- Bloating
- Fatigue
- Anxiety and depression
There is currently no cure for endometriosis, but treatments to manage symptoms include:
- Painkillers
- Hormonal medicines and contraceptives
- Laparoscopic excision surgery to remove endometriosis tissue
Getting a diagnosis for endometriosis takes 8 years on average in the UK. The main reason for this is there not being enough awareness of the condition even though it's the UK's 2nd most common gynaecological condition!
Having painful periods that are affecting your day-to-day activities is not normal! See your GP if you're experiencing any of these symptoms.
What is a symptom journal?
A symptom journal is a way of tracking your symptoms to track trends on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis. This means you'll build up an accurate representation of how your symptoms are affecting your day-to-day life. This might be in a dedicated symptom diary or even just the notes app on your phone.
Why is keeping a symptom journal helpful?
It can be really hard to keep track of all of your symptoms and remember exactly when those symptoms flared. Especially on high pain days or when other symptoms such as fatigue are high. So keeping a symptom journal can take the pressure off and help you feel more in control of your health.
Not only this, but being able to track your symptoms over time can be helpful not only for your own records and symptom management but can also be a great tool to share with your medical team to help them understand the full picture. Which can be especially helpful when trying to get your endometriosis diagnosis!
How can I keep a symptom journal?
You can keep track of all of your symptoms in a notebook, your notes app on your phone or in a dedicated symptom tracking journal.
The perfect chronic illness companion, our 6 month, undated journal takes the pressure off of symptom tracking - allowing you to journal when you like and take a break when you need. It's ring bound to allow you to rearrange the pages in a way that suits you! And best of all, it's refillable!
Not only can you track your daily symptoms and activities, but also review each day and week to see what helped and what didn’t. It also includes space to keep track of your triggers, your medication, appointment notes, treatments, doctors contact details and has a space for journaling including 6 pages of journal prompts to help you process your endometriosis!
Take back control of your Endometriosis with this A5 symptom journal. Track your symptoms and gain a better understanding of your condition. Show up for yourself and see your worth as you take back control of your own health. Let this journal help you on your journey to a better, more empowered you!
What should I do with all of the symptom tracking in my journal?
Once you've been tracking your symptoms for a few weeks or even over the course of a few months, you can use these results to start a conversation with your medical professionals to help them gain a better understanding of how endometriosis is impacting your life and can also help inform new treatment plans.
Using a symptom tracking journal can help you feel more in control of your own health and healthcare and have more confidence when discussing your symptoms and treatments with your doctor. So show up for yourself, and take back some control of your health by starting a symptom journal today!
Endo can be a difficult and isolating condition to live with, but you're not alone! Read about mine and other's Endometriosis journeys here!