Snapshot of 2025, Hopes for 2026

How time flies! It's almost the end of January. I started the year a bit weak, but the Lord is merciful, I feel much better now.

The last year has not been good to me: my anxiety came back, and then I was diagnosed with endometriosis --- a bad combination for health anxiety. I was sick almost every month with either the flu or digestive issues.

I also got into talk therapy, which helped me somewhat to not lose my way to healing. But then I sometimes felt invalidated when my health issues were dismissed as just anxiety.

For my endometriosis, I was given medicine called dienogest, a synthetic progesterone, which helped ease menstrual pain. However, last December, I was bleeding almost every day. It was not heavy, but I got worried because I was prone to low hemoglobin.

So came early January, I went back to my gyn, but she only gave me more meds to stop the bleeding. I asked if I could stop dienogest, and she told me to just finish the remaining pack, which was not for another two weeks. I sought the advice of another gyn, same thing. The meds for bleeding worked for only two days, then it came back. After four more days of bleeding, I decided to stop dienogest and not finish the pack.

A day after stopping, I had like a regular period. By this time I was already pale, so aside from iron supplements, I made sweet potato tops juice, ate more iron rich food. Thankfully within five days the bleeding stopped.

I don't know how long it would take for my body "normalize". The doctors warned me the menstrual pain would come back and the cyst might grow. Yet I have been dealing with dysmenorrhea for more than 30 years now. I'm already in my 40s. I would rather choose a few more years of pain than taking medicine with all its side effects (mental health included).

I've read some success stories of lifestyle changes lessening pain and other symptoms. That's what I'm trying out right now. Maybe it will help, if not, then at least I tried.

Last year I was frozen, stalled, fearful. So I hope for a joyful, more active 2026. I always pray for guidance in this life full of uncertainties. It's a daily struggle, but as long as I'm making even the smallest progress everyday, then all is well. God bless us all!