Feel-Good Food

Pain is a fact of life. But when you’re stuck with some chronic pain condition or another, it’s hard to figure out how to strike a balance between being tough and still maintaining functionality. The good news? I think I've happened upon some relief for many of us medicine-hating pain sufferers (including those of us with endometriosis)!

Any gal with endo pain can attest to how quickly it renders you useless, and it’s important to have plenty of strategies on hand to be functional when it hits. As much as I hate (HATE) taking medication unless necessary, Advil quickly became my most reliable staple in the past decade or so (NSAIDs, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs seem to work best for those with endo pain).

But this pregnancy has put me in a quandary; Advil isn’t safe while pregnant, and my endo pain continues to worsen as our little guy continues to stretch out my insides (as he well should!). I couldn’t think of a better reason to deal with the pain, but I still want to keep myself as low-risk as possible while keeping our little man safe. What to do?

[Disclaimer: I've already consulted my OBs. Many claim that pregnancy ‘cures’ symptoms of endo—or at least puts the pain on hold—and think that the worst thing about endo and pregnancy is not getting pregnant in the first place. But for those of us with pain from some mean scar tissue who are still lucky enough to get pregnant, the docs’ claims couldn't be further from the truth. The pain is there, very real, and we want relief only second to protecting our baby.]

My
not-so-beloved
companion

Since my OB’s only suggestion was—once again—Tylenol with Codine or narcotics (because it’s super cool to both drug my baby AND be too loopy to work), I took to the proverbial streets to find out if there were any non-medicinal solutions for relief. Through some of my own research and enlisting the advice of moms who have ‘been there’, I discovered some great pain-relieving suggestions. Besides the ones we've all heard before (yoga, deep breathing, drinking more water, heat packs…heat isn’t good for the baby, by the way) I got recommendations such as wearing comfortable shoes (like combat boots?), and the real gem: incorporating natural anti-inflammatories into my diet. Makes complete sense, especially since people obviously found ways to deal with pain for thousands of years before Advil came on the scene. Why didn't I think of that one before?

So with great excitement, I loaded up last week on my friend’s suggestions—basically any fruit with dark red skin or pulp that acts as a natural anti-inflammatory. Plums, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and praise the Good Lord for these puppies:

Mouth-watering dark red cherries!

Oh so delicious. And glorious that these things are all in season to right now!

I also came across this website that touts its own list of anti-inflammatory foods:
Top 10 Anti-Inflammatory Foods You've Got to Know

Best of all, my OB even endorsed these foods yesterday as a good alternative to meds for both me and the little guy. I don’t expect any cures, but after a week it seems that these fabulous foods are actually taking the edge off the pain, and doing no harm to my taste buds in the mean time. So if you’re sick of meds but still need a reprieve from some sort of pain or inflammation, check them out. Talk about sweet relief!