The Endo Playbook: Bella Valentini Shares Her Advice
Bella Valentini shares her journey living with endometriosis and adenomyosis. From surgical interventions to dietary adjustments, she shares her arsenal of coping mechanisms and lifestyle tweaks for managing symptoms.
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I’m 27 years old and I was diagnosed with endometriosis and adenomyosis in August 2023, after experiencing symptoms for over a decade. Overall, it was a painful, time-consuming, and disheartening process. Getting the diagnosis made me realise the lack of information, awareness, and education there is surrounding endometriosis and adenomyosis. My experience has made me more passionate about sharing my story and spreading awareness, so others don’t have to go through what I (and many other Endo warriors) did. I am still learning a lot about what it means to have a chronic illness and how to best live my life with my symptoms.
I work in the modelling and acting industry and have a bachelor’s degree in psychology. I’m currently studying a Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy and am particularly interested in the impact that chronic illnesses have on women and gender-diverse individuals’ psychological and emotional well-being. It’s a very complex area that needs a lot more research and attention.
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It’s a combination of many different things. Having laparoscopic surgery and getting the Mirena IUD has provided me with a lot of relief, but there are many other things I do to reduce my pain. I alternate between using a period pain TENS machine, heat packs and Panadol + Nurofen. I also get acupuncture once a month and occasionally see a pelvic health osteopath for pelvic floor muscle therapy.
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I limit my gluten and dairy intake, as well as being mindful of how much processed, fried, or fast food I’m eating, to help reduce triggering inflammation. I don’t always get it right and sometimes my cravings get the better of me, but overall, I try to eat a balanced diet with lots of whole foods, good quality protein and fibre.
I’ve gotten into growing my own veggies and leafy greens in my little veggie patch at home. I have noticed my flare-ups are usually worse when I am not eating well. On top of my diet, I also take omega-3 fatty acids and magnesium supplements, which are shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. I occasionally take Chinese herbal medicine that my acupuncturist makes up for me as well.
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I had this surgery in August 2023 which confirmed I had stage II endometriosis and adenomyosis. I was extremely nervous leading up to the surgery because I didn’t know what to expect and was worried they might not find anything.
Before the surgery, I was given instructions to start fasting after dinner from the night before surgery. I also had to get a script filled for the Mirena IUD and bring it to the hospital for the surgeon to insert during surgery. When I got to the hospital, a nurse also gave me compression stockings to put on my legs to prevent blood clots.
The procedure itself involved a laparoscopy and a hysteroscopy, which was done under a general anesthetic. For those who don’t know, laparoscopic surgery is keyhole surgery where small incisions are made on the abdomen and a tiny camera is inserted to locate traces of endometriosis tissue and remove them through excision. A tissue sample is also taken and sent to a pathologist to confirm the diagnosis. During the procedure, the abdomen is inflated with carbon dioxide gas to allow for better visibility of organs. Currently, this is the only definite way to diagnose endometriosis. The hysteroscopy is another technique used for examining the inside of the uterus, whereby a long fine camera is inserted into the vagina, through the cervix, and into the uterus. This is done so the surgeon can identify the causes of abnormal menstrual bleeding or any uterine abnormalities, typically in cases of adenomyosis.
Although the procedure only lasted a few hours, I was kept in the hospital overnight for monitoring. When I first woke up after surgery, I felt extremely sore, groggy, and nauseous. I had excruciating pain in my chest and shoulders. Turns out that the gas used to inflate the abdomen during the procedure gets trapped in your diaphragm which can lead to pain in the chest and shoulders. That pain felt worse than the excision wounds themselves. I remember the first time I stood up after waking up, I went to go pee and I felt like my insides were going to fall out. It was such a weird feeling! I also had an IV drip which I had to wheel to the bathroom with me. I was so dizzy and uncomfortable, the nurses had to help me get to the bathroom.
For the rest of the hospital visit, I was pretty out of it due to the general and pain medication, so I mostly drifted in and out of sleep. I wanted to know the results of my surgery straight away, so I kept asking the nurses but they didn’t have the answers. I didn’t get to see my surgeon until the following morning. That’s when he told me that the procedure had gone smoothly and confirmed he had found stage II endometriosis. He also showed me images of where they had excised the endometriosis tissue and surrounding thick bands of scar tissue (adhesions). Most of the issue was around my uterus, pouch of Douglas and bowels. They also removed adhesions that had formed around my bowels, essentially constricting my bowels, and sticking them to other organs. This made a lot of sense as to why I had been having pain and struggles with bowel movements for so long!
I listened to an insightful podcast called The Endometriosis Nutritionist Podcast by Anne-Marijke Gerretsen. Episode 66 is all about preparing for and recovering from surgery, and it gave me a lot of great tips and strategies to work with. Anne-Marijke suggests starting surgery prep at least two weeks before by following a gluten and dairy-free diet, eating good quality protein, increasing fibre intake, engaging in regular gentle exercise, and taking vitamin C supplements to help prepare for wound healing. I would recommend giving this episode a listen if you’re not sure where to start.
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Although endometriosis surgery is referred to as a ‘minimally invasive’ surgery in clinical terms, it certainly feels major! It’s important to understand that it takes a significant toll on your body. Even though the laparoscopy incisions might be quite small, the act of the incision is traumatic for the body. My OBGYN suggested I take two weeks off work to recover. I wish I had taken more but I ran out of sick leave.
In terms of what to expect, for the first few weeks you’re going to feel sore, bloated, weak, and fatigued. The first few days are the worst though! I had awful cramping, bleeding and shoulder/back pain from the gas used to inflate my abdomen. I was given after-care instructions to avoid any strenuous activities or exercise, which means you can’t lift or carry anything that’s going to make you strain. This makes it difficult to do most of the things you’d normally do on your own. I strongly recommend staying with someone who can help you out, especially in the initial stages of recovery.
Also, be aware that the pain medication can also lead to constipation, which is the last thing you want. It’s important to try to walk a little bit each day to get your blood flowing. This helps to prevent constipation and blood clots.
The first month of recovery was the worst, but I slowly started to feel more relief around the 3-month mark, and even more around 6 months. This is just my experience; everyone’s recovery journey is different. Remember to be compassionate to yourself and allow yourself as much time as you need to heal.
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What to pack in your hospital bag:
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