Ray_255

I apologise if this seems like a stupid question, but is it important to have regular periods, if you are not trying to conceive? Are there any negative effects to not having them?

For context (if you really like to read), mine started when I was ~12/13, were very frequent & insanely heavy, & going on BC pill at 17 made them manageable (yay). That said, I would often (but not always) skip the week off & go straight to the next pack, so that I didn't have a period. When I mentioned this to the nurse, she essentially said I shouldn't do it regularly because it's not natural to not have periods. My feeling then, & still, 10yrs on, is that it's no more 'unnatural' to use meds to

Hi! I had my first lap one week ago, during which a 'small amount of endo was identified & removed'. I had 3 incisions; belly button, pubic bone, & far left side of my belly. My questions, for those who've had laps, are:

1. How much/ how long/ where did you bruise? The left incision is surrounded by a greyish yellow bruise, with deeper purple around the edges where the original dressing was. It's sore to the touch. But then the other 2 incisions just have one huge, circular, increasingly purple bruise in between them. It looks angry but it is not sore at all (it is on the flabbiest bit though tbf!).

*2. How long did the stitches take to heal, & do they dissolve, or work thems

Hi all, have any of you tried home testing kits for specific food intolerances, and what was your experience if so?

I've been trying to follow the low fodmap diet for about 4 months now, having been 'diagnosed' with IBS (nothing wrong from blood tests, not celiac, suffer bloat, distension, severe constipation, cramps etc), and seeing most of my dietary staples on the list that could be to blame... but I'm not convinced it's working, or that IBS is even the trouble.

Recently a colleague with similar digestive issues opted for a home test kit; sent off a finger prick blood sample, within a week got a list back of foods he was intolerant to (well, out of the 50 foods tested, they're expensive

TL;DR: I have IBS-C & want to know how y'all react to resistant starch. I'd also appreciate any good resources to read about how RS is affected by reheating food!

A few months ago I was diagnosed as having IBS. I say diagnosed, after years of Drs doing tests & saying I was fine, I asked whether it could be IBS & my current Dr said, after a process of elimination, probably yes. So frustrating that there is no definitive test, but then, IBS can be so many things for different people! I personally struggle with bloating, distended stomach, abdominal cramp/pain & constipation.

I am trying to follow a low FODMAP diet, but after noticeable improvement at the start, I'm struggling