I was first diagnosed with endometriosis when I was 20, although I began suffering from symptoms long before that. In the last few years, I have had 4 surgeries to diagnose and remove endometriosis. I have also tried various hormone treatments in an attempt to control it, none of which were greatly successful. Currently I take very strong painkillers, including Buprenorphine and Morphine, but I am very keen to explore alternative ways of managing my pain and other symptoms.
My main consideration is my pain, for although the severity of it varies from day to day, it is constant and has a profound effect on my quality of life. I also experience bloating, bladder and bowel issues, nausea and fatigue.
I heard about the Arasys machine and the work Philip at Moss Bank Clinic was doing through my local endometriosis support group's newsletter. The ladies who have already tried the treatment have had some success in reducing their symptoms and I very much hope that I will have a similar experience! I understand that the Arasys machine works by building up the muscles, using passive exercise. I struggle to exercise regularly as a result of my pain, and I am hopeful that toning the pelvic muscles will help to reduce my symptoms. I have read that the Arasys treatment is particularly good at tightening muscles following a Caesarean section, so I am keen to feel the results!
My first treatment is tomorrow, so more from me then!
I had my first treatment today! I arrived at the clinic with my husband and son, and Phil was very welcoming and friendly. He explained again how the treatment worked and, after filling out a consent form, I was attached to the Arasys machine. The pads were placed on my lower abdominal area and we went from the slowest setting on the machine, increasing it as I felt comfortable enough to. Phil constantly checked in with how I was feeling and I felt in control the whole time. As the Arasys machine built up, I could really feel my muscles contracting and relaxing; it felt like some very deep muscles were being worked! It's difficult to describe the sensation, but it felt like a very intense massage, with a really strong pull from the core of my body. The 17 minutes passed very quickly and afterwards I could immediately feel the effects. I had a residual tingling sensation that lasted about 5 minutes, but once that had dissapated, I could really feel that my pelvic muscles were tighter.
Other than the feeling of my muscles being tighter, I haven't noticed any other effects yet. It's difficult to tell whether it would have had any effect on my energy levels as unfortunately I had to do a lot more walking than normal today, so I'm completely wiped out anyway! I know it has taken the other ladies a couple of sessions to begin feeling symptomatic relief, so I look forward to my next treatment! I'm more hopeful than ever that the Arasys treatment is going to work; just feeling my muscles contract so deeply gives me confidence than they are being toned, and I think that will really help, especially during menstruation.
At the end of yesterday, I felt very achy after all the walking I had done. I fully expected to wake up in agony this morning, as would be normal the day after any amount of exercise. Instead, I woke up to a minimal amount of pain. I'm not sure yet whether it was related to the treatment, but I think it's possible that the endorphins from the passive exercise (from the Arasys machine) were still working this morning. I haven't noticed a difference in my energy levels or the amount of painkillers I've had to take yet, but never really expected to after only one treatment. Hopefully another couple of treatments will have me feeling more energised and in less pain!
I didn't have a very good day today. I woke up exhausted and in lots of pain, and have stayed that way for the whole day. I did expect that I would be in significant pain as I am ovulating today. I had to take all my painkillers and didn't manage to do much at all, sadly. Despite being mainly inactive, I continued to feel tired for the whole day. Besides pain relief, the other main thing I am hoping to get out of the Arasys treatment is a feeling of being more energised and being able to make the most of my days. I'm expecting a moderately bad day tomorrow, but I'll be having my second treatment in the morning so hopefully the adrenaline from the passive exercise will keep me pushing on through the afternoon!
Today I had my second session with Phil and the Arasys machine. I woke up this morning feeling awful; in a lot of pain, very tired and very nauseous. After having the treatment mid-morning, I did feel some immediate relief and the pain reduced for a few hours. I started to feel worse again as the evening approached though but, bearing in mind that I am ovulating, a few hours relief is much better than normal!
The treatment itself was more relaxing this time as I knew what to expect, and the time went by very quickly. I managed to get to the highest setting this time without feeling any discomfort. I'm looking forward to my next treatment on Wednesday!
I woke up feeling a bit better yesterday morning, and although my pain and fatigue levels worsened as the day went on, it was still better than expected. It's difficult to say from 2 sessions but, so far, it appears that the morning following the treatments is when I get the most relief. I'm still hoping that a few more sessions will see a bigger impact, but I'm certainly appreciating the unexpected relief that I've had so far!
I haven't been feeling any different than usual for the past few days, but I had another treatment this morning. The first two treatments I had left me feeling a lot more energised and reduced my pain levels for the following day, so I'm really interested to see whether the same happens again tomorrow!
I had my 4th treatment on Friday. I hadn't been feeling very well for a few days beforehand and was in quite a lot of pain on the day. When I had my 3rd treatment we had tried another setting on the Arasys machine which didn't seem to help with my pain at all, so we went back to the original setting. Just like the first two occasions, I felt some relief the next morning.
Today the pain has returned and I have felt really bloated, but it was relieved for slightly longer this time. Hopefully the more treatments I have, the longer the relief from pain will be. I am due to have my period soon, so am interested to see whether there is any difference!
I have continued with bad pain for the last few days, so it still looks like I only get relief from pain the day after a treatment (which is still great!) What I have noticed, however, is that my period was due to start 2 days ago and isn't here yet. I also haven't felt the nausea that I usually get for a week prior to coming on. I'm wondering if the passive exercise is having an effect on my pelvic muscles whereby I would have shorter/ lighter periods? I'll have to wait and see but, for the moment, I'm glad to be not feeling quite so bad as normal!
Another treatment yesterday; again I have woken up today with much reduced pain. I'm hoping it will last a little longer this time. Even if it doesn't though, I'm very impressed that I'm experiencing relief the day after a session even when I'm having an incredibly bad pain week! I had more energy than usual yesterday afternoon which was great, as I managed to get lots done!
Still no bleeding, still no nausea and I'm now 42 days into my cycle which is odd, but the increased pain in the last week does suggest that it won't be long until my period arrives!
Still no bleeding! Having read some of the other ladies' journals this appears to be a common theme? After my session last week, I experienced a longer lasting pain relief than with previous treatments. Instead of the relief lasting just one morning, if lasted for 2 whole days! On the second day, I actually managed to get out of the house and have a short walk, which was really great. After the two days of reduced pain, it has returned and feels slightly worse, but I wonder if that may just be due to the sensation of going from very little pain back up to my usual amount?
I have another session tomorrow, so here's hoping that I get at least another 2 days relief this time around!
Still no sign of my period, and I'm starting to wonder if this is an after effect from the Prostap, even though I had my last 1 month injection mid March and have had 2 episodes of bleeding in July and August :/ I had my last Arasys treatment on Thursday and got around 1.5 days reduced pain this time. Still no nausea or bloating, but I am getting a lot of bowel cramps and I've had really awful pain (the worst I've had in a long time) from yesterday evening onwards.
I'm so sorry to have taken this long to finish my blog. Unfortunately since starting the Arasys treatment (not that I think it is related), I haven't had a period. I have missed 3 periods in total and I feel like my body has been trapped in that week before my period starts, with the pain ever increasing. Even though I'm barely able to do anything, I feel exhausted all the time and on the few occasions that I have pushed myself to go out, I've really paid for it the next day. I've also been trying desperately to get my head together enough to write my PIP appeal. Unfortunately it appears to be very hard to get assessors to understand a variable condition and to understand that even if I could do certain activities, I could not do so without causing significant pain. I wish Jemima all the best with her PIP application; a lot of willpower is needed!
All in all, I've felt very down and depressed for the last month or so and I'm no closer to experiencing any relief from the pain or getting off these awful painkillers. The last thing I've wanted to do is update this blog, because it forces me to think about, and write down, everything I want to forget about most. I know that I've been very selfish in that respect, not least towards Phil himself who has put a tremendous amount of time and effort into this research. I'm really very sorry for that, he deserves to be recognised for the work that has been done.
With regards to the treatment itself, I did experience some relief, mainly the day following each session. It's impossible for me to say whether there has been any long term effects because of the missed periods and subsequent increased pain I have had. I think the most important thing to remember, is that everyone reacts differently to treatments, and some of the ladies taking part have seen much more dramatic improvements than I. Interestingly I noticed that the ladies with bladder issues have seen a lot of improvement in that area. I think that the results of the trial overall definitely warrant further research. I will be directing my consultants towards this blog (as soon as I get seen!) and I hope everyone else will do the same. I have spoken to several women who were interested to find out more as well; I wondered if Clair might want to invite Phil to one of the support group meetings so that people could meet him and find out more about the treatment- after all, I know lots of women have tried alternative therapies like acupuncture etc, so why not Arasys?
The biggest apology and thanks to Phil, who listened to us and who made this trial possible. I really hope that the research is continued and that many more women find some relief.
I was first diagnosed with endometriosis when I was 20, although I began suffering from symptoms long before that. In the last few years, I have had 4 surgeries to diagnose and remove endometriosis. I have also tried various hormone treatments in an attempt to control it, none of which were greatly successful. Currently I take very strong painkillers, including Buprenorphine and Morphine, but I am very keen to explore alternative ways of managing my pain and other symptoms.
ReplyDeleteMy main consideration is my pain, for although the severity of it varies from day to day, it is constant and has a profound effect on my quality of life. I also experience bloating, bladder and bowel issues, nausea and fatigue.
I heard about the Arasys machine and the work Philip at Moss Bank Clinic was doing through my local endometriosis support group's newsletter. The ladies who have already tried the treatment have had some success in reducing their symptoms and I very much hope that I will have a similar experience! I understand that the Arasys machine works by building up the muscles, using passive exercise. I struggle to exercise regularly as a result of my pain, and I am hopeful that toning the pelvic muscles will help to reduce my symptoms. I have read that the Arasys treatment is particularly good at tightening muscles following a Caesarean section, so I am keen to feel the results!
My first treatment is tomorrow, so more from me then!
I had my first treatment today! I arrived at the clinic with my husband and son, and Phil was very welcoming and friendly. He explained again how the treatment worked and, after filling out a consent form, I was attached to the Arasys machine. The pads were placed on my lower abdominal area and we went from the slowest setting on the machine, increasing it as I felt comfortable enough to. Phil constantly checked in with how I was feeling and I felt in control the whole time. As the Arasys machine built up, I could really feel my muscles contracting and relaxing; it felt like some very deep muscles were being worked! It's difficult to describe the sensation, but it felt like a very intense massage, with a really strong pull from the core of my body. The 17 minutes passed very quickly and afterwards I could immediately feel the effects. I had a residual tingling sensation that lasted about 5 minutes, but once that had dissapated, I could really feel that my pelvic muscles were tighter.
ReplyDeleteOther than the feeling of my muscles being tighter, I haven't noticed any other effects yet. It's difficult to tell whether it would have had any effect on my energy levels as unfortunately I had to do a lot more walking than normal today, so I'm completely wiped out anyway! I know it has taken the other ladies a couple of sessions to begin feeling symptomatic relief, so I look forward to my next treatment! I'm more hopeful than ever that the Arasys treatment is going to work; just feeling my muscles contract so deeply gives me confidence than they are being toned, and I think that will really help, especially during menstruation.
At the end of yesterday, I felt very achy after all the walking I had done. I fully expected to wake up in agony this morning, as would be normal the day after any amount of exercise. Instead, I woke up to a minimal amount of pain. I'm not sure yet whether it was related to the treatment, but I think it's possible that the endorphins from the passive exercise (from the Arasys machine) were still working this morning. I haven't noticed a difference in my energy levels or the amount of painkillers I've had to take yet, but never really expected to after only one treatment. Hopefully another couple of treatments will have me feeling more energised and in less pain!
ReplyDeleteI didn't have a very good day today. I woke up exhausted and in lots of pain, and have stayed that way for the whole day. I did expect that I would be in significant pain as I am ovulating today. I had to take all my painkillers and didn't manage to do much at all, sadly. Despite being mainly inactive, I continued to feel tired for the whole day. Besides pain relief, the other main thing I am hoping to get out of the Arasys treatment is a feeling of being more energised and being able to make the most of my days. I'm expecting a moderately bad day tomorrow, but I'll be having my second treatment in the morning so hopefully the adrenaline from the passive exercise will keep me pushing on through the afternoon!
ReplyDeleteToday I had my second session with Phil and the Arasys machine. I woke up this morning feeling awful; in a lot of pain, very tired and very nauseous. After having the treatment mid-morning, I did feel some immediate relief and the pain reduced for a few hours. I started to feel worse again as the evening approached though but, bearing in mind that I am ovulating, a few hours relief is much better than normal!
ReplyDeleteThe treatment itself was more relaxing this time as I knew what to expect, and the time went by very quickly. I managed to get to the highest setting this time without feeling any discomfort. I'm looking forward to my next treatment on Wednesday!
I woke up feeling a bit better yesterday morning, and although my pain and fatigue levels worsened as the day went on, it was still better than expected. It's difficult to say from 2 sessions but, so far, it appears that the morning following the treatments is when I get the most relief. I'm still hoping that a few more sessions will see a bigger impact, but I'm certainly appreciating the unexpected relief that I've had so far!
ReplyDeleteI haven't been feeling any different than usual for the past few days, but I had another treatment this morning. The first two treatments I had left me feeling a lot more energised and reduced my pain levels for the following day, so I'm really interested to see whether the same happens again tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteI had my 4th treatment on Friday. I hadn't been feeling very well for a few days beforehand and was in quite a lot of pain on the day. When I had my 3rd treatment we had tried another setting on the Arasys machine which didn't seem to help with my pain at all, so we went back to the original setting. Just like the first two occasions, I felt some relief the next morning.
ReplyDeleteToday the pain has returned and I have felt really bloated, but it was relieved for slightly longer this time. Hopefully the more treatments I have, the longer the relief from pain will be. I am due to have my period soon, so am interested to see whether there is any difference!
I have continued with bad pain for the last few days, so it still looks like I only get relief from pain the day after a treatment (which is still great!) What I have noticed, however, is that my period was due to start 2 days ago and isn't here yet. I also haven't felt the nausea that I usually get for a week prior to coming on. I'm wondering if the passive exercise is having an effect on my pelvic muscles whereby I would have shorter/ lighter periods? I'll have to wait and see but, for the moment, I'm glad to be not feeling quite so bad as normal!
ReplyDeleteAnother treatment yesterday; again I have woken up today with much reduced pain. I'm hoping it will last a little longer this time. Even if it doesn't though, I'm very impressed that I'm experiencing relief the day after a session even when I'm having an incredibly bad pain week! I had more energy than usual yesterday afternoon which was great, as I managed to get lots done!
ReplyDeleteStill no bleeding, still no nausea and I'm now 42 days into my cycle which is odd, but the increased pain in the last week does suggest that it won't be long until my period arrives!
Still no bleeding! Having read some of the other ladies' journals this appears to be a common theme? After my session last week, I experienced a longer lasting pain relief than with previous treatments. Instead of the relief lasting just one morning, if lasted for 2 whole days! On the second day, I actually managed to get out of the house and have a short walk, which was really great. After the two days of reduced pain, it has returned and feels slightly worse, but I wonder if that may just be due to the sensation of going from very little pain back up to my usual amount?
ReplyDeleteI have another session tomorrow, so here's hoping that I get at least another 2 days relief this time around!
Still no sign of my period, and I'm starting to wonder if this is an after effect from the Prostap, even though I had my last 1 month injection mid March and have had 2 episodes of bleeding in July and August :/ I had my last Arasys treatment on Thursday and got around 1.5 days reduced pain this time. Still no nausea or bloating, but I am getting a lot of bowel cramps and I've had really awful pain (the worst I've had in a long time) from yesterday evening onwards.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry to have taken this long to finish my blog. Unfortunately since starting the Arasys treatment (not that I think it is related), I haven't had a period. I have missed 3 periods in total and I feel like my body has been trapped in that week before my period starts, with the pain ever increasing. Even though I'm barely able to do anything, I feel exhausted all the time and on the few occasions that I have pushed myself to go out, I've really paid for it the next day. I've also been trying desperately to get my head together enough to write my PIP appeal. Unfortunately it appears to be very hard to get assessors to understand a variable condition and to understand that even if I could do certain activities, I could not do so without causing significant pain. I wish Jemima all the best with her PIP application; a lot of willpower is needed!
ReplyDeleteAll in all, I've felt very down and depressed for the last month or so and I'm no closer to experiencing any relief from the pain or getting off these awful painkillers. The last thing I've wanted to do is update this blog, because it forces me to think about, and write down, everything I want to forget about most. I know that I've been very selfish in that respect, not least towards Phil himself who has put a tremendous amount of time and effort into this research. I'm really very sorry for that, he deserves to be recognised for the work that has been done.
With regards to the treatment itself, I did experience some relief, mainly the day following each session. It's impossible for me to say whether there has been any long term effects because of the missed periods and subsequent increased pain I have had. I think the most important thing to remember, is that everyone reacts differently to treatments, and some of the ladies taking part have seen much more dramatic improvements than I. Interestingly I noticed that the ladies with bladder issues have seen a lot of improvement in that area. I think that the results of the trial overall definitely warrant further research. I will be directing my consultants towards this blog (as soon as I get seen!) and I hope everyone else will do the same. I have spoken to several women who were interested to find out more as well; I wondered if Clair might want to invite Phil to one of the support group meetings so that people could meet him and find out more about the treatment- after all, I know lots of women have tried alternative therapies like acupuncture etc, so why not Arasys?
The biggest apology and thanks to Phil, who listened to us and who made this trial possible. I really hope that the research is continued and that many more women find some relief.