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Introduction | |
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About This Book | |
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Conventions Used in This Book | |
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What You're Not to Read | |
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Foolish Assumptions | |
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How This Book Is Organized | |
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Endometriosis: What It Is and Isn't | |
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Digging Deeper into Endometriosis | |
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Treating Endometriosis | |
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Living with Endometriosis | |
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The Part of Tens | |
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Appendixes | |
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Icons Used in This Book | |
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Where to Go from Here | |
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Endometriosis: What It Is and Isn't | |
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The Lowdown on Endometriosis: A Quick Run-Through | |
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Defining Endometriosis | |
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Figuring out why endometriosis moves | |
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Understanding why endometriosis hurts | |
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Going Public: Why Don't People Know About Endometriosis? | |
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Endometriosis is a women's disease | |
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Endometriosis symptoms are "all in your head" | |
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Endometriosis is invisible until you have surgery | |
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Endometriosis isn't glamorous | |
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Who Gets Endometriosis? | |
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Counting the women with endometriosis | |
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Looking at age and endometriosis | |
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Linking pregnancy and endometriosis | |
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Calculating the Cost of Endometriosis | |
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Eying the economic costs | |
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Considering the diagnostic and treatment costs | |
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Looking at the cost on relationships | |
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Do You Have Endometriosis: A Self-Test | |
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Suspecting Endometriosis: Defining the Symptoms | |
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Considering the Most Common Symptoms of Endometriosis | |
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Dealing with painful periods | |
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Hurtin' for certain during sex | |
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Feeling mid-cycle pain | |
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Experiencing abnormal bleeding | |
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Conceiving problems | |
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Experiencing chronic pain | |
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Facing autoimmune issues | |
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Being tired all the time | |
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Noting the Not-Quite-As-Common Symptoms of Endometriosis | |
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Living with your bowels in an uproar | |
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Recognizing urinary symptoms | |
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Coping with respiratory symptoms | |
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Minding endometriosis and the brain | |
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Writing It Down: How a Diary Can Help | |
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Recording symptoms (and everything else important) from month to month | |
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Keeping track of your menstrual cycle | |
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Rating your pain | |
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Locating your pain | |
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Homing in on your feelings | |
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Plotting your energy levels | |
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Listing your pain treatments - both the good and the bad | |
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Endometriosis: A Quick Review of Biology | |
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Getting Back to Basics: Bio 101 of Female Anatomy | |
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The uterus: Your womb | |
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The uterine ligaments: The stabilizers | |
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The ovaries: Your egg producers | |
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The fallopian tubes: Your conveyor belts | |
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The vagina and cervix: The openings | |
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Other important parts | |
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Measuring How Endometriosis Affects Your Reproductive and Other Organs | |
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Endometriosis and your fallopian tubes | |
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Endometriosis and your ovaries | |
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Endometriosis and your pelvic cavity | |
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Endometriosis and your cervix and vagina | |
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Determining What Causes Endometriosis | |
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Speculating on How Endometriosis Develops: The Most Common Theories | |
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Migrating out the tubes: Retrograde menstruation | |
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Blaming Mom: Is endometriosis hereditary? | |
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Exploring Other (Not-So-Common) Theories | |
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Using tampons | |
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Having a tubal ligation | |
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Answering some of the unanswered questions: The metaplasia theory | |
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Understanding your immune system's role in endometriosis | |
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Meeting the immune cells | |
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Exploring the autoimmune connection | |
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The Mystery of Traveling Endometriosis | |
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Hitching a ride in the lymphatic and vascular systems | |
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Spreading endometriosis through surgery | |
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Avoiding Endometriosis: Is It Possible? | |
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Does pregnancy help prevent endometriosis? | |
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Watching what you eat | |
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Considering environmental factors | |
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Digging Deeper into Endometriosis | |
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Understanding Your Menstrual Cycle (And Its Relationship to Endometriosis) | |
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Your Period and Endometriosis: Why Are They Connected? | |
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Looking at a healthy cycle | |
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Understanding how endometriosis affects your period | |
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A Pain by Any Other Name Is Still a Pain, But Is It Endometriosis? | |
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Identifying the pain | |
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What causes the pain? | |
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Regulating Your Menstrual Cycle to Reduce the Pain | |
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Using medication | |
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Considering surgery | |
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Hello Menopause: Goodbye Endometriosis? | |
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Looking Closer at How Endometriosis Also Affects Other Body Parts | |
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What a Gas! Endometriosis and Your Intestines | |
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Twisting through your intestines | |
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Suspecting intestinal endometriosis | |
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Diagnosing (and treating) intestinal endometriosis | |
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Endometriosis and Your Urinary Tract: More Than Just Another Infection | |
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Naming the main symptoms | |
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Understanding a cystoscopy | |
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Treating urinary tract endometriosis | |
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Endometriosis in Your Lungs: Coughing, Chest Pain, and Breathing Problems | |
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Endometriosis in the lining of the lung (pleura) | |
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Endometriosis in the lung tissue (parenchyma) | |
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Diagnosing thoracic endometriosis | |
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Treating thoracic endometriosis | |
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Endometriosis in Your Brain: Rare, but Possible | |
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Endometriosis and Infertility: Having a Baby (Or Trying To) | |
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Figuring Out Why Endometriosis Is a Major Cause of Infertility | |
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A quick overview: The steps to pregnancy | |
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Whose fertility is affected by endometriosis? | |
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Endometriosis In, Around, and On Your Ovaries | |
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Understanding the link between endometriosis and egg development | |
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Processing how endometriosis destroys ovarian tissue | |
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Looking at luteinized unruptured follicle syndrome (LUF) | |
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Interfering with a Good Uterine Environment | |
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Checking out other hormonal problems: Luteal phase defect | |
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Noting the chemical effects of endometriosis | |
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Evaluating enzyme abnormalities | |
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Messing with Your Fallopian Tubes | |
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Adhesions tangle your fallopian tubes | |
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Blocked tubes can cause ectopic pregnancy | |
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Partially blocking tubes are bad too | |
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Diagnosing Infertility Caused by Endometriosis | |
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Seeing an infertility specialist | |
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Drawing and testing blood | |
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Debating the endometrial biopsy | |
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Having a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) | |
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Opting for a sonohysterogram | |
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Doing a hysteroscopy | |
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Probing with ultrasounds | |
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Starting with Simple Treatments | |
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Ovulation Induction (OI) | |
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Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) | |
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Progesterone supplements | |
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Taking the Next Step: Surgery to Treat Infertility | |
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Removing adhesions | |
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Taking out endometrial implants or not? | |
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Going for the Big Guns: Is In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Necessary? | |
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What's involved with IVF? | |
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How does IVF bypass the problems of endometriosis? | |
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What's the downside of IVF? | |
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Miscarriage and Endometriosis: Is There a Connection? | |
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Finding the Right Doctor | |
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Finding a Gynecologist | |
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Looking for the right doc | |
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Narrowing your search | |
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Scheduling your first appointment | |
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Navigating the First Doctor's Visit | |
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Describing your symptoms | |
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Interviewing your doctor | |
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Making your final decision | |
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Working with Your Doctor | |
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Communicating your concerns | |
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Keeping your expectations realistic | |
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Divorcing Your Doctor Painlessly | |
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Do You Have Endometriosis? Your Initial Exam and Diagnosis | |
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Preparing for Your Diagnostic Exam | |
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Knowing what to do (and not do) | |
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Bringing information with you | |
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Understanding How Your Doctor Makes a Diagnosis | |
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The general exam | |
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The pelvic exam | |
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Ouch! Tenderness during the exam | |
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Keeping the Lines of Communication Open | |
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Talking openly with your doctor | |
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Maintaining your own set of records | |
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Undergoing a Few Diagnostic Tests | |
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It's a draw - blood, that is | |
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Checking your stool for blood | |
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Your cup runneth over: The urinalysis | |
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Testing, testing: Ultrasounds, X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and more | |
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Diagnosing Endometriosis Surgically | |
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Biopsying endometriosis | |
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Diagnosing endometriosis visually | |
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Looking at endometriosis under the scope | |
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Staging Endometriosis | |
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Treating Endometriosis | |
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Relying on (Prescription) Drugs to Treat Endometriosis | |
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Understanding Medical Treatment: How Drugs Fight Endometriosis | |
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Mimicking pregnancy | |
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Mimicking menopause | |
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Looking at Hormonal Medication Options | |
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Popping the Pill: Oral contraceptives | |
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Considering progestins alone | |
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Debating danazol (Danocrine) | |
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Trying GnRH agonists | |
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Inserting an IUD for pain relief | |
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Checking Out Nonhormonal Options | |
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Using NSAIDs | |
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Trying other painkillers | |
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Looking at What the Future Holds | |
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Looking at GnRH antagonists | |
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Pursuing antiprogestins | |
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Selecting SERMS | |
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Examining aromatase inhibitors | |
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Testing SPRMs | |
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Finding new treatments (and wrinkles) all the time | |
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Contemplating Surgery to Improve Your Endometriosis | |
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Eyeing the Two Main Surgical Methods | |
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One option: Having a laparoscopy | |
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Another option: Choosing laparotomy | |
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Naming the Surgical Tools | |
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Cutting with knives and scissors | |
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Vaporizing tissues: Electrosurgery | |
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Beaming away the tissues: Lasers | |
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Using the harmonic scalpel | |
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Putting everything back together | |
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Knowing which tool is better | |
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Starting Surgical Treatment Conservatively | |
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Cutting away adhesions | |
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Trying ablation of endometriosis | |
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Removing ovarian cysts - How much? | |
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Looking at LUNA | |
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Decreasing endometrial pain: Presacral neurectomy | |
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Opting for Radical Surgery | |
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Removing your ovaries | |
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Having a hysterectomy | |
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Choosing how to approach a hysterectomy | |
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Recovering from hysterectomy | |
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Making the Right Surgical Choice | |
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Considering Alternative Therapies and Remedies to Relieve the Pain | |
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Being Aware of Alternative Medicine Pitfalls | |
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Finding a competent practitioner | |
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Protecting yourself from dangerous (or useless) pills | |
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Accessing Acupuncture | |
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Easing the pain with just a little prick | |
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Finding a licensed acupuncturist | |
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Considering a Chiropractor | |
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Understanding what a chiropractor does | |
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Finding a chiropractor | |
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Using Heat and Massage for Pain Relief | |
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Relying on Relaxation Techniques | |
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Stretching with Yoga and T'ai Chi | |
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Finding out more about yoga and T'ai Chi | |
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Looking closer at the benefits of yoga and T'ai Chi | |
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Using a TENS Unit | |
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Trying Traditional Chinese Medicine | |
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Considering Herbal Medicines | |
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Trying an herbalist | |
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Working with a homeopath | |
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Seeing a naturopath | |
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Breathing Your Way to Feeling Better: Aromatherapy | |
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Considering Immunotherapy | |
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Naming the two main treatment options | |
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Considering biologic response modifiers | |
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Managing the Chronic Physical Pain | |
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Defining Chronic Pain | |
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Self-Medicating with Over-the-Counter Meds | |
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Comparing the types of OTC painkillers | |
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Choosing meds wisely | |
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Trying Prescription Medications | |
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Taking prescription NSAIDs | |
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Considering opioids | |
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Trying Ultram | |
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Taking antidepressants | |
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Considering antiseizure medications | |
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Creaming Away the Pain | |
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Exercising Away Your Pain | |
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Using Heat and Massage for Pain Relief | |
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All Things Teens: Diagnosing, Treating, and Coping with Endometriosis | |
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Making a Diagnosis in Teens (And Preteens) | |
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Letting teens know that severe menstrual pain isn't normal | |
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Understanding why pain doesn't recur every month | |
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Getting through the gyno exam | |
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Ruling out other problems | |
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Knowing the Risks When Choosing Treatment for Teens | |
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Being more conservative (or more aggressive?) when treating teens | |
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Realizing that teens may still be growing | |
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Eying the medication risks | |
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Identifying surgical risks | |
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Keeping Communication Open between Parent and Teen | |
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Helping Teens Live with Endometriosis | |
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Handling school absence | |
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Watching for signs of depression | |
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Preserving fertility in teens with endometriosis | |
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Finding a teen support network | |
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Living With Endometriosis | |
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Coping with Endometriosis and Your Emotions | |
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Understanding How Endometriosis Can Affect Your Mental Health | |
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When Depression Rears Its Ugly Head: Feeling Down in the Dumps | |
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What exactly is depression? | |
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What are the signs of depression? | |
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How do I know when I need help? | |
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Determining If Anxiety Is Your Problem | |
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Defining anxiety | |
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Looking for possible signs | |
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Treating Emotional Problems with Medication | |
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Trying tricyclics | |
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Switching to SSRIs and other new antidepressants | |
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Looking at the latest antidepressants | |
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Avoiding serotonin syndrome | |
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Stopping antidepressants | |
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Expressing Your Frustration without Alienating Everyone You Know | |
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Finding friends who understand | |
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Looking for support from groups | |
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Turning to a therapist | |
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Changing Your Lifestyle When You Have Endometriosis | |
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Focusing on Life beyond Endometriosis | |
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Keeping a positive attitude | |
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Scheduling around good and bad days | |
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Coping with Work When You Don't Feel Good | |
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Finding the right job for you | |
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Being honest with your potential boss? | |
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Being aware of your sick time | |
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De-stressing Your Life: More Than Just Breathing in Slowly | |
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Changing Your Bad Habits | |
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Eating well really can change your life | |
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Cutting back on the drinks | |
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Snuffing out the smokes | |
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Exercising for Health and Other Benefits | |
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Understanding the benefits of movement | |
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Taking the first step | |
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Finding Chemically Safe Products | |
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Adjusting Your Sex Life | |
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Being upfront with your partner | |
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Getting the most out of sex | |
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Trying different positions | |
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Just for Friends and Family: Help and Support | |
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Living with Endometriosis - Secondhand | |
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Understanding how endometriosis affects her | |
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Helping without being a pain | |
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Coping with the sexual effects of endometriosis | |
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Keeping afloat financially | |
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Persevering Through Infertility Treatments Together | |
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Just for Moms and Dads: Being There for Your Adult Daughter | |
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Finding Support for Yourself | |
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The Part of Tens | |
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Ten Myths about Endometriosis | |
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Endometriosis Is All in Your Head | |
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Endometriosis Is Just Cramps | |
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Only Women Get Endometriosis | |
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Teenagers Don't Get Endometriosis | |
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Endometriosis Goes Away at Menopause | |
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Endometriosis Is a Career Woman's Disease | |
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Endometriosis Only Exists in Industrialized Countries | |
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A Hysterectomy Cures Endometriosis | |
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Endometriosis Is Easy to See and Remove during Surgery | |
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You Can't Get Pregnant If You Have Endometriosis | |
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Ten (Or So) Trends in the Future of Endometriosis | |
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Determining the Source of Endometriosis | |
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Identifying Endometriosis Genes | |
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Overcoming Infertility in Endometriosis | |
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Diagnosing Endometriosis Earlier | |
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Refining Medication Treatments | |
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Improving Immune Therapy | |
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Gaining Respect for Endometriosis | |
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Starting More Organizations to Help | |
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Getting Insurers to Help Cover the Costs | |
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Transplanting Ovaries and Other Reproductive Organs | |
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Decreasing Surgical Risks | |
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Ten Strategies to Help with the Pain | |
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Planning to Avoid Pain | |
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Jumping on Pain the Minute It Begins | |
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Keeping Medications You Need on Hand | |
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Soaking in a Hot Tub | |
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Massaging Away the Pain | |
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Breathing Slow and Easy | |
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Using Your Imagination | |
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Talking It Over | |
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Trying a Little Laughter | |
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Knowing What Works for You | |
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Appendixes | |
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Glossary | |
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Resources and Support | |
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Looking for an Organization | |
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Going Online | |
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Flipping through Books | |
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Reading Newsletters | |
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Getting Involved in Clinical Trials | |
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Attending Meetings and Support Groups | |
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Asking Relatives and Friends | |
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Index | |