[] Living with Endometriosis...an Onhealth Live Webcast ( April 6, 1999 ) with Brooke Gladstone, Jennifer Marie Lewis and Dr. Mark Perloe
http://onhealth.com/ch1/live/ohlive/archive/item,38847.asp
Dr. Mark Perloe -- an endometriosis specialist from Atlanta, Georgia -- is one of the chat participants. I found the following statement by Dr. Perloe to be especially very thought-provoking: "Quite often by the time I'll see a patient, they may have had 3, 4 or 5 surgeries and there's a lot of anger. And women who are entering into their treatment angry at the world, angry at the lot they have entered into are probably not their own best advocates. I need a person who is willing to get information, and help make the decisions about what care is best for them. That means being with the physician, who's willing to listen and put all the treatment options on the table; and work together to come up with an individualized plan that's best for that patient.
Getting over anger is a very important part because the immune system does play a role; and stress and anger will adversely affect the immune system -- so the body's own defense mechanisms are not up to snuff."