Last updated on March 4, 2022
Jenny Oh is an artist from Los Angeles who had suffered from PMS and endometriosis for most of her life. Here, she shares how she learnt to manage her symptoms, take care of her body and lead a holistic, healthy life.
Hey Jenny! Let’s start from the beginning; tell us a bit about yourself and your issues with PMS.
I’m originally from Los Angeles, and spent most of my time growing up here. I moved to NYC in 2010, and spent close to 10 years there. I moved back to LA in 2019, and work in DTLA in the Arts District. I suffered severe PMS for most of my adolescence and was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2015, and adenomyosis.
Can you give a brief explanation of life with adenomyosis?
It’s pretty uncertain how sensitive I can get with symptoms. Since having changed to a more holistic sense of care, there are some days where some symptoms are more severe than others. I try to best manage with acupuncture, diet changes, and supplements including CBD.
What has your experience with PMS been like?
My experience with PMS has been a challenge. I’ve been hormonally unbalanced for most of my life, so the symptoms that I have with PMS really exacerbate this.
I’ve always suffered from mood swings, depression, migraines, back pain, nausea, anxiety, acne and insomnia, to name just a few. In high school, I remember missing days of classes due to not being able to manage my symptoms to feel comfortable to learn.
To help treat my endometriosis, my doctor prescribed me various medications. Most of these were pretty strong and had major side effects that left me feeling even worse. I decided I had to reevaluate what I was doing to my body.
Have you tried any alternative methods to pharmaceuticals? What has this process of finding what works best for you looked like?
When seeking alternative methods of healing, I’ve had to tune out the overwhelming visits with doctors and specialists, and rather listen to myself, and learn about my body. I’ve tried testing out CBD around 2016, with different brands that I could find (ie, wildflower, Notpot, Foria, Sagely, Papa and Barkley). With alternative medicines, dosage and consistency offers more management and maintenance, than taking prescription medication. So, during that time in NYC, it was very difficult for me to keep with this routine of pain management, and overall wellness. I was able to manage the best I could, but in 2019 I moved to LA, where both medical marijuana and CBD were legalized, and I was able to find better medication strains, and products that specialized in what I was seeking.
What does a typical day of self care look like for you?
Every sufferer of endometriosis has a different way of self care. For me, this self care is not just one a week on a Sunday with a face mask, a bath herbal teas – this is management and maintenance I need throughout the week to stay balanced, and so I don’t feel so burned out and depleted.
For my wellness, the game changer has been the 2000mg CBD Oil. If my symptoms are more severe, I speak to my doctor and combine this with over the counter medicine. I take one of the 25 mg CBD Gel Capsules at least two times a day. I usually start my day with 20 to 30 min of pilates and stretching. Baths help soothe and calm the nervous system for me, so I usually take CBD epsom salt baths. For me, the heating pad is next to me at all times, or I carry the heat patches you can stick on your body for emergency relief. Every night, I apply the THOR Gel to my lower abdomen + lower back area, and take the 2000mg CBD oil.
What have you learnt about looking after yourself since using CBD?
I think it’s important to be able to listen to yourself, and to honestly learn about your body. Once I started putting my health first and finding ways to truly look after myself, everything changed. I learnt to understand that having this condition means that I need to have courage. When I take CBD, it gives me that extra boost of self-confidence, that I’m going to get through this.
Jenny’s tips:
Add CBD to your bath: in my experience, adding CBD oil to hot water does wonders for physical fatigue. If you have a shower, applying the oil and giving yourself a steam may have the same effect as a long soak.
Apply topically: to date, I am not sure if there has been anything greater than me giving myself a little belly-rub in the morning of excruciating pain from PMS or cramps. Add CBD to the recipe, and relief can be felt within minutes, with a lasting result of 2-3 hours.
This interview was given by Chloe Swopshire, a member of the US Customer Service Team.
