Endo Awareness: How I Sent My Illness Into 'Remission' with the Right Endometriosis Treatment

Imagine a pain that starts in your abdomen and radiates through your body. It can flare up at any moment — in the supermarket, at 4 am when you’re trying to sleep, during a date or a job interview. It can cause you to bleed internally and develop growths or cysts inside your body that may permanently scar you. It lowers your immune system and could result in fatigue and extremely painful periods. It can even cause infertility. All the while on the surface, you look healthy and so have the burden of explaining your illness to those around you. This is endometriosis — and it affects 1 in 10 women worldwide. As with many invisible illnesses, raising endometriosis awareness and locating effective endometriosis treatment has never been more important.

Jola Aljakhbir is one endo warrior who knows this well. As a Body Healing Coach specialising in endometriosis from her home in Glasgow, Scotland — and a woman who lived with endometriosis for two decades — Jola is passionate about empowering women like her to understand natural endometriosis treatment to manage their chronic pain.

Recalling the pain she lived with, Jola told Centre of Excellence that she was unable to function and became addicted to painkillers commonly offered as endometriosis treatment. Her pain was so bad that she resorted to medication constantly “just in case” she’d have a flare-up. Beyond the physical pain, which destroyed her love life and any form of intimacy, Jola also described the emotional trauma involved with endo. She said, “I hated myself and never looked in the mirror. I hated my bloated body so much. Even in the shower, I didn't like to touch my endo belly, which was always there.”

Of the agony of endo, Jola said, “I don't know how people can say you should learn how to live with endometriosis. I was barely existing. It was a nightmare!”

Seeking help, Jola was diagnosed with Stage 4 endometriosis that had spread to her intestines and lungs after her long-term symptoms escalated to the point that she couldn't take a full breath and felt agonising pain in her chest. She said the process of getting diagnosed was long and “very scary”, adding, “Doctors gaslit me by telling me it was all in my head, yet I was fighting for breath and lived in constant pain.”

The endometriosis in her lungs, she said, was discovered by accident during a laparoscopy to remove a cyst that had burst. “My surgeon decided to examine it further and he discovered endometriosis all over my intestines and lungs.”

Jola decided, after this terrifying low “and many errors”, to take control of her own endometriosis. So she set out on her healing journey and began to educate herself by taking a number of online courses, including Endometriosis Awareness, Intuitive Healing, Mindfulness, and Gut-Brain Connection.

She “literally tried everything” she learned about in the courses in the hope that it would help relieve her pain. After two decades, she said, she finally got the combination of factors for her own unique endometriosis treatment that works for her body and mind!

Jola tells Centre of Excellence, “I have been relieved from my illness and all symptoms for five years now.” She can now focus on the passions that endometriosis took away for so many years, such as dancing, painting, mentalist magic, her Great Danes, and social justice causes.

Jola says, “There is a life after endo!” However, she is well aware that, according to the NHS, there is no known cure for endometriosis and endometriosis treatment is relatively limited. To this, Jola points out that in a medical context, finding a cure means achieving recovery or relief of symptoms from a disease or illness. Jola certainly feels she has achieved this.

During her last medical check-up, an ectopic pregnancy removal four years ago, her surgeon confirmed Jola was suffering from no endometriosis cells and no inflammation whatsoever. Jola was told by her doctor to continue doing what she was doing, because it was working!

Citing other online testimonials, Jola says she is not alone in putting endometriosis “into remission” and adds that books are being written by respected doctors on how to heal naturally.

Endometriosis is an inflammatory illness with a lot of painful consequences. Jola has learned how to get rid of her inflammation naturally and has managed to alleviate a number of symptoms such as endo belly, lower back pain, scoliosis, chronic fatigue, and endo pain. “Yes,” she adds, “Painful periods are not normal!”

Jola’s healing journey has seen her seek out a number of different techniques. She started by healing her gut because, as she says, “a good diet is not everything if you can't digest the food you are eating.” Jola was shocked to find that brain fog and low mood disappeared alongside her pain.

Likewise, she cited research showing that endometriosis is connected with early childhood trauma, so Jola learned how to release trauma using Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). “They are powerful because it's not just an eating or a habit change — it’s a lifestyle change.”

Jola now shares these techniques, including hypnotherapy, to instil healthy habits and demolish self-sabotage with her clients to achieve long-lasting results with their endometriosis treatment.

She said, “After I put my own illness into remission, I knew that my mission was to help other girls get better. With so many young girls getting diagnosed, I didn't want them to waste 20 years feeling stuck with drugs and surgeries, feeling depressed, and searching for answers like I did.” As a Body Healing Coach, Jola shows her clients different ways to take control back of their bodies. She said, “No one teaches us the secrets of body healing; not parents, not school, and not society. But these are essential skills we need in order to help our body to heal. That's why I explored body healing as a tool for wellness because everything starts there.”

Speaking of her newfound purpose, Jola credits Centre of Excellence with helping her on the path. She said, “I love my learning journey with the Centre of Excellence. It helped me to overcome imposter syndrome, develop and polish my skills, start and run a successful coaching business and be a confident professional. Life is a never-ending learning journey and every time I am stuck, your platform provides the answer I am looking for.”

Jola said, “It took me two decades because I was doing it alone. Now I study online courses to learn how to solve specific problems because I don't have 20 years to spare anymore. We are living in a wonderful time in which information is just around the corner and everyone should take advantage of it.”

Meanwhile, Jola is entering her third year in business and has already helped many women to reclaim their health through her endometriosis treatment and coaching. Using a few more skills she picked up from Centre of Excellence courses — including Marketing For Therapists & Coaches, Online Course Creation, and How to Make Marketing Videos for Business — Jola has combined her own endo experience and new healing techniques to create a programme for her clients.

It incorporates an anti-inflammatory diet, regulation of hormones, a healing mindset and techniques to dissociate from the illness while installing new beliefs on a subconscious level that support them in getting endometriosis treatment on their healing journey.

“I am more confident when it comes to my knowledge around body healing now than when I worked as a nurse. I always encourage my clients to never stop any treatment but instead talk with their doctors about what they are doing with me. I also encourage my girls to have checkups even if all symptoms are gone, so they have confirmation from their doctor that there is no endometriosis present and that healing indeed happens.”

She added, “And, to my surprise, all of the doctors have been very supportive and encouraging so far. They don't see health coaching as woo-woo but are happy that girls are taking care of themselves and their hormones.”

In conclusion, on international Endometriosis Awareness Week, Jola has an important message to share with others: “Sister, you are the best investment you can ever make, so take advantage of all information online, do online courses and keep on expanding and getting better. We can do so much to help our body to heal and I encourage every endo girl to never give up on herself and explore so many tools that natural healing has to offer.”

“Although there is no official cure, many girls are defining what is possible and getting better, so I will always encourage everyone to try to fight for themselves. There is a life after endo. I know because I am living it.”