Ovarian Remnant Syndrome
You may never have heard of ovarian remnant syndrome but it tells a story that women should know. I first explored it in a post about enhancing egg quality in which I share 3 tips of feminine wisdom that I see in ovarian remnant syndrome.
Since then, I have been reflecting further on ovarian remnant syndrome and felt it important to call your attention to something even more profound taking place here. Before I dive into the article and audio below, let's start with the basics first:
What Is It?
According to this site, ovarian remnant syndrome is "characterized by the presence of residual ovarian tissue after a woman has had surgery to remove one ovary or both ovaries (oophorectomy)...
Symptoms may include pelvic pain, a pelvic mass, or the absence of menopause after oophorectomy".
this audio comes about in response to a poll to publish recently called enhancing equality 48 in which I explore ovarian remnant syndrome and the wisdom of the ovaries that I see in that but since that I have been reflecting further on ovarian remnant syndrome and further important to draw your attention also to another piece of the feminine wisdom that I've see showing up in it.
this audio comes about in response to a message I received from Chloe who was 45 and pregnant.
"This little piece of ovarian tissue can generate its own blood supply and respond like a normal ovary would to stimulation by FSH and produce hormones and create ovarian cysts".
Ken Sinervo, MD, MSc, FRCSC, ACGE, Center For Endometriosis Care, Georgia, USA
ovarian remnant syndrome occurs if any ovarian tissues left after surgery to remove both ovaries and fallopian tubes. The syndrome occurs if this ovarian tissue causes severe pelvic pain and/or a pelvic mass. And this piece of ovarian tissue that’s left behind after the operation can generate its own blood supply and response like a normal ovary would to stimulation by FSH, it can produce hormones and create ovarian cyst.
Deirdre, how do we deal with pregnancy after so much history? I fear I don't have the tools to be a confident pregnant woman.
Ovarian Remnant Syndrome -
Surgical Removal Of The Feminine
As I pondered further on this, it came to me that ovarian remnant syndrome is a reminder of what it has been like for the feminine in our patriarchal, male world.
The truth is that she has been totally annihilated and eliminated over the centuries. Removed almost entirely from her empowerment, positions of power and our understanding of the creative process.
But even if that has happened, she is still there. And even if the fertility world grants no space to the creative feminine contribution (outside eggs and womb), she is present nonetheless.
But the part that I would like to really holding on here is that this ovarian remnant syndrome in a way reminds me of the feminine in our patriarchal world that she has almost been totally annihilated over the centuries. Eliminated, removed. But even if that has happened, she is still there. And so, what I would like to remind that even if the fertility world allows no space for a feminine wisdom to show up in fertility, she’s there nonetheless and she communicating with you in the best way she can. It might show up as a pathologically expression for example, cysts. But instead of seeing that is pathological as we would do in patriarchal model, I’m inviting you to see all her expressions of the feminine how is she showing up in your fertility as very best to temps from your feminine to communicate with you, to guide you. In a world that has wanted to muffle that expression in every way possible. In continuing to produce hormones she’s reminding you that you can influence, you can shape. In her efforts to create her own blood supply, she’s reminding you that you’re designed to survive to draw from available resources and to create your own support system. So, my invitation here for you is that if you’re experiencing pathology, or dysfunction in your fertility, in your female body, instead of being angry with your body or feeling like a failure, remember, the wider context of this in which the feminine has been removed surgically and otherwise from the positions of power and her empowerment and that she is guiding you back into your true power. Rather than being your enemy, your female body is your friend and even if she’s showing up in unusual way, that seems to be an odd with your dreams, she’s beckoning you to reconnect with your true feminine wisdom so that you can show up as a woman and mother you were born to be. So I hope that was value enough for you.
. I'd like to support you is just to share what I hear in that question. And what is happening. It sounds like it is that you're reviewing your history of many efforts and many attempts and the feeling of failure where you've tried and it hasn't working for tried and it hasn't worked. And this has been repeated over and over in different ways in your fertility journey in your motherhood journey. And so I'd just like to remind you here that this kind of approach or interpretation of our fertility journey is very much a patriarca one in which success is only seen in terms of the outcome, the project the baby. And you were being invited to engage your feminine wisdom here because that's history his story the patriarchal interpretation and is time for her story, your story the feminine version of what has unfolded for you over the last year to show up here now because if you reflect back on all this journey you will see clearly how each of those experiences have helped you to show-up more authentically to discern Who you really want to be in the world and have added to your empowerment to your sense of serve to your sense of integrity to your confidence and to your allowing yourself to be you instead of having to do this in a particular way at a particular time. This journey has made you step up and say you know I want it now even if the circumstances aren't perfect according to the patriarchal download.
Pathology Or Communication?
In our patriarchal world, so many female health issues - like cysts or endometriosis - are seen as pathologies. Because they prevent a woman from doing her patriarchal duty of producing children and being a "good" girl - with low maintenance.
But for me, the real pathology lies in the fact that the feminine is seen as so much less valuable than the masculine. And in my experience, fertility challenges are efforts from your feminine wisdom - to communicate that something is off.
Things are out of balance on a collective level. But if you are dealing with disease or dysfunction of the female reproductive system, feminine wisdom is letting you know that there is something in your personal life that needs to shift here.
My Personal Experience
During my fertility journey, I was shocked to discover myself feeling more and more that my sense of value was dependent on my ability to have children. But it was there lurking in the background....ready to pounce once I started trying to conceive.
And, as my miscarriages taught me, I had to address this before I could carry my babies to term. Simply put, if I hadn't sorted out that false notion, I could not have been the mother I wanted to be.
Because it is not just about having a baby. My feminine wisdom knew how much I wanted my children to grow up feeling good about themselves the way they are. And that would not be possible if I was modeling that my value as a woman and a partner was somehow conditional on motherhood.
Ovarian Remnant Syndrome -
Feminine Conclusions
What we know about age and fertility after 40, egg reserves running out and running out of time to have a baby comes from an understanding of the feminine that perceives merely a sliver of her capabilities and value.
In other words, what we have learned about our fertility is based on an understanding of the feminine that is like ovarian remnant syndrome. It's a story about the creative feminine which assumes that the way she has shown up in patriarchy is the extent of her ability and power. It's like assuming that ovarian remnant syndrome represents the total potential and expression of female fertility.
But I’m inviting you to see all expressions of the feminine - and how is she showing up in your fertility - as her very best to attempts to communicate and guide you in this patriarchal world that has such little regard for her. And doesn't want to hear
Your Fertile Female Body
And each of those experiences those baby's those attempts have added to you as a woman even if that's not obvious to the medical model or to patriarchy. And so I'd really be inviting you to really connect with your story in a new way and forget the patriarchal history so that you can write your own story and that links to the form stage of my feminine engagement method. But you are really being invited here now to switch that mantra in your head about failure and last in two one hour gain and empowerment and I'd actually be asking you to go through each of those parent classes and of course many of them will have been difficult and painful.
So if you are experiencing challenges in your fertility or female health remember the wider context. The feminine has been removed surgically and otherwise from the creative process. What we know about female fertility is still in its infancy.
And contrary to what you have been taught, your female body is your friend. Even if she is showing up in a way that seems to be at odds with your dreams. Because in truth, she is beckoning you to reconnect with your true feminine wisdom so that you can show up as a woman and mother you were born to be.
I would love to hear your thoughts and experience with this. Please share below as your contribution here really matters.
Audio - Ovarian Remnant Syndrome
