Dandelion Analogy

Ignore them – may just stay where they are, but we all know what really happens.  The roots grow deeper and stronger and they become more difficult to control and treat.

Use green lawn paint to hide them – again it looks great, but behind the paint they continue to be invasive and spread.  Once you stop the lawn paint, the dandelions are still there and you may discover that they are worse than before.  Hormones and medicines are palliative – they are meant to control or hide the symptoms of the disease.  These are usually only effective while taking them, and the disease can become destructive while using them.

Mow them – This will make your lawn look good for a few days.  It may limit spread if you can prevent them from ever going to seed, but the plant and the roots are still there, growing stronger.  Superficial treatment by burning, lasering, or even superficial excision leaves the deeper parts of the disease in place.

Use a Weed Killer – certainly this works well, but there is no medical equivalent for endometriosis.

Dig them up – This allows the landscaper to remove the weed completely.  Excision of endometriosis attempts to treat the endometriosis the same way.  If you address the dandelions when they first show up, they are much easier to treat and have less chance of damaging the lawn and overcoming the other plants/grasses.

Just tear down the house – Doesn’t really treat the dandelions, but don’t argue. Hysterectomy is often presented as definitive treatment for endometriosis even though it occurs outside the uterus.

Convince the homeowner that there really aren’t any dandelions and it’s all in their head. –  OB/Gyns are not psychiatrists. They should have to prove the pain is not in the pelvis before they put it in your head.