When I was in my early twenties, I had an older girlfriend who suffered from Endometriosis. She often had horrendously painful periods and would go into hiding those times of the month. But since she also had a flair for the dramatic, we all were pretty dismissive of her disease and brushed it off.
Ten years later, I left what I thought was a regular gynecological visit and checkup with a fertility specialist, with a diagnosis of Endometriosis myself and a recommended surgery to remove cysts on one of my ovaries.
For a woman who had a regular, yet often very painful 28 day cycle, this news came as a shock to me. In retrospect only had I realized that all those painful periods weren’t “normal” and that pain is one thing but accompanied with all the other symptoms I had, was not.
Many women with Endometriosis don’t have any symptoms, but I’m not one of those “lucky” ones. Maybe I have a flair for the dramatic too? But with random stabbing upward pain in my lower abdomen, leg soreness and excruciating back aches, pain during sex, and major pain during bowel movements {sorry TMI}, being dramatic is the very last of my intentions. Sometimes I can only liken the bowel pain to contractions while giving birth… sometimes the pain is so intense I worry I’m going to pass out from it. I just want the pain to subside. I just want to crawl back in bed and sleep it away. It keeps me from doing things and as hard as I try to schedule my life around my period, it always seems to show up in time for an important event. I am also completely exhausted during this time, probably from all the pain, but it also doesn’t happen with every cycle. I’ve tried to keep track of the habits and as soon as I think it’s every 3rd cycle, it happens on the 2nd or the 4th.
“Lucky” for me and other sufferers, there is no cure. There is also little known medication to help except contraception, tricking your body into thinking it’s pregnant and actual pregnancy. Otherwise, there are pain meds… which I am not fond of taking, but have to on occasion. What’s also really “fun” about Endometriosis is that it often leads to fertility issues, and infertility, which I also have been facing since 2007. {read my infertility story}
That was an unbelievably momentous time in my life, being diagnosed with Endo, Cysts, having surgery then facing the monthly disappointment of another failed attempt at having a baby. I’m not going to lie, I have a difficult time accepting this diagnosis and fate even now, 5 years later. I often feel like a failure and like my body has let me down. I wish I was one of those who didn’t want children because this would be an easy lie I could tell people when they ask.
176 million women & girls worldwide suffer from Endometriosis
If you think you may have Endometriosis or can help someone diagnose their symptoms, you can read more about Endometriosis here to find out and make an appointment with a fertility specialist rather than your regular gynecologist to make sure.
Endometriosis Foundation of America founders: Padma Lakshmi and Susan Sarandon with Bridget Moynahan. original photo via EFA, altered photo via the Asian Cajuns
Endometriosis Foundation of America strives to increase disease recognition, provide advocacy, facilitate expert surgical training, and fund landmark endometriosis research. Engaged in a robust campaign to inform both the medical community and the public, the EFA places particular emphasis on the critical importance of early diagnosis and effective intervention while simultaneously providing education to the next generation of medical professionals and their patients.
Go to Endometriosis Foundation of America to find out more.
If you’d like to help spread the word or donate to help us fund Endometriosis research, you can Donate via Paypal safely and securely by clicking this link.
All proceeds for this fundraiser will go directly to the Endometriosis Foundation of America.
Thank you Diane at Snapshot Fashion for organizing this fundraising event and Lauren at Asian Cajuns for helping spread the word with your story as well.
