I Have Endometriosis...

Since 1993, March has been deemed as Endometriosis Awareness Month. Being that I'm personally affected by endometriosis, (also abbreviated as endo) I'd be remiss if I didn't make an effort to use my voice to help raise awareness. Approximately 200 million women around the globe suffer from endometriosis. What is endometriosis? I'm glad you asked. Endo is a condition that occurs when a tissue mimicking that of uterine lining grows outside of the uterus. This tissue forms lesions and often begins to attach itself to other reproductive organs. This frequently leads to cysts or uterine fibroids, and could also cause intense pain. Symptoms could include: painful periods, painful intercourse (dyspareunia), excessive bleeding, bloating, fatigue and even infertility, just to name a few. Though endo looms so impactful and has such disruptive effects, this perplexing condition is tricky to diagnose, and treatments, resources and information surrounding endo are still pretty limited. The exact cause is still unknown. If you are experiencing intense menstrual pain and discomfort, visit speakendo.com for more resources and take the quiz to help you determine you might be impacted by endo. Then, be sure to see your doctor and create a treatment plan that's best for you.

I was stunned as he said, "Your condition is so severe, I'm not sure a baby would be possible for you in the future."

Personally, I've struggled with endo for quite a while. From the beginning, I've always had extremely intense PMS symptoms. I gathered that it was normal, so I just tried to deal with it. Oh, and those symptoms that I listed above, I've struggled with all of them. In 2018, my doctor let me know that he had concerns about my symptoms being so severe with no improvement as I aged. He thought that I may have endometriosis and recommended a diagnostic surgery, wherein he inserted a tiny scope with a camera through my abdomen in order to get a closer look. Just as he suspected, the scar tissue from my uterus had spread throughout my abdomen causing lesions and bleeding. I was stunned as he said, "Your condition is so severe, I'm not sure a baby would be possible for you in the future." He prescribed a hormone injection called Lupron. If you want an idea of how intense these hormones are, Lupron is used to treat endometriosis or prostate cancer! Taking the shots weren't horrible, but the side effects were. I experienced the worst insomnia of my life thus far for almost a year, along with hot flashes that made me sweaty and gave me the panicking fear that I constantly smelled bad, and chronic fatigue. I can say that the injections did their job. My last few ultrasounds have been clean and pristine! Praise The Lord! For now, I'm currently maintaining my condition by trying to keep close watch over my symptoms, using the birth control patch, and making healthy lifestyle choices. I'm not sure what the future holds, but my prayer is that they find a cure or a noninvasive treatment that doesn't have severe side effects. I'm so grateful for my community of friends that stand in the gap for me when I'm sick, my awesome doctors, and this platform that gives me access to a great support system. Together, we will continue making great strides!