My name is Jessica. I am 29 years old, a mother of 3 children, all very close in age. I am a soon to be wife (not to the children's father, but they do all have the same dad). I am not nor do I claim to be an "expert" on the topics I choose to share, most may come from personal experience.
My topic of the day is going to be about people you seen everyday, can look at them and think "they must have a great life" or "that person is doing so well". Let me tell you something, chances are these are the people suffering the most. They can smile and laugh and look happy, while inside they feel like the world around them is crashing in.
There are many hidden diseases out there in the world such as, depression, anxiety, PSTD, etc. I know many people and I am one of the many people affected by these. I suffer from anxiety, PTSD and Endometriosis.
Most of you are going "What the heck is Endometriosis!?!?!?" I know. This is something I deal with every time I mention this to someone. The short and sweet version is "an often painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus — the endometrium — grows outside your uterus (endometrial implant)." (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/endometriosis/basics/definition/con-20013968)
Let me explain how is actually feels, when you have that "ladies time" of the month (or whatever you want to call it) imagine having those yucky menstrual cramps, while giving birth and being kick and stabbed repeatedly. That's not even the half of it, to top off the pain, we deal with hormone imbalances, chronic fatigue, infertility and a whole lot more. Those of us who have it (about 1 in 10 women) have no cure, only symptom management. For the guys out there, have you ever had a girlfriend complain that it hurts to have sex? Guess what, that is another lovely symptom of Endometriosis.
So why is it that no-one talks about this disease? The answer: who knows? Are we not in a world where this can be brought into the light, and be talked about openly? Sure women with this disease look normal, and a lot of people think "oh, you're just making it up" or "why can't you just deal?". Guys out there, this would be the equivalent of being kicked in the balls so hard you loose motor function, and several times a day, and when it's that time of the month it's worse. We're not faking to get attention, as a matter of fact most of us usually try to hide how much pain we're actually in because of how much we get told all of these things.
Women who have this can be diagnosed when our cycles first begin, but most of use don't get diagnosed for years, and we have to constantly raise the issue with a doctor, just to have this pill or that shoved in our faces so that we go away. When that one stops being effect we go back and say "hey this isn't working". I was 14 when my doctor first had suspicion that I had it and put me on birth control (which helps slow the progression and helps ease the pain caused by the disease) but it wasn't until last year I was officially diagnosed, when I had a surgery to remove both of my Fallopian tubes.
In conclusion, this is a horrid disease that needs some attention, the only way to get that is to have those of us who have it come out and say it. Start to demand more from our doctors, and the people around us to take us seriously. To make people aware, because I don't know about anyone else, but I am sick and tired of explaining to people exactly what Endometriosis actually is.
I hope this has helped some women not feel so alone, some men some insight as to what it's like to have this, and those that have never heard of this some information. Thanks for reading.
