Endometriosis Awareness is one of the most sincere passions I have in my life. I try to do all I can to help raise awareness, lessen stigma surrounding the disease and to help people (including and sometimes mostly with DOCTORS) have a better understanding of just how much and in how many ways this disease can impact our lives. I cannot think of an area of my life which has not been impacted by this disease, and frequently serious, lifelong ways.
This blog entry is going to be somewhat short. I just wanted to start off the MONTH of ENDOMETRIOSIS AWARENESS with a quick post since it has been soooo long since I've been able to write.
I wanted to share some images and info-graphics which I've found on Facebook.
I am taking part in an endo photo challenge where everyday there is a different theme.
Day #1 of the Challenge has ENDOMETRIOSIS as the theme. I decided to use an op picture.
When I used to design flyers for educational presentations I would coordinate for an old job I would always put KNOWLEDGE IS POWER across the bottom and now I put the same graphic at the end of each Thrive blog post that I write. We can't expect everyone to know what we need to know. We need to understand what is going on with our bodies so we're able to make fully educated decisions. With ENDOMETRIOSIS there are many decisions to make that have serious and sometimes lifelong ramifications. Should I have a HYSTERECTOMY or OOPHERECTOMY at the chance of it helping me to feel better?! Should I try LUPRON, which is PROSTATE CANCER CHEMO?! Should I stop working and try for disability to try to deal with everything and taking all of the needed medication to help keep the symptoms at bay?! Should I share and be open about the disease I have to not only try to raise awareness but to help it become less taboo and shame-ridden?! Should I keep fighting, day in and day out, this disease that deeply impacts every single area of my life and that feels like it will never get better and become more tolerable, much less ever experience remission and truly feeling better?!
I wish I could personally tell each and every one of my endo sisters that she isn't crazy. That it isn't all in our heads and that no matter how many people in our lives tell us that it is, IT ISN'T.
This one is incredibly true, too. Frequently I get misinformation about this disease and the symptoms from doctors and nurses. I've been told I am too young to have endo, I should be cured because I have had both a hysterectomy and an oopherectomy. I've been told too many pieces of misinformation from medical professionals to even remember them all.
Fortunately I've also had doctors and nurses who have the same lack of knowledge BUT they do not assume they know everything about it and they will ask me about my experience in a genuinely interested way, which I really appreciate so very much and we are able then to have an open and honest conversation about my experience.
My hopes are to have a short blog posted everyday during this month. **FINGERS CROSSED**
Sending out much love and healing to all of my 176 MILLION endometriosis-sisters! I hope you all have the support and love that you need in your life in order to heal and hopefully T H R I V E.
Thriving is exactly what I’m working on in my life right now. Definitely not there yet but on my way!
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