On this last day of endometriosis awareness month, I wanted to explain why I am always talking about how this disease affects me. The last post I made explained why sometimes I lie and keep things to myself
but a good part of the time I
am sharing. I am telling everyone that I am in pain, that I feel like I'm being stabbed, that I feel like things are exploding, that my bloat is not just bloat but a death balloon with knives that are poking me. I do not share to gain pity. I do not share to be in the spotlight. I share because this is my life. This is how endometriosis is affecting me. Sharing is a way of raising awareness. I am always open to questions and depending on who I am talking to I try to tailor my answers for them to best understand. For the kids in my life, I tell them that I have endometriosis and that means that sometimes my belly and back hurt. Sometimes I have to use a wheelchair or cane or lay down to be more comfortable. Sometimes I can't eat because the pain is too much and making me nauseous. It's actually really easy to explain things to kids because they take everything with a grain of salt. When it comes to explaining to other adults what is going on, it gets more difficult. Do I explain about the internal bleeding or organs getting stuck together? Will they get uneasy at words like uterus, blood, or bloat? I feel like saying 'endometriosis is a gynecological disease' is the easiest but also doesn't really explain anything at all. It feels like sweeping it under the rug. Usually, I say something along the lines of "Endo is abnormal tissue that grows outside of the uterus and bleeds causing pain and sometimes organs to adhere to one another. It is really painful and interrupts a lot of things I do in my life. So if you notice me taking a break or changing positions a lot or using something like a wheelchair or cane, that's why." Usually, my statement is followed up by questions if not I say if you ever have any questions just ask. I am an open book when it comes to this. I don't mind sharing what I have been through or what I have learned along the way. Anything I share is raising some sort of awareness. The end goal is to raise enough awareness that my daughter and her children and children's children will not have to deal with or worry about this disease.
Thank you for sticking with me this month and hopefully learning some new things about this disease!
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