Endometriosis: An Awareness

Endometriosis. I remember the first time I heard that word. I remember nodding along as the doctor explained its meaning and I tried to grasp what was being told to me. As I have learned more about my diagnosis I began to become frustrated; not that I have endometriosis (although that is no picnic) but frustration at the lack of awareness. It is impossible to tell all that there is to know about any disease in one blog post, but I thought I would do my best to hit a few questions that I am frequently asked and share a bit of my personal experience.

1. What is Endometriosis?                                                   Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus is also found elsewhere in the body, mainly in the abdominal cavity. These cells, also called lesions, grow and thicken just as the tissue inside the uterus does. The difference is there is no where for the lesions to exit the body and so they continue to grow; forming adhesions, cysts, and causing chronic pain. The pain differs from woman to woman depending on where lesions have formed and how much damage has been caused.  (The picture to the right was taken during my surgery. The red patches circled were on the sections of lesion that were removed)

2. Is there a cure?    No, however there are treatments that can help. I, personally, tried pain killers and hormones before trying surgery. Every woman is different therefore no one thing will help everyone. I will not know how much surgery has helped me for at least a month or two. This being said, having a doctor actually look and see the lesions gave me peace of mind. I felt as though I could ignore all the dismissing comments such as "You just need to toughen up," "Yeah, I have cramps too," or my least favorite "Its all in your head." Most of these things I've heard from kind people who, I'm sure, mean well. However, chronic illness, including endometriosis can affect a person not just physically; but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as well. Waking up every morning knowing that you are sick, knowing there is no cure, and knowing that there are people out there who will judge you for your illness as though you chose to have it is, well, exhausting.  I know now that a) it was NOT in my head and b) I will likely have some relief from the pain. Even surgery is not a cure and the lesions can and most likely will grown back, however if the pain has caused a major disturbance in your day to day life, it might be an option. 

3.Is endometriosis an STD or is it contagious?

No. While the cause of endometriosis is still not known; what is known is that it is not transferable from one person to the next. Endometriosis is estimated to affect one in ten women worldwide, however because the symptoms can vary greatly from woman to woman the average time it takes to get a proper diagnosis is roughly 8 years. 

A couple of videos that briefly explain endometriosis

Video #1                            Video #2

Please feel free to post any questions you may have. I am no doctor, but I will be glad to tell about my personal experience. I believe that in increasing awareness about endometriosis we can help those who have the disease with many of its emotional and mental challenges.