To Anyone Struggling With Endometriosis: I Know How You Feel
To anyone struggling with endometriosis,
I know you’re feeling frustrated and defeated, but please know you are not alone. You are one in 10 women. You are one of the 176 million people who struggle with endometriosis daily. We may be many things, but we aren’t alone. Our community is strong and you are brave for getting through 100 percent of every bad day you’ve had so far. Doesn’t that count for something? No one can take that away from you and your story deserves to be heard. I know it seems like your world is closing in and no one cares, but we do. I do. I’ve been where you are at in this moment. Trust me – you can rise up from it.
I know what it’s like to feel helpless and I know what it feels like to have no control over your situation. To feel like your world is ending and you have no purpose for being here.
I know what it’s like to feel utterly exhausted and miserable with life, with others, with yourself. I know the feeling of anger, depression, sadness, misery. I know the struggle all too well.
I know how frustrating it is to be in so much pain and have to tell your story to complete strangers just for them to get it.
I know how it feels when you have to question if your story is even worth telling. If you’re speaking up and saying, “I don’t feel good” or “I’m having a bad day” or “My sickness doesn’t go away, it’s a for-life thing,” I know.
I know how it feels to exhaust all treatment options and “plans” your doctor has for you and still, none of them work.
I know what it’s like… You are not alone.
Tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that. It’ll get better. No, the pain won’t magically go away. I’ve been sick for over 10 years now. I’ve spent the majority of that time stuck in the house isolated from everyone.
I gave up on my goals and my dreams. I stopped living. I was merely going through the motions. Time became a blur and I truly did not care anymore.
You see, this illness can have a way of doing that to you. It has the power to take everything from you. It has as much power over you as you let it have.
I’m choosing to rise up every day despite the pain, the unanswered questions and the doubts of it all. It’s not easy to live with a chronic illness that has no cure, but it’s doable. Don’t believe me? Look in the mirror. You’ve been doing it so far.
Despite the pain and exhaustion you feel, you wake up every day. You choose to push through and continue breathing, you continue to fight! Think about it, you can be unstoppable if you choose to.
I believe in you, I believe in your story and I believe you are capable of accomplishing everything you want in this life.
I’m not telling you to ignore your pain, I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy… I’m telling you it will be worth it. If you change your mindset, you change your life. Use your story to your advantage, make something positive out of it. Demand your story be told. Be what you want to be. The only limits you face are the ones you put upon yourself.
So, will you rise up with me?
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Thinkstock photo via Kikovic.
My Name is Gage Paslay and I am 27 years old. I’ve been struggling with this invisible illness called Endometriosis since I was 12 years old. It’s chronic and I deal with pain everyday. There is no cure for it so it will forever be a part of me and it’s something i’m going to have to deal with for the rest of my life. I have good days and bad. It takes 7 plus years just to receive a diagnosis and its often misdiagnosed. Over the years i’ve received different diagnosis and i’ve been on countless medications and treatments that haven’t worked. Luckily, I was finally diagnosed correctly In December of 2016 by laparoscopy, the only way to determine if you have it or not. However, it made my symptoms worse and I am now looking into excision surgery. My blog is really about bringing awareness to this debilitating chronic invisible illness. 1 in 10 people assigned female at birth have Endometriosis and so many of them haven’t received a diagnosis yet or they are waiting to have another surgery. Endometriosis impacts people in almost every aspect of their lives. How, when and if we can have children. How our cycles work and how long they may last. It gives us pain sometimes so debilitating we can’t even get out of bed in the morning. It messes with our mood. It also impacts our relationships with family and friends. It sometimes overpowers us and defines who we are. So this page is about me speaking out for myself and for everyone struggling from any kind of chronic illness. You aren’t alone. Together, we have each other. I know what its like to have no one, to feel like you are stuck in a dark hole and no one is willing to pull you out. I’ve been there. I want to show light to people who are struggling, I want to encourage others to speak up and stand up for themselves. This disease shouldn’t define us and it shouldn’t control us. You shouldn’t feel guilty for being sick because it’s not your fault. I struggle everyday AND i’ve survived every bad day I thought I couldn’t get through..I’m rising up everyday and so can you. If you’re interested in finding out more about Endometriosis, watch my videos, read my blogs and follow my journey. If You are a Endometriosis Warrior like me, follow me. Share them with your friends and family. React to them. My voice is one in many but I’m determined to make sure its heard. This is me taking a stand against anyone who has ever told me “Its all in my head” or “I’m overreacting” or “It ’s just period cramps”. #I’llRiseUp.
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