To the Women With Endometriosis: We Are Warriors
Endometriosis doesn’t care about your age or your ethnic background. If you have a menstrual cycle, you are at risk of developing this chronic invisible illness. One in 10 women have it and it definitely isn’t just period cramps.
Women who have endometriosis are warriors. We are fighters, we are survivors. We are daughters, mothers, wives, athletes, business owners, doctors, actresses, stay-at-home moms. We are loving, compassionate and giving. We are human beings. We live in different parts of the world and we are all unique and different. The one thing we all have in common is the fact that we are all fighting this chronic invisible illness that’s taken up a home in our bodies.
Despite the pain we are in and the brain fog we are experiencing from the lack of sleep we get, we continue to do our daily tasks. We get through the daily demands our lives ask of us – whatever they may be. We are brave because we continue to be productive even on the days when the pain is so debilitating. We stay strong even when people tell us we are faking it or we are overreacting. We may look OK on the outside but our organs are bound together on this inside causing excruciating pain. We deal with stabbing pains throughout our whole body and heavy menstrual cycles, we deal with so much agony and still we rise up to every challenge we are given.
We have no cure. All we have are a few treatment options and surgeries that may or may not work. Many of us get treated horribly when we go to hospitals and leave feeling the same as when we came in. We may have a million reasons to give up but we choose to stay. We choose to fight, we choose not to let endometriosis define us. We are human beings and we are warriors.
So to anyone who may doubt what we go through, think again. Try to live a day in our shoes. What we go through on a daily basis takes bravery and a whole lot of strength. To anyone dealing with endometriosis and struggling, know you are not alone! Know you are strong and you are beautiful. And these thoughts you are having will eventually pass. Know the pain you are feeling will eventually calm. Know that endometriosis doesn’t define you and you have so much to offer the world. We have to stay strong.
This post originally appeared on I’ll Rise Up.
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Thinkstock photo via bignoze.
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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