Call it what it is: Endometriosis

One of my earliest memories is seeing my mum on the floor in pain. She was always in pain at a certain time each month, she had crippling pains that she needed assistance from my dad to do everything. I remember once that she had stained the bed so badly, it looked like she urinated in bed but it was actually blood. My dad had to carry her to the bathroom, wash and give her a bath cause she was in so much pain and couldn’t do anything. That is how bad my mothers periods were for her when she was alive. It didn’t have name, nobody knew why she had painful periods. Some thought it was fibroid ,some thought she was exaggerating. But she wasn’t, it was Endometriosis and we just didn’t know yet.  Fast forward to many years later, my dad is still doing all these things even though she isn’t around anymore, this time to me. Every month for the past few years, I experience excruciating pain during my period. I am hiked up on Anti-inflammatory drugs. Sometimes that isn’t enough, I have to go to the hospital to take injections to be alright. I have missed classes because I am in pain ( thank God my exams have never fallen when I’m on my period) . My dad has had to come from work and rush me to the hospital cause I couldn’t move. That has been my period history. I have gone to many doctors and their normal remark is “don’t take sugary things, that’s the cause of your pain.” They have always invalidated my pain, even some women think I’m exaggerating. It’s only those who have a similar experience to what I described understand me. I knew that my pain wasn’t normal but I was told that I should suck it up, so I did. I continue to live my period life and think it was normal to be in this much pain and maybe I wasn’t tolerant enough.  Around 2015/2016 I saw a Buzzfeed video of a woman talking about Endometriosis. What she goes through , the pain she feels during her periods and everything else. I cried so much cause for the first time my pain was given a name. I knew I was not exaggerating or not tolerant enough. I knew my pain was valid however I was still unsure because some of what she described was foreign to me. But that video gave me a reassurance that at least I am not alone and I’m not imagining this pain.  Fast forward to 2017, still dealing with my pain. I finally got a diagnosis, it was indeed Endometriosis. Luckily it was a doctor who knew my mum and had treated her in the past, so he knew her menstrual history and said that she too had Endometriosis. However nobody knew that it had a name. It’s rather unfortunate that my Mum didn’t live to see that her pain was valid and had a name. I’m lucky enough to have gotten the diagnosis so I know what it is and how to mange it.  So Endometriosis, what is it? It is an incurable gynecological disease which "often painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus — the endometrium — grows outside your uterus. Endometriosis most commonly involves your ovaries, Fallopian tubes and the tissue lining your pelvis. It can cause pain — sometimes severe — especially during your period. Fertility problems also may develop" (Mayo Clinic)  Yes it has no cure and sometimes causes infertility. At least now I know this, now I know that when I want to try and get pregnant it is not some “curse” or “village people tying my womb”. It’s a disease that I was unfortunately born with and it doesn’t mean the end. There are many ways around this and many women still end up having children, it is just that it takes longer than the average woman. That is my story with periods and pain, however I am one of the lucky ones. What about the women who are not as privileged or as educated as me to be diagnosed? They go through their whole lives with this pain and infertility not knowing that they have a disease or that the reason why they cant get pregnant is because of this. Endometriosis is a fairly newly named disease, not many people know that painful periods are not normal, and that gut wrenching I-can’t-go-out-periods are not normal ..There needs to be more awareness on the subject. 

Recently I missed work because of my periods even though I have been put on birth control to reduce the days, the flow and the pain. It didn’t help, I was still bleeding uncontrollably. My flow was so heavy that I changed my tampon every two hours and I used up to ten super maxi tampons in one day. Painful periods aren’t normal, and it isn’t cause of sugar you are having these cramps. It might just be that you have this disease and it’s no ones fault. It was nothing you did or could prevent, you were just born with it. You are not alone and there is help, you just need to be diagnosed to be sure. Please don’t self medicate, go to the hospital and if you can get several expert opinions. I’m going to leave an example of how much pain I go through. I recorded this during one of my episodes and I want to share it, just in case it seems similar to what you go through. 

Also for more information on the matter, 

https://www.medicinenet.com/endometriosis/article.htm

https://www.healthline.com/health/endometriosis

https://www.webmd.com/women/endometriosis/endometriosis-causes#1

https://endometriosisnews.com/what-is-endometriosis/