Sorry that I have been MIA for most of the month of March. You would think with it being Endometriosis Awareness Month and all that I would have been posting every single day - and I have been - just not here. I have been participating on all of my social media platforms in something called The Endo Photo Challenge. The challenge is to write a post on a certain theme each day and then, hashtag it to oblivion. (NOTE: I freaking LOVE hashtags!!!) Many of you may have seen some of my posts, but I figured that it might be a good idea to recap and compile all of my posts here for posterity's sake. I am going to share 5 a day on this blog until the end of the month, so...here goes. The challenge was put forth by two endo sisters who work under the Instagram handles of @myendostory & @chronicallytilly. Here is the challenge outline that they put out for this year:
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Day 1: You
March is #Endometriosis Awareness Month and I am participating in #theendophotochallenge2018!
1 in 10 women suffer with endometriosis. I am one of them.
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1 in 10 women suffer with endometriosis. I am one of them.
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Day 2: Endometriosis
A photo defining #endometriosis - Endometriosis is a disease that affects #1in10 women. Welcome to #EndometriosisAwarenessMonth2018!
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Day 3: Your Symptoms
My symptoms: Suffering with abdominal pain since I started my period in 1985, I have had MANY #endometriosis symptoms over the past 3 decades. In the hey-day of my battle, each day was new...a different combination of afflictions. Some days, stabbing pain and diarrhea, other days, constipation and bloating. I've had new symptoms crop up along the way and never leave, like thyroid dysfunction. Very rarely do I have only one symptom happening at a time. Regardless of the day's symptom package, there is ALWAYS a layer of pain. Currently, I experience stinging pain from permanent nerve damage and burning pain from scar tissue - both thanks to multiple abdominal procedures to resolve my endo. I also currently experience frequent, but tolerable (you would be surprised what #endowarriors consider tolerable), stabbing pain due to pelvic floor dysfunction - another issue brought on by decades of suffering with endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Compared to the endometriosis pain in my past, I consider all of my current symptoms moderate and manageable.
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Day 4: Your Diagnosis
I was diagnosed on October 30, 2006 at Erlanger East Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee via laparoscopic abdominal surgery with stage 3 #endometriosis and #endosalpingiosis (a rare form of endo that consists of fallopian tube tissue found in other places). I had already been diagnosed with #PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome).
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Day 5: Medications/Treatments
I have tried so many things to help with my #endometriosis pain and symptoms over the past 3 decades. I am sure that I have forgotten a few along the way, but here is a sampling. Thankfully, I am off all of the pharmaceuticals (and even the OTC meds) right now, but I still use my heating pad when things get really bad. I have also experienced some relief with dietary changes and the use of essential oils.
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Want to see them all? Follow me on social media at:
Facebook:
facebook.com/painintherearendo
facebook.com/theendoalliance
Twitter:
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