I told you about my Blogher16 experience (here) but I had to do a separate post to share about a few of the sponsors that resonated strongly with me. I told you about Go RVing, some of the food brand booths, and also how the migraine event impacted me.
Real talk ladies. How often have you talked to your girls complaining about your period? I know my friends and I whine about cramps, bloating and crappy timing of aunt flo’s visits. We talk about it openly, we talk about our sex lives openly….breastfeeding openly…
We need to start talking about endometriosis the same way.
Endometriosis is a disease that “occurs when tissue that is normally found in the uterus (endometrium) grows outside the uterus; these misplaced growths are called lesions.This misplaced tissue can grow on the ovaries, fallopian tubes and other areas around the pelvis; or rarely, tissue may spread beyond the pelvic region. Estrogen fuels the growth of lesions, which then bleed and break down, causing painful symptoms.” (meinendo.com)
I had the most painful, debilitating cramps with my period every month. I would miss a day of school every month, same at work as I got older. I thought it was just my lot in life. A friend of mine at an old job had endometriosis and said my periods sounded like hers used to. I made a doc appointment and the doc said my symptoms sounded like it could be. I was given an ultrasound and found a few issues, but I didn’t have endometriosis, thankfully. But, this was the first I’d heard of the disease….and I was in my 20s. That’s not ok.
At BlogHer I visited the #MEinEndo booth and spoke with a doctor that treats endometriosis as well as a patient, Karen, who suffered from it. Well…her story is actually pretty interesting because she didn’t “suffer” from it exactly. She didn’t even know she had it until a doctor randomly decided to test her for it. When they found it, her case was so severe and advanced….yet she still had no pain. It was in her for years, impacting various body systems but totally asymptomatic and undiagnosed.
Her story is exactly why we need to start having real convos about endo. It is different for everyone. You can be in crazy pain like my ex-coworker, or none at all, like Karen. It’s crucial to learn all about it and MEinEndo can help.
MEinEndo.com is where you can go to learn about the symptoms and signs of endometriosis. The site has loads of information on the disease and the impact it can have on your body. There are also tools to help you recognize and track the symptoms you may have. Little things that you may not think twice about…like peeing often… can be a sign. Now, if you’re like me, and think you have every single disease you ever hear about… the symptom tracker can be your best friend. You can really track if you actually pee often, or just think you do because you’re a pseudo-hypochondriac like me.
The #MEinEndo campaign is empowering women to learn about this disease, and take control by speaking to their doctor if there are concerns.
