Endometriosis Awareness Month and broken finger

Today is the start of Endometriosis Awareness Month. For obvious reasons, this is really personal to me. I started symptoms at the age of 11 and suffered until I was 27 years old before a doctor finally took me seriously.

When I was younger, there was very little known about the disease, but that can't be an excuse now. I am very passionate about making sure that teenagers know the signs and symptoms of endometriosis because there is no need to suffer and risk losing fertility.

So, if you came across this blog while searching for endometriosis information, here it is: If you have extreme pain (not cramps people) that takes you out of normal activities, it is possible. The pain doesn't have to be only during your period. It can be through out the month, as mine is. On the outside, endo patients look completely normal. We are VERY good at masking our pain.

I'd say that if I thought about it daily, on a scale of 1-10, I'm functioning on a pain level of 4-6 daily. I never even think to ask for help unless it's an 8 or more. That's probably why I get so frustrated with my gyno's office. My doctor understands, but the nurses are all horse's asses. Not all. Just most.

At this point in time, the only "cure" I've been offered is a hysterectomy. For obvious reasons, this isn't an option for me. So, basically, I'm forced to suffer until we are done doing fertility treatments. That does a number on a person mentally, let me tell ya. Most days, what keeps me going is the thought that someday, I'll have everything yanked. True story. Actually, my dear friend just had a hysterectomy yesterday and I cried because I was so jealous. She understood, but my hubs thought I was a nut case.

To celebrate Endo Awareness Month, I thought I'd break my finger. Ok. That wasn't the plan. That's just what happened. I crushed it between the wall and a chair. There was a "crack" noise and instant swelling where the bone is popping up. It's all good though. It took me a little longer to type this post than it normally would have, but it's nothing a little tape and splint won't fix. If I'm being honest, compared to my uterus pain today, this is nothing. See endo prepares you for life by letting you break bones and just carry on like nothing big happened. Go endo.