Today marks the end of Endometriosis Awareness Month 2016 and it is during this month that all around the world, brave and beautiful women are sharing their own ‘Endometriosis Story’ in the hope to spread awareness of this horrible and debilitating condition.
Before I was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2013, I had never heard of the name or knew it ever existed. Yet since being diagnosed and speaking to people about it, I have discovered that so any women suffer from it or know of someone who does. In the UK alone, 1 in 10 women will be diagnosed with endometriosis, which is a high statistic, especially since most doctors aren’t informed about the condition, they’re still finding out new discoveries about it and that sadly, there is no cure.
Endometriosis is when cells, that behave like the lining of the womb (endometrium), is found outside of the womb. Every month, these cells react in the same way to those found in the womb, building up, breaking down and then bleeding. Unlike the cells in the womb that leave the body as a period, this blood has no way to escape.
The most common places it can be found is on the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, the bladder and the bowel to name but a few. Symptoms can vary from woman to woman but the most common symptoms are; painful periods, heavy periods, pain in the lower abdomen, pain in the pelvis and lower back etc. As each ‘endo sufferer’ have their own personal experience with the condition, it has been very hard to find a treatment that works. For example, what works for one woman, won’t work for the other.
My Endometriosis Story
On my new site, ‘Gluten Free City Girl‘, I have wrote my own ‘Endometriosis Story‘ which I hope spreads awareness, encourage other women to go to their GP if they suspect they have endometriosis and to reach out to other brave ladies who are also ‘endo sufferers’. Although I was diagnosed in 2013, I am STILL finding out new things about it, new ways of coping with the condition, new ways or managing the pain. I would love to hear from other ladies with the condition and discover their ways of coping and managing it.
If you would like more information about Endometriosis, you can visit the amazing website: Endometriosis UK who have several really useful pages such as ‘Getting Diagnosed with Endometriosis‘ and ‘Facts about Endometriosis‘.
However if you are a sufferer but would like to speak to somebody about your endometriosis (or want to discuss a loved one with the condition), the Endometriosis UK have an amazing and useful Helpline service, which I have used a few times myself. As the helplines are manned by volunteers who happen to be ‘endo sufferers’ themselves, they aren’t allowed to give you any medical advice but can talk about their own experiences with endometriosis. If you do want to contact them, please check their opening times before you call to see when the service is available.
I have also left my contact details below incase you would like to talk to me about your endometriosis story, to tell me about your ways of coping and managing endometriosis pain or to simply rant! However, you are more than welcome to leave a comment in the comment section below.
ENDOMETRIOSIS HELPLINE NUMBER – 0808 808 2227
FACEBOOK – THE GLUTEN FREE STUDENT COOKBOOK
TWITTER – @GFCITYGIRL
INSTAGRAM – @GFCITYGIRL
EMAIL – GLUTENFREECITYGIRL@GMAIL.COM
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