Michael Melloy Images (greasemonkey1978)
DSCF0180 Day 67 Project 365 day 67 Please read details of this photo
Endometriosis Awareness Week and International Women's Day
Hi ya all, I am ‘the wife’ and I am here to say a few words about endometriosis. It’s a condition where the lining of the womb migrates out of the womb and attaches itself to any organ with in your body. I had a very common case where I had endometriosis on the back of my womb (between the bowel and womb), over my fallopian tubes and both ovaries. Every month like the lining inside the womb, endometriosis thickens and when menstruation occurs it bleeds, but it has nowhere to go. The pain can be agony and soul destroying but the thing that hurts even more is the lack of understanding from friends, family and even health care professionals. I went through 10 years of this pain, it started only being when I was bleeding but gradually starting to get where I was in pain most days of each month, not to mention the bowel problems. Friends and family got mad with me, “Why are you always ill” “go lose some weight and you will feel better” “you just need to walk it off” I didn’t go out or socialise and a lot of people walked away. Then to make a bad situation even worse my doctors didn’t even take me serious. I had a number of operations to see what was wrong, I had several different pills, coil, implant to help but these only made it worse. I would go and see my doctors who would imply it was all in my head. I did start to doubt myself. However, I had a very supportive husband and two children I had to get well for. After 6 different gynaecologists and many hospital stays, I found my current gynaecologist. Within 6 weeks of our first meeting he had me in for exploration surgery and he found endometriosis. He destroyed what he could but it sadly made no difference to the pain. So on the 10th January 2013, at 30 years old I had a full hysterectomy. I now have no womb, fallopian tubes or cervix but had to keep my ovaries to prevent me going into menopause. It was a mess inside my abdomen. The pathology report also stated I had adenomyosis which is like endometriosis but inside the muscles of the womb. I will continue my fight against the endometriosis as it will probably grow back on my ovaries until I hit menopause. I don’t want people to feel sorry for me or say how strong I am because I am not, I am just like everyone else, but I want people to realise that someone you know could be suffering like me who needs a friend. Read up on endometriosis, understand that they have physical pain but also emotional, they might be suffering with infertility or the prospect of surgery, and understand if they are not their normal bubbly self. Understanding goes a long way, ignorance only leads to hurt. Spread awareness!
www.endometriosis-uk.org/index.html
The aim of Endometriosis Awareness Week is to draw awareness to a condition that often goes unrecognised and therefore untreated in women. So what is it exactly?
The problem arises when the tissue that usually grows inside the womb starts growing in other places in the body. While the tissue in the womb falls away with a period, this tissue remaining on the outside can lead to cysts and scar tissue. For more information and endometriosis support visit the website.
Do you want to help women with endometriosis? Well, you can and in so many different ways! All you have to do is ask for a fundraising pack online and get planning your own event. Host a dinner party for your friends and ask for a donation - or do some spring cleaning and hold a jumble sale! We all have stuff that we don't use or wear hidden away and I bet if you got other people to band together and do the same you'd soon have a great event!
From a Lapland Husky Trail to cycling round India - Endometriosis UK have done it all.
Now it's time to show what you can do!
I chose this shot to raise awareness of Endometriosis Awareness Week and thought it fitting to use the Marilyn Monroe Lego figure as she was just one of the many women who have suffered this debilitating condition. I chose to wait till today for this shot as it is also International Women's Day and the most inspirational women I have ever known is my wife who has batted through thick and thin with this condition as well as others.
DSCF0180 Day 67 Project 365 day 67 Please read details of this photo
Endometriosis Awareness Week and International Women's Day
Hi ya all, I am ‘the wife’ and I am here to say a few words about endometriosis. It’s a condition where the lining of the womb migrates out of the womb and attaches itself to any organ with in your body. I had a very common case where I had endometriosis on the back of my womb (between the bowel and womb), over my fallopian tubes and both ovaries. Every month like the lining inside the womb, endometriosis thickens and when menstruation occurs it bleeds, but it has nowhere to go. The pain can be agony and soul destroying but the thing that hurts even more is the lack of understanding from friends, family and even health care professionals. I went through 10 years of this pain, it started only being when I was bleeding but gradually starting to get where I was in pain most days of each month, not to mention the bowel problems. Friends and family got mad with me, “Why are you always ill” “go lose some weight and you will feel better” “you just need to walk it off” I didn’t go out or socialise and a lot of people walked away. Then to make a bad situation even worse my doctors didn’t even take me serious. I had a number of operations to see what was wrong, I had several different pills, coil, implant to help but these only made it worse. I would go and see my doctors who would imply it was all in my head. I did start to doubt myself. However, I had a very supportive husband and two children I had to get well for. After 6 different gynaecologists and many hospital stays, I found my current gynaecologist. Within 6 weeks of our first meeting he had me in for exploration surgery and he found endometriosis. He destroyed what he could but it sadly made no difference to the pain. So on the 10th January 2013, at 30 years old I had a full hysterectomy. I now have no womb, fallopian tubes or cervix but had to keep my ovaries to prevent me going into menopause. It was a mess inside my abdomen. The pathology report also stated I had adenomyosis which is like endometriosis but inside the muscles of the womb. I will continue my fight against the endometriosis as it will probably grow back on my ovaries until I hit menopause. I don’t want people to feel sorry for me or say how strong I am because I am not, I am just like everyone else, but I want people to realise that someone you know could be suffering like me who needs a friend. Read up on endometriosis, understand that they have physical pain but also emotional, they might be suffering with infertility or the prospect of surgery, and understand if they are not their normal bubbly self. Understanding goes a long way, ignorance only leads to hurt. Spread awareness!
www.endometriosis-uk.org/index.html
The aim of Endometriosis Awareness Week is to draw awareness to a condition that often goes unrecognised and therefore untreated in women. So what is it exactly?
The problem arises when the tissue that usually grows inside the womb starts growing in other places in the body. While the tissue in the womb falls away with a period, this tissue remaining on the outside can lead to cysts and scar tissue. For more information and endometriosis support visit the website.
Do you want to help women with endometriosis? Well, you can and in so many different ways! All you have to do is ask for a fundraising pack online and get planning your own event. Host a dinner party for your friends and ask for a donation - or do some spring cleaning and hold a jumble sale! We all have stuff that we don't use or wear hidden away and I bet if you got other people to band together and do the same you'd soon have a great event!
From a Lapland Husky Trail to cycling round India - Endometriosis UK have done it all.
Now it's time to show what you can do!
I chose this shot to raise awareness of Endometriosis Awareness Week and thought it fitting to use the Marilyn Monroe Lego figure as she was just one of the many women who have suffered this debilitating condition. I chose to wait till today for this shot as it is also International Women's Day and the most inspirational women I have ever known is my wife who has batted through thick and thin with this condition as well as others.