it’s pretty complicated
endo is short for
ENDOMETRIOSIS
which is pronounced
en-doe-me-tree
oh-sis
it’s a complex chronic inflammatory disease
with full body infiltration potential
it occurs when tissue that ‘resembles’ the endometrium
is found in or on unexpected places throughout our bodies
this is a physical disease that you cannot see because it’s busy
impacting our hormones
immune systems
nervous systems
and our mental health
Endo doesn’t care about what we look like on the outside
when it’s ravaging our insides
There is no cure & the leading theories on why it exists are embryonic & ancient
many societal & global impacts such as but not limited to
ableism
racism
Capitalism
classism
all deriving from colonialism
are major limitations that make accessing support or on-going care impossible
the healthcare system is structurally incompetent
treating ourselves and our planet as a whole would be profitable
collective growth is worth a lot if you want to put a price on it
contrary to what many professionals still believe
endometriosis impacts all of us
not just women
young children
teens
those who’ve been left out of this conversation
for far too long
trans men
non binary individuals
intersex folk
& every other human being on earth who doesn’t identify as female
they know endo as well as any of us do
children like me who were symptomatic before puberty
years before periods were acknowledged or experienced
endometriosis is not the endometrium
it is foolish to link solely to the menstrual cycle
endometriosis is an entirely separate entity than the endometrium in and of itself
& while endo has been known to be around when period symptoms like pain are exacerbated
so has anxiety & depression so has pain caused by undiagnosed and untreated physical disease
it was convenient to connect endo to the uterus without fully understanding
its potential to impact every single one of our organs
& even result in death
while this is not meant to scare anyone
it is information we need to try to understand
the uterus is one organ & the removal of it is not curative
the only current method of treatment is excision surgery by a team of endometriosis experts
which is highly inaccessable to the majority
which results in less diagnosed cases
it results in more pain and less help
repeat surgery is often needed as surgical intervention is not even curative
you did not do anything to cause endo
it’s not your fault
extra-pelvic endometriosis is the displacement of endo lesions
in distant locations from the pelvis like the lungs or the brain
this is why it’s considered a full body disease
pain is present in many of our lives
for years before we get any help or support
pain that disrupts our physical emotional & social wellness
with decade long delays in diagnosis
is absolutely
horrendous
if you ask me
taking over 2 decades to be diagnosed to this day
some of us never get a diagnosis
even when we present to healthcare professionals with classic symptoms
it’s the leading cause of infertility
along with poly-cystic-ovarian syndrome & adenomyosis
it’s misdiagnosed and often times stumbled upon
it’s not rare
it’s grossly underdiagnosed
gender isn’t a prerequisite
endo doesn’t care how much we weigh
this is why we use the word complex
when we describe it
now you know endo has been known to PERSIST after
surgical intervention[s]
having a baby
hysterectomy
menopause
taking birth control of any kind
it’s MOST COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH EXCRUCIATING PAIN
& symptoms that may become debilitating such as but not limited to
nausea/vomiting
constipation/diarrhea
headaches/migraines
painful intercourse
painful orgasms
painful periods
pain in general
bloat - endo belly
endo is often misdiagnosed
WE’re told we have anxiety or irritable bowel syndrome
apparently this is the case for the majority of endo warriors
who were either misdiagnosed or have other illnesses alongside endo
comorbidities are other ‘illnesses, syndromes or conditions’ that we (endo patients) often have
for more information
endo has been found in every organ
including* the spleen
study rating endometriosis patients on their attractiveness has finally been retracted 7 years too late
treating endometriosis as a women’s disease hurts patients of all genders
not everyone with endometriosis identifies as a woman
we need to be aware of these stereotypes so we can correctly & inclusively address the entire endo-community
people with endo
friendos
endoviduals
endowarriors
endofam
endosiblings
please check out our research page to learn more about endometriosis
& how it impacts all of our lives
— — —
check out our endo experienced friends here
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click here to
about
endometriosis
adenomyosis
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uter-doodle designed
by Evie
