I'M BACK

Wow, it's been a long time.  I have been gone for so long because I have not felt any inspiration.  Since I have spoken to you all last, I started a new medicine that left me having awful side effects for about a month, so I was not in the mood for anything.  I want to talk a little bit about this medicine. This medicine is called Norethindrone and now that I have gotten pasted the bad side effects, it is working very well!  Some of the side effects that I experienced are:

• numbness or weakness
• sudden headache, confusion, pain behind the eyes, problems with vision, speech, or balance
• pain or swelling in one or both legs
• migraine headache
• swelling in your hands or feet, rapid weight gain
• sleep probelms
• severe pelvic pain
• chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill feeling
• nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite

Those are just some of the side effects that I experienced and I wanted to write a little bit about to say if you are taking this medicine or other Endometriosis aiding medicines, it does get better and you will not have these symptoms forever even though it may seem like it right now.  

I am going to try to post every week because I really miss it on here.  Thanks for still reading after all this time and remember, Endo is NOT the end!!

RAISE AWARENESS!

Happy National Endometriosis Day to all the Endo Warriors out there! This month I have worked my hardest to continue to raise awareness for this disease that does not get that much attention.  10% of women suffer from this disease.  This means that, if you have a class of about 400 students and roughly half of them are girls, then 20 girls have this disease...TWENTY!! That's a lot of women that suffer everyday.  Endometriosis is known as the "most common disease that you've never heard of." Why is that? It is because scientists and doctors aren't able to do the correct research they need to do because they don't have the proper funding.  This is why we need to work hard to raise awareness so we women can get some answers!  If you have Endo, you can't sit aside anymore and wait for someone else to do the work for you.  You have to get out there and fight because if you don't, you will never be cured.  The people who don't have Endo, men and women, need support their loved ones that do.  I have been so lucky to have an amazing support system that I can always rely on to make me feel better.  They are always there to help me whenever I need it and I can't thank them enough for that, and they know who they are. I started this blog so I can do my part in raising awareness, but I am one tiny voice in a sea of 176 MILLION women that have this disease worldwide.  I think that's plenty of people to show that this isn't some rare thing.  It's a big thing that needs attention. So please, helping me raise awareness for Endometriosis Awareness Month, and every month after that.  We need answers, we cannot be in debilitating pain everyday of our lives.  Thank you for all the support and remember, Endo is NOT the end!

More Information You Didn't Know About Endo

Where:

• Uterus 
• Ovaries
• Pelvic Floor
• Fallopian Tubes
• Bladder
• Bowls

Why:

• No known cure 
• Believed to be genetic 
• Others believe it is caused by chemicals

Symptoms:

• Debilitating pain before and during periods 
• Chronic pelvic pain throughout entire month
• Heavy periods 
• Back pain
• Pain during intercourse
• Fatigue
• Infertility 
• Digestive issues
• Lesions on organs
• Ovarian cysts
• Nausea 
• Bloating 
• Vomiting
• Depression 
• Anxiety 

Treatments:

• Pain medications
• Surgery
• Hormone therapy 
• Diet Changes
• Exercise 

Need to Know Facts:

• Endo has four stages
• The stages only represent the amount of Endo growth a woman has
• The amount of pain a woman has DOES NOT correspond with the stage
• Getting pregnant does not cure Endo
• Endo is not contagious 

Linked To:

• Ovarian Cancer
• Fibromyalgia 
• Fibroid's
• Multiple Sclerosis 
• Arthritis 
• Lupus
• Breast Cancer
• Heart Disease 

One Year...

The date February 24, 2016 is a day that I will never forget. It was the day I got my Endo surgery. It was exactly one year ago from today. I can't believe a whole year has passed! At this time last year the amazing doctors at Boston Children's Hospital were performing my surgery. This year I have had a significant less amount of pain than I did last year. I do have my flare ups at time, but overall, getting that surgery was the best decision I have ever made. I haven't had to be miserable everyday like I was last year.  I remember walking into that hospital last year being so nervous and hoping that the surgery would actually help me. I thought I would go through the whole process with no outcome. Luckily, I was wrong.  I started seeing results about three days after the surgery when I was starting to heal. I would recommend this surgery to absolutely every woman with Endometriosis (you can see my post about the surgery process for more information).  In reflecting on this past year, I have realized that I have been very lucky pain wise. Like I said before, I have bad flare ups at points, but those are nothing compared to the stabbing pain I was feeling every single day in 2015. Now, it has turned to a dull ache that I have everyday. It's manageable. That is all I'm looking for. I have learned that I will have to deal with this for the rest of my life. I find ways to push through the hard days like surrounding myself with people who love and support me. I know they won't see this, but I would like to thank my world renowned doctors at Boston Children's Hospital for helping me through this tough time. I will never forget the day February 24, 2016.

Endo and Life Update

Sorry I have been away for a while, but it has been a busy time for me so today I am going to be giving you all a little life update.  Tomorrow my high school drama production opens and of course, my friend randomly showed up two days ago.  I have not had a lot of pain for a while so this was a surprise to me. So here is a little story for you all.  I walked on stage two days ago during the run of our show and all of a sudden a wave of awful pain came over me.  I didn't know what to do because we were already half way through the scene.  I decided to keep going and then do the dance to the song that followed the scene. (This was not the best decision on my part).  After the song was over, I got of the stage as fast as I could and fell on the ground because I couldn't make it any further. I felt like my legs were going to give out under me. So, I had to lay there, on the ground, for the rest of the night since I could barely move. Thanks to my amazing friends who stayed by my side the whole night, I was able to cope until we got to go home.  I don't know what I would have done without them.  When you can't do something you love because of the amount of pain you are in, that is the worst feeling in the whole world.  During that night, all I wanted to go was get back on that stage and finish the show with my cast but I couldn't, no matter how hard I tried.  Yesterday and today have been rough as well.  I tried so hard to do all the dances last night, but I was just in too much pain. Today we had a snow day and I've been resting a lot so hopefully I will be better to perform tomorrow.  But what I have learned through this week is that, when life throws an obstacle your way, you just have to do the best you can to just keep going. I know that tomorrow I will be as well as I can be to perform. I just have to keep telling myself that Endo is NOT the end!

Focus On Your Finals, Not Your Pain

This week is the week that all high school students dread; finals week.  The one thing that is worse than finals, is having Endo pain during finals.  This year I was very lucky to not have pain during finals (so far), but all week I can't help thinking about what I felt last year during this week.  Last year I had to face finals when I had the absolute worst pain.  I would get so distracted and couldn't even think.  This year, I am so thankful that it wasn't a repeat of last year.  This year I have been able to focus on the actual exam and not how much pain I was in.  Studying has been a lot easier and I am not as freaked out as I was last year.  So, here are some tips for finals with Endo pain:

1. Try not to get too stressed out.  Just breathe and relax.
2. Go slow, just study for one class at a time.
3. When taking the exam, read the directions carefully. 
4. Study with friends so they can help distract you.
5. Make study guides.
6. Create a study binder for all your classes so you have all your study information in one place.
7. Ask your teachers for as much help as they can give you.
8. Remember, it's not the end of the world, just try your best!

New Year, Less Pain...Hopefully

Another year has come and gone and there is still no cure for Endo.  This could be discouraging, but for me, I know there will be one very soon.  2016 was a year of many ups and downs for me and my Endo.  Instead of focusing on the negative things about my Endo this year, I decided to make a list of all the positive things that happened with my Endo this year.

1. I went to Boston Children's Hospital and got to talk with my world renowned doctor to discuss the pain I was having.
2. The doctor I spoke to said he would say I almost definitely had Endo.
3. I got my first laparoscopic surgery to diagnose and temporarily destroy my Endometriosis.
4. I was almost completely pain free for a couple of months.
5. I have only had a couple of big flair ups since February when I got my surgery.
6. I am now able to have fun and not be miserable all the time.
7. I am able to participate in fun family activities that I was not able to before.
8. I do not have to text my parents everyday saying I need to come home from school.
9. I can say "yes" to a lot more activities with my friends. 
10. I have had an amazing support system of friends and family to help me through this difficult journey.

It is a new year which means a fresh start for all of us.  Leave the pain and the struggling in 2016, this year is going to be way better for all of you!  I am positive that this year people will know more about Endometriosis and researchers will be even closer to finding a cure for all of us.  Do not give up because this year WILL be better! Always remember, Endo is NOT the end!