Immunocompromised During COVID-19

This pandemic is a scary time in the world for everyone, but please take a second to think about those who are immunocompromised, like people with Endometriosis. On the outside, I look like a healthy young woman, but on the inside, I have Endometriosis and asthma that both cause my immune system to be weaker than the average healthy person. If you have the mindset that you are safe from COVID- 19 because you are young and healthy, then you need to stop thinking that way. Yes, you yourself may not get it, but what about your grandparents, your uncle with cancer, or your friend who has Endometriosis or some other chronic disease, what about them? By not staying inside, you are putting everyone else in danger. I know this is not ideal, no one thinks that it is, but this will be over a lot sooner if everyone follows the rules and stays inside. This may not seem like a big deal to you, but this isn't about you. This is about doing what is right and safe to benefit the greater good. This is bigger than all of us and the least we can do is listen to the doctors in charge of this pandemic and stay home. People like me shouldn't have to be scared to go outside and take a walk. We should have comfort in knowing that everyone is following the rules, but unfortunately, we don't. So please, the next time you want to go hang out with your friends, think about all the immunocompromised people in the world, and hopefully, you'll make the right decision to stay home.

Day in My Life

Today I wanted to share a day in my life. I think a lot of people wonder what life is like living with a chronic illness. Well, my life is probably very similar to yours, so this is a typical Tuesday for me...

1. Wake up at 7:30 
2. Get ready for the day
3. Make shake for breakfast
4. Go to work for 8:30 
5. Work at my awesome job for the President of my college
6. Go to my literature class 
7. Grab some lunch after class (normally a salad or sushi)
8. Do homework for a little bit or relax if I'm really tired or not feeling well
9. Go to my psychology class 
10. Do some more homework for a little bit 
11. Go to chapel choir rehearsal starting at 5
12. Get a quick sandwich with my friend before our a cappella rehearsal 
13. Have a cappella rehearsal for two hours 
14. Go back to my dorm
15. Get ready for bed
16. Go to sleep (I like to get to bed early because I need a lot of sleep)

So there it is a typical Tuesday in the life of a busy college student with Endometriosis.

Easy Exercise Routine for Chronic Pain

Exercising is always something I have struggled with. I always get in a good routine, then have a flare-up and stop going to the gym. Recently I have been trying to balance college, work, extracurriculars, and exercise. So, I have created a mixture of high-intensity exercises mixed with yoga that I can do in my dorm room! If I can do this workout, then anyone can. You don't need any equipment except a yoga mat if you want one.

1. Warm-up: arm circles and 30 high knees 
2. Squats- 60 seconds
3. Donkey kicks- 60 seconds 
4. Push-ups- 60 seconds
5. Squat and side crunch- 60 seconds
6. Plank-ups- 60 seconds
7. Standing crossover toe touches- 60 seconds 
8. Cool-down: quad stretch- 30 seconds each side, rhomboid stretch- 30 seconds each side

Here is the link to the website explaining all these exercises:

https://dietprogram.club/8-minute-workout-before-bed-and-see-what-happens-in-a-month 

Below are 15 yoga poses you hold for one minute each as a good cool down and stretch after your workout. For all of the exercises and yoga poses, you can choose which ones to do if some are hard for you. You can always work up to the harder ones as you get more comfortable. If you have any questions, feel free to comment!

Myths and Misconceptions

Myth: Endometriosis is just a really heavy period.
Women with Endo may experience a really heavy period, but that is just one of the many symptoms.

Myth: Heavy bleeding means you have Endometriosis.
Again, it could be a sign someone has Endo, but it is not the only reason for heavy bleeding.

Myth: Extreme pain is normal during your period.
Extreme pain is NOT normal during your period, but many women are taught that it is. If you have extreme pain, you might want to talk to your doctor about Endo.

Myth: Young people cannot get Endometriosis.
This is completely false, I was diagnosed with Endo when I was 14. Yes, it is more common in older women, but that doesn't mean younger women can't have it.

Myth: It's all in your head.
IT'S NOT ALL IN YOUR HEAD AND DON'T LET ANYONE TELL YOU THAT!!

Myth: The amount of Endometriosis you have corresponds with your pain level.
This is not true for Endo. Some women can have a lot of Endo but have no pain and are only diagnosed when she starts having infertility issues. On the other hand, one can have only a little bit on Endo and still experience extreme pain.

Myth: Something you did caused your Endometriosis.
Doctors don't know the cause of Endo yet, but they do know it runs in families.

Myth: Endometriosis means you cannot get pregnant.
This is not necessarily true if Endo is caught early enough, women are still able to get pregnant.

Myth: Pregnancy cures Endometriosis.
This is false because there is no cure to Endo. The only thing pregnancy does is eliminate one's period, so that could cause a little less pain than usual.

Myth: Hormonal treatment cures Endometriosis.
Again, there is no cure for Endo, but hormonal medications are used for treatment (meaning they can take away some of the pain, but not all of it).


https://www.webmd.com/women/endometriosis/myths-facts-endometriosis#2
http://endometriosis.org/resources/articles/myths/

Endo is Not Everything

Happy Endometriosis Awareness Month! Instead of giving you information I’ve already provided you with, I’m going to share 10 things I’ve done since being diagnosed with Endometriosis! Endo is not everything in any of our lives, we can still do anything we put on minds to, so here’s what I have done:
1. I performed in all four of my high school musicals! One of which was right after I got my surgery and another was extremely dance heavy and very hard on my body.
2. I performed in many shows outside of my school which all made me so happy because I got to do what I love!
3. I’ve spent lots of time with my wonderful family! They are the people who I know are always there for me no matter what.
4. I continued going to my favorite place in the world, my overnight theatre camp, every summer!
5. I continued to be successful in my academics even when I was in so much pain.
6. I continued to do my favorite thing (singing) almost every single day, and still do!
7. I’ve tried my best to make time for all my amazing friends (which isn’t always easy) who have been with me along this roller coaster of a journey. Thank you, you all know who you are.
8. I was accepted and committed to going to Stonehill  College!
9. I graduated high school!!
10. I started college in the fall and am now in my second semester and loving it! I also continue to sing there everyday apart of Stonehill’s all female a cappella group and their chapel choir!

Even though I have had many years of pain, all through high school and now college, it didn’t stop me from pushing through and doing the things I love and I’m so proud of myself for that! I courage all of you with Endometriosis to think back at all you’ve accomplished since your diagnosis to see how strong you all are! Happy Endometriosis Awareness Month everyone!

Endometriosis in College

As some of you know, I began college at the beginning of August and it has probably been the biggest change in my life. Although I love my college and all the friends I have made here, I have been really struggling with my endo pain. It has been as lot worse than it has been in probably over a year now, maybe even close to two years. Going into college, I knew this was a possibility; new food, new environment, new living sitution, etc. However, I didn't think it would be this bad. For about the first month, everything was great. I was acclemating well and really enjoying my time at college. Over the past two weeks, my pain has skyrocketed for some unknown reason and has completely drained me. While trying to navigate my first semester in college, I am also involved in my school's church choir and their all female a cappella group. While I love doing all those things, it means that during my "down time" I am always doing homework and don't get a lot of time to relax, even on the weekends. I have never let endo interfere with my school work (thanks to my parents), so I just have to keep pushing through one day at a time. Even though I have amazing family and friends that always support me, it is still so isolating because I have never met someone my age with endo. Which is especially hard not being in the comfort of my own home. Some things I've been doing to help cope with my pain are using my heating pad a lot, trying to eat as healthy as possible, getting up and moving around as much as I can, getting to bed at a  reasonable time, and knowing my limits. Sometimes I do feel like I'm missing out on fun things my friends are doing, but right now my focus is getting "better" (meaning getting back to where I was before college pain-wise) and listening to what my body is telling me. Luckily, I already had an appointment scheduled with my doctor at Boston Children's for last Thursday, and he said it is likely that I'm just ovulating and my pain should go away soon. If not, I'm going back in two weeks for an ultrasound and another appointment. Hopefully he's right and the pain will go away soon, but for right now it really is agonizing, so I keep trying to remind myself, endo is not the end.

Also if anyone has any tips about coping with chronic pain in college, please let me know!

Happy Endometriosis Awareness Month!

Hey everyone! Wow, it's been a while.  I've been super busy with school and figuring all the college stuff out.  Well, it's that time of year again- Endometriosis Awareness Month! Over the past six months or so, I've seen so many new commercials and celebrities advocating for Endo! It gives me a lot of hope that a cure is coming soon.

As for my pain, it's been on and off depending on my environment and stress level.  This week for example, I'm in my school show that opens Friday, so I know it's going to be a stressful week.  Since I know my stress level and pain are related, I'm going to try my best to stay as calm as possible.  If my pain gets worked up, it will make me even more stressed out, so I'm doing everything I can to keep that from happening.

A new thing with me is that I started getting back to the gym.  Exercise is something that doesn't make pelvic feel great, but I know it's necessary so I don't have other health issues in the future.  I've gone to the gym a lot over the past two months, so I'm really proud of myself.  I normally go for two or three weeks, then my pain gets really bad so I stop going, but this time I'm determined to not let that happen.  Now, I've gone enough that I'm committed to keeping myself healthy and I know my limits, so I can tone it down on a bad day if I have to.

I'm going to try my best to post on here on a regular basis from now on because my schedule is becoming less busy.  Keep on the look out for more Endo related things in the media because that is really helping our community! Thank you for reading and happy Endometriosis Awareness Month and remember, Endo is not the End!