Endometriosis Awareness Month 3/1/24
March is endometriosis awareness month. A in-depth testimony of the devastating impact of endometriosis and the medical bias experienced. No woman should feel alone or made to think they are crazy because a doctor can’t treat them properly.
Today is March 1st. This is recognized as the start of endometriosis awareness month.
As blessed as we are for a month of awareness this should not be the only time we are aware of the devastating effects of endometriosis.
Endometriosis affects millions of women and their day to day lives. This disease is crippling and debilitating. Many women are taken to their knees literally from the pain caused by this disease.
Endo has been shown to have the same amount if not greater than a heart attack. Now imagine having the pain of a heart attack but it never goes away. From the moment you wake up to the minute you close your eyes pain is dictating every second of your day.
The pain is overwhelming.
Endometriosis affects not only the reproductive system but is a whole body disease. Endometriosis tissue has been found on every organ in the body including the brain.
Many women will suffer from devastating infertility, multiple surgeries, GI issues (constipation, vomiting, food intolerance, etc), neurological symptoms (migraines, double vision and nerve pain), horrific periods, ovulation and PMS. The list of symptoms is so dense and doesn’t even cover the emotional distress caused.
1 in 9 women suffer in silence from endo with a minimum of 7-10 years before being properly diagnosed. There are no treatments that help endo and there is not a cure.
We must do better as a society to stop minimizing and stereotyping women who are suffering from this brutal disease.
Endo sufferers are also plagued with other diseases, many autoimmune due to the harsh disruption of the nervous system and the wear and tear on the body.
This is unacceptable medical treatment of women let alone not good enough for the generation of little girls who unfortunately will suffer with endo. We must do better for them. We must find a cure. We will be heard.
I will not sit in silence!!
Endometriosis is not just a “bad” period.
Goal Setting With Chronic Illness
New Year’s resolutions are in season. It’s hard to set habits but tis’ the season for positive change. For spoonies it can be hard for day to day task but we don’t have to live in a on going negative cycle in our illness. 2024 is our year for prosperity and here is a guide to help set up a productive year!
New year…Same Body
The new year can be hard for us spoonies. We see all the goal setting videos and the videos on how to lose weight to become your best self.
Some of these videos can make us feel very low about ourselves like we aren’t doing enough or we aren’t working hard enough.
Maybe we set goals that aren’t realistic for our bodies to fit the social pressure image. We don’t have the “body” the influencers and social media shows us. We can get into a negative spiral about ourselves and our bodies.
We don’t have to fit the narrative of the world. So how do we go into the new year without making it already feel impossible and not worth setting any goals?
Meet yourself where you are now
What I mean by this is to take note of how your body was this year. How many times did we have a flare? How many times were we Sick?
Now that we took account, what is one way can we improve our health? Is that taking a vitamin daily you’ve been putting off? Maybe it is as simple as setting a better medication regimen.
Set simple short and long term goals
When setting short term goals make sure this is something you can achieve within a couple weeks/months. Don’t make complex but something simple that is obtainable
When setting long term goals, have it follow suit to your short term goals. This allows for baby steps to the long term goal making it easier to achieve while fulfilling short term goals in the process
Separate goals into sections
For myself I do sections for short term, long term goals for my main objectives
For example I separate them out into categories.
Self improvement Goals
Mental health Goals
Financial Goals
Physical Goals
Spiritual Goals
Relationship Goals
I also write a couple Goals as bonus ones if I achieve is just a plus
Remember these goals are for your own growth. Stepping outside comfort zones and stepping into better self discovery.
You are going to make great strides and achieve some goals and others you might not, which is okay.
Give yourself grace. Give yourself some credit for even stepping into a new year having made it through the past year.
This isn’t a race or competition. Be kind to yourself and your body.
Having chronic illness is one of the most difficult things to live with and live through. However, we are still here and our impact and time here on the earth matters!
You got this! You can do it. We are in this together!
This is our Healing Era 2023
Xoxo beautiful souls
Ræ