Positivity For People Suffering From Endometriosis

THAT IS NOT NORMAL OR HEALTHY

It turns out your period should actually make you feel just vaguely sick and sore, with mild cramping when you pass a clot. MILD. As in “easily beaten by 2 ibuprofen and a large coffee.”

You should feel tired or gross, sure, but not in agony. If the cramps are worse significantly worse than a headache, you have a problem

The agonies are NOT HEALTHY.

Please contact a doctor, ideally a gyno you trust, and tell them about this cramping. Be clear that you are dealing with a level of pain you normally associate with grievous injury. 8+ on the pain scale.

“Oh it’s not that bad” YOU ARE ROLEPLAYING A DYING MAN TO COPE YES IT IS THAT BAD

And I’m willing to bet that you’re passing more than a typical amount of blood, too. Did you know that you shouldn’t EVER fill a menstrual cup to capacity in the course of a normal 8 hour work day? That if you have tampon or pad leakage in under 4 hours, you’re “flooding” (passing blood too quickly to be absorbed).

These, too, are not healthy. But most people don’t know what a “normal” period even is. Especially since these symptoms often start around age 12, when adults are busy obsessively telling you to grow up and that it’s “not that bad” so that most of us with problems internalize that we are weak, not that we need help.

There is help.

There are treatments.

In my case, it was a simple matter of changing a single medication. It turns out, menstruation is supposed to suck because you’re vaguely lightheaded and your hormones are wacked out.

It’s NOT supposed to make you enter psychotic episodes or torture you like an open wound.

It’s not necessarily endometriosis. It could be a different condition.

But get tested for it and it has to be someone who specializes in it, be it a single doctor or a center.

If a gynecologist has told you before they “see nothing” suggesting the cause of your dysmenorrhea/excruciating cramping, get visited AGAIN by one who specializes in endometriosis. If you’re scared of internal visits/transvaginals (the ones with the wand) because they hurt, tell said gynecologist and ask if painkillers might be appropriate. A lot of the people they visit are in pain during the visit and that doctor knows what you’re talking about. Also, you deserve to have your concerns heard anyway, but if you experience this you’re not crazy, broken, or being too sensitive.

While we’re here, learn about the main symptoms of endometriosis and consider whether or not one or more apply to you. Note that not all cases involve all of these symptoms - some people who get diagnosed with the condition experience only one or a few of these:

“pain during sex” is also called dispareunia and means pain in your vagina if anything is inserted and/or pushes against the walls, is at certain angles/depths, etc.

“period pain that stops you from doing normal activities” still counts if sometimes you can still force yourself to do something (like work) but you have to be heavily drugged and/or are in agony.

I often find that the language used to describe pelvic pain can be a bit vague, especially because it tends to focus on pain over a larger area (tummy, lower back, like soreness) as opposed to pain concentrated in a small area (as in burning/pointy pain). For me, the worst of it feels/felt like being speared right through the area where my tailbone is, to the point that I learnt to avoid plopping down on chairs even when distracted so that it wouldn’t spike when I did. So keep in mind that pelvic pain can feel a number of ways and isn’t necessarily all over your lower back.

Does anyone with endo get really nauseous with bowel movements?

It’s getting worse and worse after stopping birth control and having periods again, and both ovaries are clearly different cycles and different problems.

Should I just get back on?

I really struggle to see myself as 'disabled' and not just 'making a fuss'/faking/being weak. I have endometriosis with chronic pain, chronic anxiety, and I'm hoping I'll get an autism diagnosis at some point... it is disabling, I can't walk for long periods or stand for long periods, exercise hurts, and sometimes just 'being' hurts. I'm writing this to reinforce that it is real and I'm not faking and it's OK to call myself disabled.

Oh absolutely!!! If you have endo or PCOS birth control is a LIFE SAVER!!!

Ask your OBGYN/doc which kind is right for you, you may have to take a blood test for a hormone panel, and see which options you have. The pill comes in both estrogen and progesterone I believe and is often the cheapest/free option.

Okay

For those who get periods, which is the most effective way to stop cramps? (For you personally, not via google)

Please reblog if you vote, I need a decent sample size

You can combine ibuprofen and acetaminophen, but READ THE LABEL AND FOLLOW THE DOSAGES! I keep timers on my phone so I know when I can take another dose. If you stagger when you take them you can pretty much have consistent coverage.

Heating pads are very good if you can be stationary for a while, otherwise buy some heating patches.

Running can help. I do not like running.

If you experience painful periods please please speak with a gyno about that. Some birth controls can stop your periods completely, or at least alleviate some of the pain. And be sure to be checked for endometriosis and pcos

All together these are better than doing nothing considering I don’t pass out lol!

Anyway happy endometriosis awareness month