I FIGHT LIKE A GIRL!

As many of you know I'm training for a triathlon with my sister Elizabeth. As I have been training I have my good days and bad. Today was rough. I went for a simple jog around the neighborhood which ended in me hobbling back home.

This month is endometriosis awareness month and I thought it seemed fitting to write a little bit about my accomplishments and set backs with endo. Today was a BIG set back. It hurt not only my body, but also brought down my mind set. I kept telling myself to push through the pain, but how far do you push when you know you could make it all so much worse and end up not even being able to walk the rest of the way home.

Feb 17, 2011 was my surgery where they gave me the diagnosis that I was not expecting at all of endometriosis. I went through all the stages of grief and finally feel like for the most part I am FINALLY able to cope with this disease. Yup that's right. Endo is a disease that effects millions of women all across the world.

It's been a year filled with many tears of pain and many tears of joy.

Last year I ran my first 5k which was a huge deal for me because it was shortly after my surgery and I literally didn't know if I could do it. I proved to myself that I can and that I am so amazing!

Endo has opened doors for new friends across the country. It has been fun to blog and swap stories. I am always amazing at how these women are just so AWESOME! They never give up and WE never stop fighting.

Endo does hurt and has sometimes put a strain on my relationship only because I just can't always function the way I want to it's easy for me to take it out on Jamie. He thankfully is very patient with me and understanding. He always fights for me and along side me.

Sometimes with the pain it sets me back at work because I try and go go go (I do work in an ER and that's how it goes), but the pain often won't allow me to. I often have to sit and take a time out. My coworkers look at me like I'm crazy, but it's been an opportunity to share my story and help educate others about the disease.

What endometriosis is to me... It's a disease that has made it's way into my life whether I like it or not. Doctors do not know how endo first comes about. They do know that endo is very much connected to estrogen in the body and with a women's period and the hormones it causes the endo to "flair" up and grown. I have suffered a lot of pain, but try to cover it up so people don't know because it's down right embarrassing. People are so easy to judge and sometimes it's easier to pretend everything is okay then try and tell someone you have a disease that is "invisible" to the naked eye. Endometriosis scares me because I don't know what will happen when I try and have babies. I don't know how it will impact me trying to have a child, but I do know and believe that it's in God's hands.

So far my journey with endo has been rough, but I'm learning every day and have had a great chance to learn so much more about my body and hormones and how everything triggers off each other. I am so glad to know I'm not alone in this journey.

For those of you out there reading about endometriosis for the first time PLEASE, PLEASE take a minute to read up on this disease that effects so many women around you that you know. Please help me educate others about the impact of this disease. Please think before you judge someone. You may not be able to see the pain or the disease they are struggling with. Please do a little reading and support those that have this disease by learning about it and not being so quick to judge.

I FIGHT LIKE A GIRL!