What can you do to help others with Endometriosis? March is Endometriosis awareness month! Can you do something?

For many of us, we hide from the fact that we have Endoemtriosis. We certainly don’t want others to know about it. It would be embarrassing to tell people. Most of the people at work probably don’t even know you have it, right? It is too hard to explain and besides what would be the point of telling them?

The thing is, there are girls around you, in every social situation that you are in, work, at the gym, through friends of friends and even within your own family that may have the condition of Endometriosis or have symptoms indicating it could be endo. You opening up to others about having Endometriosis could allow other girls to share that they might also have it, or might have symptoms of it. If someone doesn’t know what it is, you can explain it to them and then, you have another person that is now informed about it.

Every person that we inform, helps to spread the word about the condition. The next time a girl is faced with the drooling waiting game of painful periods or lower abdominal pain with no explanation from doctors and someone overhears her pleas or recognises her cries, they would know that there is a condition that signals it could be Endometriosis. They can help her to get an answer. The same answer that maybe took you, 1 year, 2 years or even 10years to get a proper diagnosis on. Information and knowledge is something that spreads through people sharing.

I know it sounds really scary at first to tell people about your Endo but here are some of the ways I often get into conversation about it:

• Special diet. This is usually an instant topic opener as people think I am just being fussy. They ask me why I am gluten free or don’t eat dairy and I simply say: I suffer from Endometriosis and these aggravate the condition.
• Bladder infections. I know I started a whole long friendship from one conversation about bladder infections. A girl at work said she needed to go to the toilet and said it with some urgency in her voice. When she came back she made a comment about why it was so crucial that she goes straight away. She was about to dismiss it as “just one of those things” and I started chatting to her a little more about her bladder situation. I asked her about other symptoms and shared my personal experience. She eventually went to a Gynaechologist and he confirmed she had Endometriosis. So, without recognising that “desperately needing to go” was a symptom, she would have never known there was anything wrong.
• Period pain. We girls all know how to broach this topic but it is a great one to open the doors on whether they might have endo.

I know for most of us these things are daunting. Talking to a complete stranger about your endo is somehow silly. The thing is, you could have a truly worthwhile friend by sharing. Imagine how much better you and your new endo friend would feel by just having eachother!

Here is a great way to describe Endometriosis to those around you:

“Endometriosis is a women’s condition. It affects our uterus. Basically we have cysts which form inside of our uterus which leads to adhesions and pain. It is usually worst at that time of the month but it can get worse at other times as well.”

You don’t need to get into more detail than that unless people want to know more. I found this explanation works well for men to – especially the bit about it being a women’s condition. They don’t really want to hear much more detail anyways after that!

So, I hope this encourages you to do your little bit. If you only tell one stranger a day and every other girls with endo tells a stranger a day, that works out to a fabulously large…. without doing the maths …. huge quantity of girls knowing what it is and if they might have it.

We can all do our bit. In some cases it might be a little bit, like joining a group to petition or sign up to a cause. Or it might be to share with some strangers. For most of us though, we can probably do much more. Many of us have contacts we perhaps don’t realise have great influence on others.

Here are some bigger ideas of things you could try to really make a difference:

• If you belong to a church. Share your experience with those in your church group. Perhaps in the newsletter or even in a sermon.
• Start an Endometriosis support group in your area. – I am starting one shortly. It will not only help other girls but it will help you heaps too
• Create some flyers about what Endometriosis is and ask your doctors surgery if you can leave some in the office.
• Write to the local paper or newsletter and ask if you can publish and article about what Endometriosis is and what the symptoms are.  – if you want to do this and want some help, I am more than happy to give you some article ideas!
• Get on YouTube and share your story with others – let me know and I will add you to my favourites to help spread the word.

Thing is, it all comes back to individual people to help spread the word. If we all did our bit and got active about getting the word out there, than other girls wouldn’t have to suffer as much as we might have done or still are!

Here’s some easy ways to get involved and help out!

Stamp out Endometriosis

Get Oprah to do a show on Endo

Helping others is the greatest gift you can ever receive!

I hope you do your best!