Endo Community: Are We Going About This The Wrong Way?

I'm going to address something that I feel has gotten out of hand with the Endo Warriors and give my own little two cents of commentary on the movement. If you're easily pissed off or offended, you can just stop here if you want and I wish you a beautiful pain free day.

Ok, so I think the movement is a wonderful thing, don't get me wrong. It's great that we're getting press and awareness and even a little funding that has been so lacking in the past 20 years. Endo is a horrible disease and needs to be addressed.

What has begun to bother me is that some of us Endo Warriors have begun to get a little "high and mighty", if you know what I mean. As Icon for Hire so truthfully stated:

We throw tantrums like parties

We're not happy until everyone knows we're sick.

And that's just how we like it

We've hurt bad enough, right?

We've earned this.

Often I've heard Endo sisters talking about how they hurt so bad and how it bugs them when other girls complain about their period cramps. I mean, those cramps aren't real, right? I have REAL cramps! She doesn't know! Her pain doesn't compare to MINE.

Well, what if she is un-diagnosed Endo? Or fibroids? Or PCOS? And even if they are just normal cramps, you know, cramps are annoying and she doesn't feel good right now. Just because you're pain may be worse than someone else's pain doesn't mean they can't feel bad. That's like saying just because someone may have things better than someone else doesn't mean the second person can't feel happy. Does that make any sense?

And when we rant and rave about how horrible we have it and how our pain is "worse than cancer" or "worse than getting kicked in the nuts" (by the way, who came up with that fact?! Show me a person who has Endo and has experienced the pain of getting kicked in the nuts!) than we just end up annoying people and sounding like whiners! Maybe there's a reason why the Endo community has been labeled pill poppers.

Don't get me wrong. I know it hurts. I have curled up in a ball on my bed crying on pain meds with a heating pad. Ok. I've been debilitated by the pain. I've passed out, thrown up, and seen stars. I KNOW its real and its bad.

But how does "bragging" about how horrible we have it help us? What does that accomplish?

I think we need to focus on positive awareness and on being proactive in DOING SOMETHING to raise funds and work towards research and a cure. Give an educational talk and host a fundraiser to raise awareness instead of complaining on Facebook about how crappy you feel and calling it awareness. That's not awareness, that's annoying. And ultimately it gives our cause a bad stereotype and hurts us more anyway.

Does that make any sense?

Anyway. Just a thought. Just my two cents.

Said goodbye to Casey last night until next Friday. It will be the first time we've ever gone a whole week without talking to each other. At the same time, I know that he will have so much fun and that this will be so good for him, so I am thankful and grateful that he has this opportunity.

On a brighter note, I get to hang out with my bestie all day today! So pumped and excited to see her and her mom and sister. They've all been with me through this from the get go and we've been best friends for almost 13 years now. I don't know how I'd go through life without her.

Mom and Auntie Edna debating on who made
the old needlework

Nervous about the sketchiness of workout schedule today, especially since I didn't get to work out yesterday. I mean, I helped my Aunt Bettie move, so I guess there was a lot of walking around and carrying of boxes, but that feels more like physical activity to me, not "workout".

There was also a surprise lunch at Olive Garden yesterday, which I am proud to say I handled gracefully and tactfully. Tackled that soup and salad like a pro and had a good day with the Aunties.