This post was originally published on March 5, 2018 and updated on March 22, 2021.

Ok, friends, we are going to get real personal real fast today.

Growing up, well, I was a bit of a late bloomer. And when that day came, that day that my friends had already experienced, that day that claims your childhood and makes you a young woman, that day when you experience your first menstrual cycle…well, it was like mother nature was making up for lost time.

Because my periods, they came with a vengeance. I remember thinking, “Why me? Why are my periods so awful and my friends don’t even seem to mind theirs?”

My periods were HEAVY. And they were PAINFUL.

A couple days before my flow would start I would experience intense lower back pain, sometimes with pain shooting down my legs.

And the cramps. Well…they were KILLER.

When the cramps kicked in, it was all I could do to not double over in pain. I’d often get ghostly pale, sweaty with the chills, and nauseous to the point of throwing up. The pain was that intense.

I popped Advil like they were Skittles. I would remain in the bathroom for hours, just hunched over on the toilet. If I curled up in a ball with a heating pad, then the pain was a bit more bearable. My cramps would even wake me from a dead sleep in the middle of the night. I’d bloat up like a balloon, seriously going up a pants’ size or two, so elastic waistbands were a wardrobe staple for the week.

Oh, and did I mention the migraines?

This was my typical period. Every month, like clockwork.

Sure, I got good at managing it; it’s what you do when it’s your normal. I did my best to still live a regular teenage and college life, but I did miss school once in awhile, and I certainly baled on some social events during my cycle.

But, this normal, it has stayed with me through adulthood. I’ve had to call in sick to work, I’ve curled up in the fetal position on my office floor, Wildland Man and I’ve had to rearrange entire vacation plans around my cycle, and I’ve cancelled an unknown number of commitments by now.

I mean…this is normal, right?

My Endo Story

I thought it was. Well, it was at least my normal. Something I had come to terms with and learned to deal with over the years.

But, here I sit, a college-educated woman in her mid-thirties, admitting to you, that now I know, these killer cramps…they are NOT NORMAL.

As I think back now, I do remember running to my mama when that first period came. I was terrified of what was happening to my young body. The massive volume of blood. The agonizing, debilitating pain. The abnormality in comparison to my peers.

And, Mama, she loved on me. She comforted me month after month. She was understanding and accepting of the pain I was experiencing. She even stood up for me when others didn’t believe me.

But she also told me what she knew to be true. That heavy, painful periods run in our family. And apparently, I just happened to draw the short straw in the genetics game when it came to my menstrual cycle.

So, yeah, I learned to live with my normal. Month after month. Year after year.

Until now.

Let me clarify…I am not sharing my horror story of my painful periods to gain your sympathies. Rather, I’m writing this for understanding.

Are you that fortunate woman who barely experiences cramping during her cycle? Have you ever caught yourself thinking a friend may be exaggerating their menstrual symptoms?

It’s ok, I get it; you can’t know what you don’t know.

But I’m here to tell you, odds are, your friend isn’t lying. Your daughter may really get physically sick during her cycle. Your sister may need to cancel plans when she is overcome with fatigue.

I’m sharing my story for two purposes today.

1. 1) To help you recognize the symptoms of endometriosis in yourself or your loved ones. To help you understand what your friend may be going through.
2. 2) For awareness…awareness of endometriosis.

Because, endometriosis has become a part of my story.

All those years of laying in the fetal position on the bathroom floor, playing sports through the fatigue, keeping my composure when my hormones were out of whack and spiraling me into a depression…

…I just learned to deal.

In receiving my recent diagnosis of endometriosis, I felt a weird sense of relief amid the disappointment.

Because, all of a sudden, with the assessment of my doctor, my normal wasn’t…normal anymore. My pain was justified. It was ok to admit the hurt that came with my periods every month. It wasn’t my fault or a weakness. It was a real thing, a real condition that I suffer from.

And while the realization that I have endometriosis is still sinking in, and the complexity of the situation that this puts me in is too deep to explore in one blog post, there is gratification in knowing I’m not crazy. I’m not making this stuff up.

Now, with a diagnosis, I am empowered to learn as much as possible, change what I can, and move forward with knowledge and acceptance.

For twenty-plus years, I didn’t have that. I felt alone, and isolated at times, because no one “got it.”

So, What is Endometriosis?

Since my diagnosis, the question I get most often is “What exactly is endometriosis?”

Dr. Tamer Seckin, a world-renowned laparoscopic deep-excision endometriosis surgeon, shares this definition on his website:

“Endometriosis is a female disease in which endometrial-like tissue is found outside of the uterus in other parts of the body…This tissue, which normally lines the uterus, is associated with monthly menstruation and is often characterized by abnormal painful and heavy periods, as well as pelvic pain, severe cramps, and pain with sex.” Tamer Seckin, MD, Seckin Endometriosis Center 

Endometriosis.org states that endometriosis affects millions of women worldwide, an estimated 1 in 10 women experience endometriosis during their reproductive years. There is no known cause and no known cure.

Family history and genetics most likely play a part in developing endometriosis. It is often misdiagnosed as IBS or written off as a regular heavy period. And endometriosis accounts for a staggering number of infertility cases in women.

Not every woman with endometriosis experiences the same symptoms or pain level. And while there are four defined stages of endometriosis, the degree of pain an individual experiences is not necessarily directly correlated to the stage of endometriosis that individual has.

Endometriosis can go unnoticed for years.

Raising Endo Awareness

So, why am I sharing this deeply personal diagnosis of endometriosis with you today?

Well, March is Endometriosis Awareness Month.

As I’ve had some time to grapple with my diagnosis, though I’m still very much in the emotional struggle of this reality, I recognize that if Country Wife Chronicles is going to serve a greater purpose, it may be in this part of my story.

Deeper waters, remember? 

If I’m honest, no, this part of my story is not really one I want to talk a whole lot about. But I refuse to stand in God’s way. This story for His glory. 

So, if that means I need to face this raw, emotional aspect of my life. This painful reality I’m facing…then I’ll do it. To raise Endometriosis Awareness.

Because, out there, someone reading this knows a friend that experiences similar pain with her periods. A mother knows her daughter isn’t exaggerating her symptoms every month.

“A general lack of awareness by both women and health care providers, due to a “normalisation” of symptoms, results in a significant delay from when a woman first experiences symptoms until she eventually is diagnosed and treated [for endometriosis.]” (Endometriosis.org, Facts About Endometriosis)

I’ve told every single doctor I’ve ever had about my extreme pain during my periods.

I’ve been told to take Midol instead of Advil, because that would help get rid of the pain. I was told my period was normal, heavy—sure, but normal, because it was regular every single month. I was told my ovaries were posterior and that was the cause of my significant lower back pain. I was put on birth control to help manage my heavy, painful periods in college. I was told endometriosis wasn’t a concern for me because I didn’t experience severe pain during intercourse. I was even told, “you would know if you had endometriosis.”

So, yeah, I was shocked to find out I not only had endometriosis, I have the most advanced stage. In short, my reproductive organs are literally a mess of endometriosis adhesions and scar tissue.

I believe my story would be different if only I was diagnosed sooner.

I likely had endometriosis from the get-go, from that very first painful period. Meaning I’ve suffered while my endometriosis has spread for the past 20 years.

You know your body best.

Your friend deserves to be heard.

Your daughter needs you to help her advocate for her health.

If you think you or someone you love might have endometriosis, push for a diagnosis. Today. Not next year or when the pain gets worse. Because an early diagnosis can make a world of difference when it comes to quality of life and fertility.

In spreading endometriosis awareness, maybe those affected will be able to recognize symptoms earlier, get properly diagnosed, and come up with a plan to make the necessary changes to work with their body in finding healing. Sooner than later.

Because, unfortunately, I’m in the later group. I’m the thirty-something who got diagnosed with endometriosis when she was finally ready to start a family. Endo is a roadblock for me right now. And it sucks.

I created these social media graphics to help spread the word on endometriosis. Would you consider sharing them with your social media friends? Just click any one of the graphics below, save the image, and share it to your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. (The quality and size is best if you click to download the image before sharing to social media platforms.)

Or check out CWC’s social media sites and share, like, and comment to get the conversations going about endo awareness.

Share this info about endometriosis with your friends, family, and acquaintances.

Because I’ll be honest. Country Wife Chronicles, she is tiny. And while I absolutely adore my devoted readers, we are numbered in the few.

If my story of endometriosis is to be shared for His glory and to help others suffering with the same, it needs a further outreach.

And that is where you come in. If we all share, our number reached grows. We can be mighty in sharing endometriosis awareness with the world.

Endo Resources

Before closing out this post today I want to share a few more resources with you. I’m not a doctor and I’m definitely not an expert on endometriosis just because I have it. I’ll leave the rest of the facts on endometriosis to the professionals:

• “What is endometriosis? Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments,” Endometriosis Foundation of America 
• “Endometriosis Definition, Stages, Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments,” Seckin Endometriosis Center
• “What it Really Means to Have Endometriosis,” Vital Health Endometriosis Center
• Worldwide Endometriosis March

If you know someone suffering from endo, let them know you care, you understand, and now, you “get it.” This road is tough to go alone. And send ‘em my way, cause I could use an endo sister these days…

[UPDATE]

Country Wife Chronicles is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

I wanted to share something special with you, dear readers. I had the opportunity to invite you into my personal story of endometriosis and infertility via an upcoming book to be released a bit later this spring. The book, (In)Fertility: Secrets, Struggles, & Successes, is written by several authors and I was invited to share my story in its entirety in one of the chapters! I am able to share my story from my viewpoint, much like I have here on Country Wife Chronicles, but in an all-inclusive way that I haven’t done before. This story represents my path to Intentional Fertility, it is me inviting you into the fold to really understand what infertility feels like and what, if anything, you can do about it if you are faced with that difficult diagnosis as well. Be sure to sign up for CWC’s email newsletter to be the first to hear of the book’s release–in both digital and print form. I think you’ll glean so much from the neighborhood of women authors sharing personal stories and professional insights and I would be honored if you to chose to purchase a copy for yourself or someone you know that may be facing their own journey through the infertility valley. 

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Be Still & Know…

DISCLAIMER: While I make every effort to share current and correct information here on Country Wife Chronicles, I am not an expert on endometriosis and I am still learning. I am simply sharing my story and the resources I’ve found to be helpful in this journey I am on. I welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors. In reading this blog, you agree to not use this material as medical advice to treat any condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be experiencing.