
We can all think back to when we got our first period. I can remember being shocked that every woman I knew went through this on a monthly basis. I said to myself, “This is a trip and I want a refund!”
Just as I did, you experienced a mixture of uncertainty, fear and some physical discomfort as well. If you had questions, especially If you grew up before Google, the answer was probably, “It’s just a part of being a woman”. When does “a part of being a woman” or regular menstrual cramps cross the line into a medical condition?
Many women and young girls are suffering with agonizing pain and they believe that it’s the norm. Well, I’m here to say, "It’s not." I’m thankful that the woman I call “Ma” knew that my pains were abnormal. She accompanied me to countless appointments, and fought to find answers. As a high school junior, my sights were set on prom, running track, and college applications, but in the same year I was diagnosed with endometriosis.
What is Endometriosis?
When you have your period (Aunt Flo, Crimson Tide, Big Red or whatever you like to call it), the lining of the uterus sheds and exits your body. With endometriosis, some of the lining sheds, attaches, and grows in places like the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, pelvis and in rare cases the lungs!
