Teen With Suspected Endometriosis
Recently, I published a post regarding a 13 year old with suspected endometriosis. There was a warm outpouring of support from readers to her. Since it is Endometriosis Awareness Month and since so very many endometriosis patients’ symptoms start at young ages, I thought it would be well worth republishing the post and the many thoughtful, detailed, supportive comments that readers posted to the teen in the following post.
Please be sure to read the comments. Even if you saw the post when it was originally published, you may not have seen all of the follow-up comments that followed.
Post on teen with suspected endometriosis:
It is wonderful to see an outpouring of support in a situation like this. Together, chronic illness patients (regardless of their specific diagnosis) can band together and support each other. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their supportive and thoughtful words with this 13 year old who is in so much pain.
There is hope and there is support. There are many people who care. You are not alone.
This post was written by Jeanne at http://chronichealing.com. Copyright © Jeanne — chronichealing.com. All rights reserved.
“Peace is not something you wish for; it’s something you make, something you do, something you are, and something you give away.” ~~ Robert Fulghum
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Amanda
Jenn
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7 comments
Jeanne, I will check it out. Thanks for letting me know!
xo
Jannie Funster´s last blog ..The Blog Party (a poem)
Jannie,
Thank you. It saddens me that so many girls are suffering with such serious symptoms.
Jeanne
xo
Indeed it is very sad… I was talking to a friend at work today and she was saying she doesn’t know how I deal with all the effects endo has on my life and I pointed out to her that half the time I don’t even think about the way I “deal” with the symptoms because I have had it for so long that it is “normal” for me… for me it is far harder to imagine life *without* the pain, irregular, heavy bleeding, worry about fertility etc
That being said, I also told her about how terrifying it was as a young teenager trying to deal with the exact same symptoms, having no idea why I was in such unbearable pain, why my mum was angry (I thought she was angry with me, but now I know it is because she was angry at herself because she felt guilty that she had “passed it on”… which I told her is a load of *****, but she still felt that guilt and the pain of not being able to stop me going through it). I also remember the pain when friends would tell me to “get over it”, would roll their eyes when I said I had been off school for my periods (that even happened when I was in Russia as a 20 year old, we know it will always happen, but by then I was able to deal with it and know that I wasn’t making a fuss over nothing)… being a young teenager and not understanding this pain, why you are different, wondering whether you really are just “weak” and “making a fuss over nothing” and long before you figure out (by painful trial and error) what actually works for you… which painkillers are most effective without making you vomit, whether heat, exercise, certain foods etc make it better or worse… and so it goes on… not to mention the mental peace and ability to cope that you start to build up as you get older…
For me, my endo still causes me immense physical, emotional and mental agony, but I am far more equipped to deal with it now that I am older. I would never wish to go back to those teen years, which we all must admit are hard enough at times, and have to deal with an unexplained/undiagnosed condition such as endo.
My heart goes out to all those who are suffering, but particularly those who are young.
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Amanda,
It’s funny how some people (like your friend from work) have some understanding of how challenging chronic illnesses can be to manage while others can have no clue. It’s true that when you live with symptoms long enough, they can become a new normal of sorts.
I’m sorry your mother got angry (which you perceived as anger at you). It’s too bad that she got angry at herself. I’m sorry about your friends rolling their eyes. They very clearly didn’t get it.
It really is very difficult to cope with at a young age. It’s hard enough for adults! Like you indicated, it takes time to find a sense of peace and to develop effective coping mechanisms.
I agree with you that dealing with it all as a teen is worse than when one is an adult (with life experience that translates into more developed coping skills, resources, education, etc). The not knowing what is wrong is really tough. I remember being relieved when I got a diagnosis because I finally had proof it wasn’t “in my head”… and hope for relief of symptoms.
Jeanne
Hey I have endo and I’m 19 years old I have stagE 4 and it has taking a dragstic impact on my life.I need help dealing with this and sum 1 to talk to
Welcome vanit!
If you are looking for fellow endometriosis patients, you’ve come to the right place! There are many wonderful, supportive, informative endometriosis patients who read and comment on this blog regularly. If you could share a bit more about your situation, it will increase the chances someone who can relate will see it; I might even be able to steer you towards people who are struggling with similar (specific) issues that “match” yours. (Endometriosis is a pretty broad category. It affects different people differently). If you haven’t already, please check out the various endometriosis-related posts on my blog. (There are hundreds of them). I look forward to hearing from you again soon and hope that you find this a safe place to turn for support and information!
Jeanne
P.S. I have lived with endo for 28 years. So, if you need an ear… you have already figured out where to find me.
vanit,
Please keep us posted on how things are going and how readers here might be able to support you.
Thanks,
Jeanne
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