Endo Warrior is a term I quickly discovered while researching endometriosis. Throughout blog posts and youtube videos, I quickly became familiar with that phrase. What comes to your mind when you think of a warrior? I envision this strong, built person – a confident, swift, vigilant leader. Truly, the epitome of living with endometriosis.
Endometriosis affects us all differently. We may have similar symptoms, but the rate at which we experience or deal with them differs. Initially, when I got my period, everything was okay. It was not until I kept experiencing more debilitating pain, month after month, that I assumed something was wrong.
Life With Endometriosis
Personally, living with endometriosis is a struggle for me. My symptoms include headaches, mood swings, nausea, pelvic pain, leg pain, and sciatica pain. The intensity and frequency of my symptoms vary, yet they are exasperated during my menstrual cycle. Although, some months are better than others and I can maneuver through my period with ease.
However, in other months I am at my wit’s end due to the pain I experience. Every month, in addition to my period, I also experience ovulation pain which honestly makes me question what is more painful; my period or ovulation.
The Effects of Endometriosis
Ovulation pain begins a day or two after my period ends. I experience specific symptoms such as leg, back, and sciatica pain. The leg pain I experience causes inflammation in my knees and triggers sciatic pain. The pain is bilateral, so during ovulation, I limp and walk at a slower pace. The pain associated with ovulation is intense. Uterine cramps are sharper and happen deep inside the uterus and vagina.
Next, endometriosis affects our physical strength, but our emotional and mental strength is affected too. Endometriosis causes mood swings and brain fog, which can interfere with daily activities. I get both mood swings and brain fog. The mood swings I experience around and during my period are something serious. My mom would always tell me how nasty I get during my period. Brain fog is what it sounds like I lose focus and can not remember things constantly during my period.
Warrior Woman
Living with endometriosis is not fun! The pain is crippling and debilitating. Anyone dealing with endometriosis is a courageous individual. We suffer in silence, often not wanting to discuss our symptoms, yet we tackle and conquer daily living to the best of our abilities. When you hear someone has endometriosis, do not insult our struggle by saying it is just a painful period. We are warriors! Strong, resilient people who fight through unimaginable pain every day.