When you are diagnosed with a chronic illness such as endometriosis it can be a tough diagnosis to accept because a lot of the time people don’t understand the complexities of the disease and think it’s just a bad period. Endometriosis is a chronic full-body disease that affects many women which occurs when the tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus. Endometriosis is a common disease that affects about five to ten percent of women and can be managed with medication and surgery but there is no cure. When you have endometriosis, it is common to have more painful periods than someone without the condition, but period cramps are only one symptom of endometriosis because it is a full-body disease that can affect any major organ in your body causing damage that cannot be repaired. I was recently diagnosed with endometriosis and do have more painful periods like many people with the condition but you stop getting symptoms after you get your period and it’s constant management. What are some invisible challenges that people with endometriosis face? In this post, I am going to talk about some of the invisible challenges that I sometimes struggle with that you didn’t realize are endometriosis.
Constant pain and fatigue- People often think that when you have endometriosis that you only get pain on your period and are feeling great every other time and I only wish that was true, but the reality is many people experience chronic pelvic pain 24/7 that only gets worse on your period. I suspected that I might have endometriosis before I was diagnosed because I had chronic pelvic that got worse on my period but never went away completely. I never get a break from pain and am in pain all of the time which has changed the way I dress and I no longer exercise in the same way because it often triggers more pain. My pain and fatigue become unbearable when I am on my period, but it doesn’t go away after I get my period and it only becomes a little less. Some people with earlier stages of endometriosis do not experience pain but a lot of people do and are in pain constantly even though it’s not always easy to see. All women get cramps on their period but people with endometriosis pain experience pain and fatigue on a much more extreme level that people without the condition will never understand. I can barely function when the pain gets bad and if the pain doesn’t prevent me from doing things the fatigue does.
More difficulty going to the bathroom- Endometriosis can sometimes get misdiagnosed as a UTI infection or IBS because blood in your urine and constipation are common symptoms that a lot of doctors don’t think could be endometriosis. When you have Spina Bifida, bladder or bowel problems are common because these functions often do not work properly which can make it a little more challenging to diagnose because people with Spina Bifida are prone to UTI’s and constipation is not usually a red flag. When I first started experiencing symptoms the first thing I noticed was a slight change in my bladder and bowel function and I felt the urge to pee more, and it took me a little longer to have a bowel movement which could not be related at all but it’s not something you can completely rule out. Endometriosis is not something that only affects your periods because it is common for it to affect other major organs such as your bladder and bowel. It does not always affect your bladder and bowel function but if you are noticing changes especially on or close to your period it is something to consider.
Bloating after meals– Bloating is an unfortunate common issue for people with endometriosis because sometimes you can have endometrial tissue that builds up in your abdomen, which causes painful swelling, and sometimes going to the bathroom on your period is more difficult. In some cases, bloating can be very severe and very noticeable, which can make some people very self-conscious about their bodies. I experience some bloating during and after my period, like most women, but it’s not usually that serious, and most of the time I barely even notice it. Bloating and constipation are something that I have dealt with my entire life, and are not usually a red flag unless it’s severe, because my bowels do not work properly, and I get constipated often. I have found that the best way to manage bloating is by moving my body as much as possible because the worst thing you can do when you are bloated is do nothing. I love to do short walks after meals because it helps improve my digestion, which often eliminates or lessens the pain. It can be hard to want to move when you have severe, painful bloating, and a lot of people do not want to move because of pain, but if you want to get some relief, it’s so important that you do. You don’t have to do anything super intense because even a short five-minute walk will make a huge difference. Never underestimate the power of movement because sometimes the reason you are bloated is that you don’t move enough.
People with endometriosis often have more painful periods than someone without the disease but period cramps are only one challenge of endometriosis because you can experience pain outside of your period. Some people with endometriosis have not symptoms because it doesn’t cause severe pain for everyone, and some people don’t even realize they have it until they try to get pregnant and are unable to. There are a lot of invisible challenges with endometriosis that can be overlooked because a lot of the symptoms of endometriosis are similar to other health conditions and can easily be misdiagnosed. Endometriosis is considered an invisible disability but even though something is invisible that doesn’t mean you struggle less because you can struggle just as much as someone with more visible challenges. This is not a complete list of all the challenges that come with endometriosis and these are only a few of the common ones because everyone is so different, and some people may have more or less challenges than me. What invisible challenges do you struggle with because of endometriosis? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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