It's #endometriosisawarenessmonth - I've shared a lot over the years of what life with Endo is like, but today I was inspired by my friend @laraeparker's words about how she has no desire to sugarcoat what it's like to live with this disease. Frankly, I don't like the label "Endo warrior," because it's like calling your friend "so strong," because of the trauma they've managed to endure. Calling us warriors because we have been wrung out through a war none of us signed up for, a war that has no real end in sight; I hate it. Physical symptoms/that aspect of the experience aside, the BIGGEST thing that Endo has brought into my life is grief. Grief over all the parts of life and parts of myself that have been taken away by this greedy disease that doesn't discriminate against what vital organs it invades. Grief over the loss of time spent in agony, time spent in various appointments, time spent fighting insurance companies, time spent with doctors that don't understand this disease, time spent picking apart every habit and lifestyle choice in hopes of mild improvements or relief. Grief over all the missed social plans, the modifications to what social plans you can do, the constant feeling like you're letting everyone down, the food and drink you can't have, the half of the month you can't schedule things in because you'll likely be unable to do anything, the other half of the month you have to squeeze your entire life worth living into, the fertility decisions having a completely different weight to them, the hard-earned money spent on supplements and physical therapy, the feeling of gaslighting yourself and by others because this is an invisible disease— the list goes on. The grief is heavy to carry, even though I'm someone who has been fortunate enough to have access to treatment that I have. This one is for my Endo fam out there 🫶 I wish none of us had to be labeled warriors or find out how much we can handle. I wish us ease, comfort, and moments in time free of this💕 comment "ENDO" to be sent my newsletter, answering FAQ's and about surgery