Rebecca Wymer said…

“I wish you knew that endo is grieving the future you imagined.

We speak about pain management, fertility, diagnosis and diet…but so often we miss the emotional side of what I call living grief.

You had an idea in your head from before the symptoms began, of who you were going to be. The things you were going to be fit enough to do and the achievements that seemed so easy to aim for.

Then endo put a spanner in the works. Now you have to learn to love the person you are. It takes time, lots of compromise and pacing your energy. Can’t hoover the house one day but feel you can run a mile the next? That’s endo. Each day is different and learning to embrace that is essential to enjoying life to the fullest.

If it were up to me, every diagnosis would come with free talking therapy to help process the diagnosis. We offer this for Cancer and other long lasting conditions but yet endo falls through the cracks.

Research, improving surgical techniques and and understanding of invisible disability will reduce the grief for the next generation due to the tenacious work happening now.”

Chayé Hall said…

“I wish you knew that endometriosis is not just a condition that appears once a month. It is something that lives with you daily — in your plans, your body, your thoughts.

I wish you knew how endometriosis made me question my existence. The missed school days. The workdays lost to pain. The social events I had to cancel. The teenage years that should have been carefree but were instead filled with appointments, medication trials, and learning how to advocate for myself before I even felt grown.

And I wish you knew that someone very close to me carried her own version of that fight.

She once said:

“I wish you knew how much endometriosis affects my day-to-day life — going through so many types of medication, endless doctors’ appointments, and still getting no answers. I’m happy that research is finally being done and that the government is beginning to acknowledge just how impactful living with endometriosis truly is.”
She lived with pain for years. She searched for answers she never fully received. And yet, she still held hope that research would create change for others.

I wish you knew that behind every statistic is a story. Behind every research paper is a woman who has questioned her body, her future, and sometimes her worth.
Research matters because answers matter. Validation matters. Timely diagnosis matters.
I wish you knew that we are not exaggerating. We are surviving.
And we deserve better.”

Lynsey Milligan said…

“I wish you knew my pain isn’t limited to the week of my period. It can come on at any point of the month, and I don’t know how long it will last.

I wish you knew that endometriosis is not a period problem but a full body condition. I wish you knew how complex it is. I wish you knew endometriosis can grow throughout the whole body and causes inflammation anywhere and everywhere. It does not just impact the uterus.

I wish you knew that I’m not “cured” because I had surgery and it can grow back and with new symptoms.

I wish you knew how it affects my mental health to be so ambitious but to be limited due to my body.

I wish you knew how much time, effort and money goes into “living with it” – from the tens machines, side effects from medications, pelvic floor therapy, incontinence clinics, chiropractor appointments, to the anti-inflammatory wholefoods diets, supplements, nonstick pans, glass tupperware, strict bedtime routines and low impact exercise. Only to still suffer the symptoms.”

We are so grateful to our ambassadors for taking their time to help represent ENDO1000 and what we stand for. Sharing stories makes all the difference in raising awareness and the realities of those living with endometriosis everyday.