Hey girls

 

I write to you while cooped up in bed, dying with my wheat bag. With nothing else to do but watch Netflix or write a post – I thought it was about time I get productive and touch base with you all. Now instead of sharing some form of a messy. kind rambling, I thought I would jot down a few ideas of how you can spread awareness this month!

 

Now, for those of you who are not aware, March is Internationally recognised as “Endometriosis Awareness Month”. It is so fantastic that globally we share a month to pay support, recognition and get the word out about something that affects 176 million woman from all over the world.

 

Even though we battle with Endometriosis on, at times, a daily basis, that does not mean that we know how to spread the word and get involved in creating awareness for this disease. It can be difficult to join the cause, no matter how severe you case is! Don’t feel defeated or any less! I at times feel the same! Most of us struggle to be heard on any day of the week. I too understand that feeling of –

• No one cares
• They think I’m faking
• No one will listen
• They are sick of hearing me talk about it
• They do not believe me
• I dont want people to think I’m annoying

gosh, I could just go on! and I bet you could add to this list of feelings and thoughts due to how you feel when speaking about our illness! Sadly, its normal to feel this way! This is due to not enough people knowing and understanding what Endometriosis really is and how it affects us all. This is why this month is so special to me – to all of us – and why we should reallllllly push to talk about it.

 

So what can you do to help? Here are a few ideas/examples that you could try this march, and really, any time you feel like opening up and getting people to listen to what you go through!

 

 

LEARN FOR YOURSELF

Simply learning more about this disease can be of such help to all of us, as you too are now one more person who knows how Endometriosis works. Just because your affected, does not mean you contain enough information to speak clearly on it. Even if you are researching to help yourself, you are still yet another human who understands this disease, and thats what we need! More people who know what this horrible thing does.

 

It will too, help you in day too day life!

 

To save you some googling time, here are a few facts that could be new to you;

• 176 million woman worldwide are knowingly affected by Endometriosis, we say knowingly because so many cases so undetected due to lack of knowledge in both woman and doctors.
• To out that in other terms, thats 1 in ever 10 woman (again, knowingly).
• On average, it takes 8 years to receive a diagnosis.
• Receiving a hysterectomy is not a cure.
• Neither is having children.
• In fact, there is no known cure.
• The only way to receive a diagnosis is through a laparoscopy. There 100% is not other way.
• Symptoms do not only cure during menstruation.

These are only a small handful of facts however are not very well known! Feel free to share these, or as said above, just note them down for yourself.

 

 

JUST TALK!

This really, truly is the easiest way to get the word out about Endometriosis. Talk to your friends, family, word colleagues – anyone who will listen about what Endometriosis is, how it affects you and millions of others and try to get them to understand that it is MORE THAN A PERIOD! It is so common for people to have either

A. Never heard of the disease

or

B. Have a misunderstanding of what it truly is.

Simply by discussing the matter, giving the basic stats and statics and sharing your own situation should help others understand. Throwing around the KNOWINGLY, 176 MILLION WOMAN ARE AFFECTED line normally gets peoples attention, I mean its a huge number and these are only the known stats due to so many un diagnosed case.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA 

The easiest tool. So many of us, even though personally affected, feel uniformed and under educated about the disease. The great thing about social media is that before you have to click POST you can do your research, proof read and check what you have written and feel confident about what you are saying due to the time and effort you have put into your “speech”.

 

Without the face to face confrontation of social media, or someone throwing questions directly at you, you are able to confidently and comfortably take your time with what you are saying before spreading your awareness. This also allows people to take in the entire information, without holding onto one sentence, before forming an opinion on what you are talking about.It also makes it easier for your friends and family to assist you in your mission by sharing what you post! Its so easy!

 

There are a tonne of support/awareness pages online too, (shameless self plug moment) like my own, who constantly are posting things all Endo related that you yourself can easily share on your timeline if your not into writing your own spiel.

 

HELP OTHERS BY SHARING 

There are so many blogs, websites, media outlets etc that will happily accept your diagnosis story and share it on their sites in order too spread awareness! I offer that here on allaboutannie and love giving others their space and a platform to speak up and share what they have been through!

 

You writing and sharing your journey helps others more than you know. It helps them –

• not feel alone
• educates them on symptoms they didn’t know exist
• give confidence so they too find a voice

plus so much more!

 

You may also find sharing your story and writing it down an good form of therapy for yourself!

 

JOIN/ORGANISE EVENTS

Ok so I do agree that organising an event is a biggy lol. But it is possible!!!!!!!!!!!!

If this is too out there, join one in your town or a surrounding one! Or just help spread the word that there is one happening! One that happens in my local areas is one organised by Insight Endometriosis, it happens every year and they do a great job 🙂

 

 

SO go get it my girls, learn, educate, spread the word, share you stories, share others stories – just try and do something, no matter how big or small, to spread the word.

 

To make people understand how real and crippling this disease truly, truly is.

I shall leave you with a link to find an awareness video a friend of mine from Kimberley Rich Photography helped me create, you can find it by clicking here. It is a simple video of 15 girls sharing their story, and you could simply post this to your Facebook wall to help get the word out!

 

Happy Endometriosis Awareness Month my loves.

 

As per usual, lots of love and light,

A

xx