I feel like every time I post here it's going to start off with some remark about how poorly committed I am to writing. Shout out to all the people out there who blog regularly for a living - do you think if you breathe on me, I might catch your enthusiasm? (Ten points if you get that cult television reference).
Anyway...
March is Endometriosis Awareness Month, where we hope to raise awareness of this awful fucking affliction to women who may not yet have a diagnosis - and aim to bring down the unacceptably long diagnosis time.
If you're interested, I highly recommend researching to see if there are any events in your area for you to participate in. Despite the fact I feel nothing but sheer disdain towards cardio related activities, I've registered to take part in the Glasgow leg of the worldwide EndoMarch campaign at the end of the month.
The idea is for endo sisters and supporters alike to come together for a short, peaceful walk through the city; to make our voices heard, feel involved in raising awareness and meet others in the same situation. For any of my readers around the UK, there are also marches in Cardiff and London - click here for more information.
Now I'd like to shine the spotlight on one of my biggest supporters, my super talented best friend Lauren MacAskill who very kindly spent the month of February fundraising for the charity Endometriosis UK through sales of her Redbubble merch. Although she only receives 20% of the sale price for each item bought, Lauren managed to raise just over £150! (Shameless plug - if you're a fan of RuPaul's Drag Race and would like to treat yourself to some awesome goodies, click here to take a look at some of Lauren's creations!)
Endometriosis UK are a charity that receives minimal funding for the work they do and are financed almost entirely through donations and annual membership subscriptions. Their website has a lot of useful information about the disease and how to cope. They even offer a free helpline for women in need of personal support. Click here to make a donation and read more on their website.
In the spirit of raising awareness, there's something in particular I've wanted to write about, or rather rant about.
We all know celebrity endorsement is great and it can do wonders for bringing attention to a cause. But! When that particular celebrity begins to disclose false information to a news outlet with a huge worldwide following, sensationalist headlines and social media posts begin to appear - and that results in a mass audience being fed unrealistic expectations.
I'm talking, of course, about Lena Dunham. Already somewhat of a controversial public figure (seriously - just Google search "Lena Dunham pisses people off" and you'll see what I mean), she's yet again gone and rattled some cages, mine included, after a recent essay published in Vogue magazine about her battle with endometriosis.
I'll give credit where it's due, big ups to Lena for being unabashedly transparent throughout her journey. I can certainly relate to a lot of the things she's written in the past, but damn, girl, learn how to use your inside voice sometimes.
In her Vogue manifesto, she opened up about how she's recently undergone a hysterectomy to rid her of all symptoms relating to endometriosis. Now, this sucks, because it's only going to perpetuate the belief that a hysterectomy is a cure for endo. Friendly reminder, folks - there is no cure.
Upon it's publication, she then took to social media to share another Vogue article that discredited the one treatment that is proven to work - excision surgery. Girl, fair enough that X amount of laparoscopic surgeries didn't work for you, but considering what a mass following you have, it's infuriating that you would give such misguided advice and claim it as gospel.
All individual cases are different, of course, but for anyone reading this that is currently suffering and struggling to weigh out their options, please don't jump head first into the deep end and request a hysterectomy from your OBGYN based solely on the false ideology perpetuated by Lena that it will rid you of your symptoms.
If you do your research you'll come to find that it's been reported that a hysterectomy is often more successful in relieving symptoms of a condition called adenomyosis, which is a completely different kettle of fish to endometriosis. This is where endometrial tissue breaks through the muscular wall of the womb, as opposed to growing in places outside of it.
One study I found online which looked at the recurrence of endometriosis after hysterectomy concluded there is "an approximate 15-percent probability of persistent pain after standard hysterectomy with a 3 to 5 percent risk of worsening pain or new symptom development". You can view that study here.
If you do your research you'll come to find that it's been reported that a hysterectomy is often more successful in relieving symptoms of a condition called adenomyosis, which is a completely different kettle of fish to endometriosis. This is where endometrial tissue breaks through the muscular wall of the womb, as opposed to growing in places outside of it.
One study I found online which looked at the recurrence of endometriosis after hysterectomy concluded there is "an approximate 15-percent probability of persistent pain after standard hysterectomy with a 3 to 5 percent risk of worsening pain or new symptom development". You can view that study here.
Moral of the story, ladies, seek advice from a medical professional before you even begin to consider putting yourself through an irreversible procedure such as this. Furthermore, take every word Lena Dunham spews in general with a pinch of salt.
With all of that being said, you may remember in my last post I shared that I was awaiting MRI results to find out the full extent of my own internal tissue growth.
Well, there was some good news and some bad news. The good news was that there was no significantly sized endometriomas (blood filled cysts) found around my ovaries, bowels and vagina. Meaning, no immediate cause for concern.
The bad news is, they found signs of scarring, otherwise known as adhesions. Adhesions are what can only be described as sheets of super glue, that fuse your internal organs together due to a "sticky" component within them. This can cause ovaries to be bound to the side of the pelvic wall, or may even extend to the bowels and uterus.
So, as it turns out, I have to undergo the dreaded surgery I was hoping I could avoid. It was either that or endure a six month trial run with some menopause inducing injections and hormonal replacement tablets. I figured that was too hardcore for me and I'd rather go the surgical route. At least I know from my past experience that this actually provided some (albeit short term) relief. Not to mention the fact my consultant literally told me that if I went with the menopause option, it would be quite difficult to tolerate not only due to the more common side effects but also due to the fact that after a while you literally start losing some of your bone.
I just can't wrap my head around why that would even be an option. Like, hey, let's put your body through physical and emotional turmoil in a bid to rid your body of physical and emotional turmoil. Ugh.
I'll admit, I haven't been the most pleasant person to be around lately. I've been gloomy as fuck, not only from being hit with the surgery news but I've also been experiencing more frequent flare ups. I can sense people are beginning to get sick of hearing me complain. Believe me, I'm sick of hearing myself complain.
I want to end this on a positive note though, so I just want to reiterate how grateful I am for the people who continue to love and support me, even when I make it difficult for them. I'm nothing without the support of others.
Kiera xo.
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