We can’t keep silencing women’s pain...
If she could give advice to any woman struggling with what they believe may be undiagnosed endometriosis, it would be to push for a gynaecological referral from your doctor, and to speak to your friends, family and others about your experiences.
“Social media is a great tool for women to be empowered to talk about their issues. I’m coming up to four years since my cancer diagnosis, and when I started talking about it online, there weren’t very many women like me. Now there are thousands.
“We know that a third of women say they want to keep quiet because it’s an uncomfortable topic. But we need to ask why these subjects are uncomfortable. These are completely normal health issues.
“I talk about it because I know how difficult it was for me. I felt like a freak and like something was wrong with me.
“I believe we live in a patriarchal system. If this pain was affecting men, there’d be a test for endometriosis that didn’t involve going through an invasive and painful laparoscopy. But the fact of the matter is, we can’t keep silencing women’s pain.”
WHERE AND HOW TO DO IT
BEING outdoors surrounded by nature is a place to start.
Spring and summer are great because there are so many things going on – flowers blooming, fruits and vegetables growing, birds chirping, bees buzzing, all great things to focus on.
The aim is to increase the length of time you and your child are experiencing it.
The more you can reduce distractions or frustration, the longer you can go.
Don’t forget to discuss their experiences afterwards and talk about how they feel.