Endometriosis is one of the most painful, horrible, and unfortunately incurable diseases. 

The condition occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of it. Symptoms include severe pelvic pain, bloating, nausea, fatigue, infertility and much more. Endometriosis affects around 10% of women and girls of reproductive age.

There is currently no cure for endometriosis–only symptom management, such as medication, physical therapy, and some women even get hysterectomies that may still not help to relieve pain. 

But the most difficult struggle is feeling as if no one cares. The only way to get a diagnosis is through a surgery called a laparoscopy, which helps examine the pelvic organs. Nothing shows up on an ultrasound or any other type of scan. Doctors do not like to jump straight into surgery unless extremely severe., so being in the most agonizing pain of your life and going to the emergency room just to be given pain medication that either doesn’t work or will wear off the second you get home can be very frustrating. It can be even more frustrating when a doctor tells you that it is just anxiety. Yet there is a clear difference between having a pit in your stomach versus not being able to walk for a week straight. 

There are four stages of endometriosis: minimal, mild, moderate, and severe. There are some women who only get intense cramping around their menstrual cycle, or women who have pain during their period, or while going to the bathroom, and experience bloating.

Meanwhile, there are women, like me, who have pain every single day. It is hard to walk, sit, stand, lay down, and quite frankly, do any physical activity. There is no comfortable position. It is hard to be taken seriously when even women with endometriosis say that it isn’t that bad or isn’t that painful. There are the “set” stages, but endometriosis is generally not well understood. There may be far more than four stages of the condition. 

For some women, it can take around four to eleven years to get diagnosed. That is mostly an adult experience. It is very difficult for teenagers. I was fortunate enough to get diagnosed after two years of experiencing pain, but for other teens, it may not be as easy. Many teenagers are uncomfortable with an internal exam, and some doctors may not wish to perform it, especially doctors who work in children’s hospitals. It can be scary for teen girls to go to an adult doctor before they’re ready, and the fact that even doctors want to shy away from the subject makes it all the more difficult for any adolescent going through the diagnosis process. 

Whenever people hear the word “period” or “uterus,” or “vagina,” they immediately grow uncomfortable, try to change the conversation, or say that it is too inappropriate to talk about. Those sayings get engraved into young women’s minds and make it all the more difficult to discuss their pain. Yet they are the words that can help women get help. 

The real pain of endometriosis is often hidden because it’s an internal condition. Whenever asked to describe my pain, if talking to a woman, I would say imagine the worst period cramping and pain you’ve ever had and then multiply that by 100. It is difficult to describe the pain to a man, as they have likely never experienced a fraction of it. Since endometriosis is not visible even with screening, people tend to take it less seriously.

Endometriosis is incurable and painful, so many women feel frustrated and ignored. As March is Endometriosis Awareness Month, let’s become more aware and help women move forward.