Marching Along!

It is time for an update!  I did not know until recently that March is Endometriosis awareness month.  After one miscarriage a little over a year ago, I am happy to say that I am blessed to be pregnant again! This time around, everything seems to be going well. There is a weird, almost old-wives-tale type of saying that implies if you let go of all your baby stuff, then you will magically get pregnant. In my case, the implication rang true because not long after I got rid of my 6 year old daughter's baby clothes, BAM, pregnant.  

Before that point, I was frustrated with the previous miscarriage and infertility in general, but life has a way of sweeping you along through it, if you keep busy. Kind of like 'a watched pot never boils' analogy, I had to let go of my illusion of mental control over the situation. My husband and I took up a new hobby of building a pond and keeping koi fish. He also secured a new job and was happier in general. I was distracted with my daughter starting first grade. And then before I knew it, I realized that I was late to start my period and here we are. Thank you for all the prayers and support everyone has given me. I feel like it is a nice victory over the Endometriosis that has strangleheld me for many years. My daughter discovered that she was going to be a big sister around Christmas time when she read her new shirt, "I am finally going to be a big sister!" She is excited for the approach of summer as I get closer and closer to my due date of June 22nd. She will be the best big sister and will be fighting us to hold the baby. The pregnancy has been easy like my first, which I will continue to enjoy in the coming months. After all the pain from the Endo, I would like to think that this is God's way of giving me some relief from my journey thus far.  

I am still keeping my fingers crossed that the Napro doctor and bowel surgeon's work will retard any attempt of the disease's resurgence. Yet I must keep in mind that technically I should be more vigilant in pre-screenings for cancer and any other diseases that are more prevalent in those who have been diagnosed with Endometriosis. The battle is not over, but I hope the worst is behind me. I will continue to update hopefully provide more resources for any of you reading this blog or for someone you know who could benefit from what I have learned and experienced. 

Australian celebrity and conservationist, Bindi Irwin, posted a short summary about her 10 year long battle with the disease on her social media on International Women's Day. She linked an interesting website at the bottom of her post. Endofound.org is an educational website on current legislation and community programs, which are striving to bring awareness and change the way Endo patients are seen and treated by the medical community, from hospitals to solo practitioner offices.  It also shares testimonials of women who have suffered or are currently suffering from the disease.  In some instances, the testimonals come from those close to these women and how they experienced the disease from the outside looking in.

Endometriosis is an isolating disease that only you can truly confront.  If you are suffering from this disease (or any for that matter), I hope you have close family or friends to depend on for comfort and security that can help you through your journey.  Ultimately though, you must be your best self-advocate and do your own research as to what treatments best fit your situation and prognosis.  The more you know, the more prepared you are for what might head your way.  Not everyone is able to have access to decent or holistic women's health care.  Also, many women hestitate too long in their pain and exhaustion before getting diagnosed.  Then they feel trapped.  "Do I put a pause button on my hormones with birth control?"  "Can I get a referral to a Napro OBGYN?"  "Do I give up my uterus and hope that decision eases my physical suffering?"  "What treatment options do I have that will be covered under my insurance policy?"  I do empathize with those of you who are forced to give up or handicap your reproductive capabilities due to lack of insurance coverage or medical malpractice in the form of ignorant or lazy physicians.  Post surgeries and treatments, women are faced with the question of what the future holds.  "Will my decisions result in long-lasting relief?"  "Is this a temporary fix?"  "How long do I have before my symptoms return?"  "Do I have to be more vigilant in screening for cancer now?"  "Can I have any future children of my own?"

For many of us women, it is not easy for us to believe that our worth or desirability is not tied to the ability of our bodies to produce or not produce a baby. Despite assurances and love from my husband, friends, and family, I struggled with accepting my body and its limitations for a long time. I am so grateful for this second baby and, though it is a long and often financially difficult path to family, my husband and I are still open to the possibility of adopting in the future. But I want to close today with compassion and hope: If your body is suffering from this disease and/or you cannot have a baby, I understand your struggle, my heart goes out to you in your pain. I know the heroic measure of your worth. And with awareness growing and advances being made in science all the time, there is hope that more and more women will have access and insurance coverage to the medical interventions they need to successfully combat this disease.