Learning to Live with Endometriosis

by Chelsea Jones
(Johnson City, TN)

I grew up understanding what endometriosis. When I started having periods I was told what my mother and aunt knew about it, every female on their side of my family had it. I was actually diagnosed when I was 16.

I had cysts rupture so many times that it wasn't funny (Polycystic ovarian disease). I had one rupture in class where someone had to help me to the nurse because I couldn't move hardly. Once I was on the floor in my bedroom unable to move or speak, my dad was in the living room, I called my mom and aunt asking what to do when it stopped and was told to get into a warm bath to help.

I did that, and while on the phone with them the pain happened again. I threw my phone and again couldn't move or speak, my dad had no clue this entire time. This is what sent me to the doctor, it was a cyst, but they set me up for emergency surgery. This is when I was diagnosed, I was 16 when I was diagnosed.

I have now had five surgeries, this past one was awful. Not to mention I only had a fifth surgery because my fourth surgeon did things he shouldn't have, one being he put mesh in me and for the past couple of years every time I moved to fast or stretched the mesh tore.

Endometriosis has destroyed my life. I don't know what to do when it comes to dating because I hate to start with "I have this disease" because more guys go running than those who stay. Plus there's the I might not be able to have kids, probably won't actually due to all of the issues that I have.

But this is my life, and I do what I need to to deal. I have learned everything I can about this disease, even written papers on it, and now see a specialist so I know my doctor knows what he's doing. I can deal with this disease, I have people who are here to help me through this, I have a doctor who cares, and I am a fighter.

All of us who have this, and I type this part while crying, we are fighters. We are women who live our life, try to live a full life, try to go to school and have a career that we love, we do holidays, we have families, we love life in general plus each other, and we fight a disease that (that unlike cancer most times) has no cure and in our lifetimes may never have a cure.

I look forward to my future, some days will be bad/awful, but others will show how much I am worth and how much strength I have. I hope you all see this for yourself too.