Melissa, United States
I have endometriosis. I am one of 180 million women worldwide with this disease. It is unacceptable that women like me and our mothers, sisters, partners, family, and friends continue to suffer without being taken seriously. We will no longer be ignored or told this disease is all in our heads. Endo is a very real and devastating disease in which the symptoms and numerous co-morbidities are impacting lives in irreparable ways. The standards of care must be changed globally--on average it takes 10 years and numerous doctors to be diagnosed. Our mental and physical health is severely impacted. We face infertility. We face chronic pain, digestive issues, lung issues, bladder issues, problems with mobility. We receive sub par medical care. The costs to families and societies are staggering. Often the treatments can be just as debilitating as the disease itself, and the accepted and current treatments only manage symptoms without curing the disease. Some turn to suicide when the pain becomes too much. We are crying out for help from doctors and governments to help us fund research and to better treat this disease so future generations of women do not have to suffer. Endometriosis is not just a woman's disease--it is a family and societal disease. If you have endo, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. You MATTER. You are VALUABLE. And you deserve BETTER CARE.