nicole, United States
I am an endometriosis advocate in New England, an endometriosis warrior, and a mother of a 14 year old daughter who was also diagnosed with endometriosis. Endometriosis afflicts 1 in 10 women and girls. The impact endometriosis has had on my life and that of my child's has been devastating. I have lost a spouse, friends, family, and jobs due to the inability to keep up due to the painful symptoms of endometriosis . My 14 year old daughter, who also suffers has lost time in school, has lost friends, and self-esteem dealing with the pain endometriosis causes. I have spent the last 2 years of my life advocating for better care for women and girls like myself and my child across New England and across the globe. I have spent thousands of my own dollars organizing events (some CME accredited) to create awareness within the medical community about endometriosis, the changes in the treatment paradigm (physicians are still practicing from a 1920 standard of care related to endometriosis) , and have traveled the globe advocating and learning all I can about the disease. I stand today with my sisters, shoulder to shoulder, to demand better care from the organizations such as A.C.O.G. that decide our standard of care. Endometriosis has been said to not be a disease of morbidity. I disagree. I stand with the families of the many sisters who have taken their lives due to the every day, all day, and night debilitating pain they have endured. Surely, with 1 in 10 we can do better.