A woman with endometriosis
must deal with a disease that in many cases will interfere
with her life, her ability to function sexually, threaten
her fertility, and impedes her from having a satisfying
work life and participate in the normal activities
of living, playing, and carrying on meaningful personal
relationships.
But all of the above also affect those who are in
her life and care about her, including partners, parents,
siblings, friends, and her children.
Because endometriosis does not provide a visible
handicap it can be very difficult for others to understand
how this disease can affect one's life so profoundly
- and how pain and chronic fatigue at the same time
can be so invisible physically (no scars, no missing
limbs), and yet so visible because of the way in which
they may hinder a woman from carrying out day to day
activities.
Obviously this will affect so many aspects of her
life - and also the life that this person shares with
others.
It can be very difficult to understand pain or fatigue
in another person, but if you know someone with endometriosis
the biggest favour you can do to her is to learn about
her disease. You need to understand that the woman
you care about is dealing with a condition for which
there is - for most - no cure. She has to come to
terms with living with a chronic disease, sometimes
in severe pain, with extreme exhaustion, and for some
accepting that she will never have children. She may
not have a visible handicap, but she may still be
in pain both physically and emotionally.
Your love and support becomes very important, and
I hope the follwing articles may help you to support
the person you care about,
who has endometriosis.
Communications:
one way to understand endometriosis
by John Blondin, MENDO (men and endometriosis),
USA
When others
do not understand
by Ellen T Johnson, USA
What
do I tell others about endometriosis?
by Ellen T Johnson, USA
Painful
intercourse
by Ellen T Johnson, USA, and Lone Hummelshoj,
UK/Denmark
endometriosis
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