Endometriosis is hard. No matter how the disease presents itself, each sufferer has to deal with managing pain, figuring out treatment, and dealing with the many emotions that come with it. As expertly explained by Bre in our last post, women with endometriosis have a lot to deal with, mentally and physically. And that is why we are so excited for our newest program, support groups with the MN Endo Warriors.
About three months ago, we sent out a survey asking how we can put together a support group to help our community of endo warriors. Many of you responded, giving us great ideas and information, which gave us the building blocks to build and launch this growing need within our community. We hosted two incredible support group sessions, one online and one in-person, in September for which we are both excited and grateful.
One of the biggest lessons we have learned is that each of us have different things we are dealing with and different areas we need support in. But the overwhelming response was that we all NEED support and we NEED each other! We need ideas for managing pain, treatment options, and most importantly to know that we are not alone in this fight.
Endo is isolating. It can make us feel like no one else knows what we are going through. We have to fight to be heard, fight to make doctors and loved ones understand, fight to do what is best for our body, and fight to stay strong and keep going. Alone it can be exhausting, but slowly endometriosis is becoming visible and we are seeing that we are not alone. We are 175 million world-wide strong. And here in Minnesota, we want to stand together. Together we can answer each other’s questions, support each other during hard times, and feel connected with other warriors. That personal connection can be profoundly healing. My first call with another endo warrior left in me tears; not due to sadness, but due to an overwhelming sense of relief and joy that there was someone else I had personally talked to who was on a similar journey.
Hope and support.
Let’s find these together as we continue to meet in person every 4th Tuesday evening and online every 2nd Tuesday evening. These events and their locations, which will vary throughout the Twin Cities, will be posted on our social media and through email. Our private Facebook group MN Endo Warriors Group, which you can find here or through our Facebook page, will be where we host our online discussions.
Please register to our next meeting, which will be next week on Tuesday, October 23rd at the Maple Grove Library at 7PM, here or through our Facebook page so you can sign up for emails and future notifications. The incredible endo specialist Dr. Palmer and physical therapist Charet Pelkey from Oakdale OBGYN will be there to discuss endo, pain management, and more.
We all hope to see you there!
Countdown to the 2020 Minnesota Endo March
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