An opportunity to help others with Endo...

http://groups.msn.com/SonomaCountyEndometriosisSisterhoodonline

That's the address to my new group for women with Endometriosis at MSN groups. I just slapped it together so that when my support group with the Endometriosis Association cannot meet, we can meet on line or at least keep one another going via e-mail on this group list. Of course, after I put this group up my husband let me know that I should have done it on YAHOO groups...well, maybe I'll do it there as well. There isn't much activity on it yet, but I do e-mail some of the members and some non-EA members about their battles with Endo.

The reason why I'm a member of the EA and put up a group on MSN is because I have Endometriosis - a very common and very painful female disease - and I have always wanted to help those who are going through what I went through and point them in the right direction - to get them help - to help stop their sufferings.

Endo isn't a curable disease, however, there are things you can do to relive the pain and make things bearable. A positive attitude helps a LOT, so support from other women who have this disease is a wonderful thing to have.

I've had Endo since age 12. Of course in my family it was just what the women had to deal with - no sympathy whatsoever. I was a tomboy, so this time of life wasn't welcome in my active lifestyle at the time. Sitting around at home in pain was awful. What's worse is that there was 'nothing to be done about it' so I had to 'tough it out'.

I find out at age 29 that there IS something to be done about it, and did it promptly in the form of laser outpatient surgery with a very skilled doctor. I'm 33 now, and was able to have one child out of all this mess - but the one thing that I've always thought of is this: I had to deal with all of this pain for so long - what if I could help others before it got out of control, out of hand? Even if I could point the way for them, say to the EA or to a competent doctor, I would feel as if I had DONE something!

So, on Tuesday I find out all about a new experiment group that I'm in for Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain with my doctor and his associate. I said 'yes' right away because this may help me and others with new research on Endo. So, perhaps you know of a young lady or woman at work that has Endo - or perhaps you yourself have it - maybe some of this new research will help someone - or you - someday. I really hope so.

On another board that I visit that is run by an Orthodox friend of mine, someone pointed out that there is a lady in the Bible who had an 'issue of blood' that could have had Endometriosis. Her name was Veronica, and I'm naming her the patron saint of all of the women suffering from Endometriosis. The beauty of her story is that she knew that if she could only touch Jesus' cloak that she would be healed -- she did and was healed! So, beyond the support groups, clubs, research groups and fundraisers for Endometriosis we should be praying.