Invisible Shackles

Chronic pain is not normal. Yet, thousands of women are told to live with chronic pain if it is just period cramps. Even when it seems beyond extreme, I cannot count the number of people who go on to encourage one to wait it out. There is this notion that period cramps are painful, which is not wrong. However, the concept of accepting extreme pain as usual and still being expected to function like nothing is wrong baffles me. If you can’t see what the problem is here, why don’t you look at this from Bose’s perspective and tell me if you still think the same after?

Source: Tenor

“Another doctor’s appointment! At this point, we should just set bi-weekly meetings,” muttered Bose. It was her second time in the doctor’s office that month. The first time, she got rushed to the emergency room after passing out due to pain. She was not a newbie to this, but this month’s fainting spell took longer than usual, which made her roommate panic. Hence, the need for the trip to the ER.

It was a hilarious situation because she woke up as soon as she was assigned a bed. Moments like these made her grateful she had insurance. Otherwise, hospital fees would have wholly wrecked her. Her current trip to the doctor was to review her ultrasound scans. She was finally able to get one done after months of speculations as to what the problem could be. Armed with knowledge from Google and testimonies from other women, she was able to convince her doctor about the request.

The doctor in question was a sweet older man, Mr. Blakely. He did not see the need for the ultrasound and gave her contraceptive pills to help regulate her hormones. When he finally gave in to having a check done, Bose could feel her fight slowly coming to an end. As she walked into Blakely’s office this day, she was simultaneously prepared for the best and worst.

She sat on that bed she was too familiar with and waited for him to come in. “Hello, wonderful day today, isn’t it?” asked Dr. Blakely. “Yes, it is. Glad to have Spring back,” Bose responded. He wasted no time diving in and pronounced a sentence she had been expecting for a while. Bose had endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a whole-body disease where tissue similar to the one lining the uterus grows outside the uterus, causing pain, nerve damage, and even organ damage, among several other symptoms. A chronic disease slowly eats away at a person’s life beyond their physical body. By the way, did I mention that it is not “life-threatening?”

Since the disease itself isn’t fatal, this must be the only other explanation for why it isn’t properly prioritized. The first explanation is historical biases surrounding women and pain.

Bose knew this victory, although seemingly minor, was a huge win for her. It was a victory in one battle in this 3-year-long war.

In an interview with Olga Bougie, an assistant professor at Queen’s University in Canada explained, “The wait from when endometriosis should have been considered to the time it is actually diagnosed is about seven to 10 years on average.”

Bose was early to the sad party and had gotten diagnosed four years earlier than the average time. This was a major win.

Dr. Blakely explained what things looked like, which wasn’t great. She had two large masses at 6 cm and one enlarged ovary each. This meant that she would most likely require surgery. She was given several options and informed of the pros and cons. She asked if she could return a few weeks after thinking things through.

The weight of her diagnosis and the need to make the best choice crushed her the minute she stepped out of the doctor’s office. There was a chance this could lead to infertility problems or increase her chances of getting ovarian cancer. As much as she wanted to go digging for information, she decided to take the rest of the day to do the easiest thing: cry.

Several women have similar stories to Bose’s, and they have to live with this truth while dealing with ignorance from family, friends, and even their doctors. The numbers are staggering as “1 in 10 women end up being diagnosed with endometriosis,” according to Yale Medicine. “This condition affects up to half of women who are infertile.”

I believe you can see the problem now. I can’t claim to have the answer, but I do have a couple of suggestions. To begin, let’s get rid of the idea that extreme cramps are normal. Ladies, please get a check done if you suffer from chronic pelvic pain, and be sure to push till you feel satisfied with your diagnosis.

Ignorance is bliss till one is facing a health complication. Knowledge, on the other hand, brings power. Be sure to arm yourself with information constantly, as there are many blogs and testimonials from people living with this condition. While endometriosis does not have a specific cure today, it can still be managed. It’s possible to regain control from this vile, invisible disease.