My mum had endometriosis and my sister has symptoms possibly preceding it. As was discussed by Matthew in this thread, its dreadful that society will pretend the suffering of others doesn't exist or matter, as if by taking about it they will somehow contract it ... which is the inane pathology of taboo. If everybody was educated to accept illness is a normal part of life it would (A) create universal sympathy and anxiety reduction and (B) massively, massively increase medical funding into the cure of all diseases and disabilities, instead of very poor quality lives where all pleasure is filtered-out by the intensity of personal suffering. So we must all keep these matters in wider circulation.
Sure many will jump to the immediate conclusion, that as a man I shouldn't comment on this, but my ex has suffered for many years with Endometriosis. One of those conditions that most men aren't comfortable discussing, and unaffected women, especially female GPs, can be even more cruel, dismissing through false comparison, as being overly sensitive, to regular period pains that they suffer. Nobody should have to sugar coat their words, but if discussion focused on the internal abdominal scar tissue and adhesions that bind many internal organs and structures, it may be easier for both genders to discuss, sympathise and understand logically. My ex was diagnosed during her first laparoscopy back in 2007, but had almost given up on her GP. Ironically, it was me that pushed for her GP to refer, for investigation of possible Endo, despite still being on a very long path to my own ME diagnosis.
My mum had endometriosis and my sister has symptoms possibly preceding it. As was discussed by Matthew in this thread, its dreadful that society will pretend the suffering of others doesn't exist or matter, as if by taking about it they will somehow contract it ... which is the inane pathology of taboo. If everybody was educated to accept illness is a normal part of life it would (A) create universal sympathy and anxiety reduction and (B) massively, massively increase medical funding into the cure of all diseases and disabilities, instead of very poor quality lives where all pleasure is filtered-out by the intensity of personal suffering. So we must all keep these matters in wider circulation.
Sure many will jump to the immediate conclusion, that as a man I shouldn't comment on this, but my ex has suffered for many years with Endometriosis.
One of those conditions that most men aren't comfortable discussing, and unaffected women, especially female GPs, can be even more cruel, dismissing through false comparison, as being overly sensitive, to regular period pains that they suffer.
Nobody should have to sugar coat their words, but if discussion focused on the internal abdominal scar tissue and adhesions that bind many internal organs and structures, it may be easier for both genders to discuss, sympathise and understand logically.
My ex was diagnosed during her first laparoscopy back in 2007, but had almost given up on her GP. Ironically, it was me that pushed for her GP to refer, for investigation of possible Endo, despite still being on a very long path to my own ME diagnosis.