Life with an illness that nobody can see...
My name is Kellie, I'm a vivacious Scorpio from Queensland Australia who enjoys dancing & long days at the beach... oh yeah, & I was told that my incurable & dibilitating chronic illness was just a bad period.
How Endometriosis Affects Me
When I was 19 I remember screaming in pain as though I was in labour. I’d never felt anything like it, & hoped I'd never have to ever again. Unfortunately I wasn’t that lucky, & it became a regular occurrence. I was continually told it was just a bad period, or just my body adapting to the pill ...9 years of misdiagnosis later I found out it was actually Endometriosis.
The Truth About Endometriosis
Endo effects my life in some way every single day. I can go from being perfectly fine to needing to call an ambulance to get me off the floor in the space of an hour. Endo is unpredictable, it’s emotionally, physically & mentally exhausting & I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy.
I try not to let it rule my life, but it’s a constant struggle when every piece of food I put in my mouth, what clothes I’m going to wear for the day, whether I can go to dance class or out with friends, or basically do anything spontaneous that most people wouldn’t think twice about... all depends on how bad my endo is that day.
Living with an invisible illness is an endless battle against society because you’re continually told “oh but you don’t look sick”. People often underestimate you because they see you working, dancing, socialising, exercising, holidaying, smiling, laughing & living... but they don’t see the paralysing cramps, chronic fatigue, anxiety, stress, tears, bowel & bladder complications, vomiting on the side of the road, crying on the shower floor, extreme bloating, blood clots, ruptured cysts, anxiety about conceiving, miscaraigaes, relationship stress, back pain, cramping organs, ambulance rides, hospital stays, invasive medical procedures, medical bills, burns from heat packs, or scars from surguries. Dealing with a chronic illness that has no cure & that will effect you for the rest of your life is difficult enough, let alone people constantly questioning if you’re even really sick.
My Future with Endometriosis
I don’t know what endo will mean for my future, but I hope to play a part in helping change the way society views invisible illness & women’s reproductive health. I will keep sharing my story in the hope that it will encourage someone else to share theirs, & that it will continue to have a carry on effect. The more we talk about endo the more chance we have of it becoming accepted instead of something “too taboo” to talk about.
Women being in pain to the point where it effects their ability to carry out simple day to day tasks isn’t “normal”, & I’ll do everything in my power help to break that stigma.
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