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A woman with endometriosis
must deal with a disease that in many cases will interfere
with her life, her ability to function sexually, threaten
her fertility, and impedes her from having a satisfying
work life and participate in the normal activities of
living, playing, and carrying on meaningful personal
relationships.
But all of the above also affect those who are in her
life and care about her, including partners, parents,
siblings, friends, and her children.
Because endometriosis does not provide a visible handicap
it can be very difficult for others to understand how
this disease can affect one's life so profoundly - and
how pain and chronic fatigue at the same time can be
so invisible physically (no scars, no missing limbs),
and yet so visible because of the way in which they
may hinder a woman from carrying out day to day activities.
Obviously this will affect so many aspects of her life
- and also the life that this person shares with others.
It can be very difficult to understand pain or fatigue
in another person, but if you know someone with endometriosis
the biggest favour you can do to her is to learn about
her disease. You need to understand that the woman you
care about is dealing with a condition for which there
is - for most - no cure. She has to come to terms with
living with a chronic disease, sometimes in severe pain,
with extreme exhaustion, and for some accepting that
she will never have children. She may not have a visible
handicap, but she may still be in pain both physically
and emotionally.
Your love and support becomes very important, and I
hope the following articles may help you to support
the person you care about, who
has endometriosis:
Communications:
one way to understand endometriosis
by John Blondin, MENDO (men and endometriosis)
When others
do not understand
by Ellen T Johnson
What
do I tell others about endometriosis?
by Ellen T Johnson
Painful
intercourse
by Ellen T Johnson and Lone Hummelshoj
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