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Carine Boustani says that in order to give the most honest description of endometriosis, getting into the graphic details of the condition is necessary and unavoidable.
“I feel like my pelvic area is being stabbed with metal spikes that are on fire and that I feel a constant hard blow to my stomach that, on many occasions, makes me feel faint,” the 24-year-old Ottawa woman said on the eve of Worldwide Endometriosis March 2018. “Nausea, chronic fatigue, pain all over my body, difficulty sleeping, difficulty digesting food and painful urination are some of my chronic issues I deal with.
“No, it is not just a painful period; the excruciating period pain that, sometimes with no awareness at that moment, led me to tear my bed sheets from how tight I’d pull on them during my worst days.”
So, what is endometriosis?
“Endometriosis, by definition, is tissue that’s similar to the lining of the uterus implanting itself outside the uterus,” said Dr. Sony Sukhbir Singh, vice-chair of Gynecology at The Ottawa Hospital. “It can be present most often on the pelvic organs, uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes. Every month, instead of having a normal period, the bleeding that results from the tissues on these organs can cause havoc and damage to the internal organs.”
The disorder which, according to the World Endometriosis Society, affects more than 176 million women worldwide, is one that still goes largely undiagnosed by medical professionals. It’s experienced differently by every woman that it affects.
Boustani described the almost impossible process of getting diagnosed and the frustrating struggle of being reassured that what she was experiencing was just “normal”.
“I was told I was crazy by many doctors or that I needed to just see a psychiatrist. Some even told me I was exaggerating just so I can get a prescription to strong pain medication.”
After seeing eight doctors and doing her own research, Boustani discovered she was suffering from a condition that affects one in 10 women of reproductive age. Her first reaction to hearing the news was deep confusion, followed by frustration. For such a common disorder, why had she never heard of it? Why had it taken so long to diagnose?
She wondered how many women, even women she knew, had endometriosis and were not receiving the proper treatment, and were dealing with the same drawn-out process to diagnose that she had endured. How many women had given up after doctors brushed them off?
“Pain is very important to treat early on, regardless of the cause,” Singh says. “When it’s not treated early on, it can become chronic and then the brain senses harm, not just on a monthly basis. It perceives that there may be harm on a daily basis.”
Singh explains that, if women do not seek the proper treatment, after time the immense agony felt during a period can potentially extend to daily pain and could also lead to infertility.
As she began learning more about endometriosis, Boustani admits that a certain loneliness crept in. The emotional toll of feeling alone led her to begin advocating for awareness of the issue and reaching out to women who were experiencing similar pains.
“I decided to be vocal and go public with my story. I wanted to get any girl’s attention that was still feeling the need to suffer in silence to try and stand up and believe her body and symptoms, and try her best to get answers and not give up.”
Since her diagnosis, Boustani has undergone six surgeries and several rounds of hormonal treatments that induced menopause. She’s had her gallbladder removed, developed fibromyalgia and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and had to treat depression caused by the effects of hormonal treatments.
Despite all of this, she persisted.
Today, Boustani is the Ottawa team leader for Worldwide Endometriosis March, happening in more than 50 countries on Saturday. Women are invited to share their stories, wear yellow in solidarity and help end the stigma attached to women’s reproductive and sexual health.
“Talking about periods isn’t gross, isn’t dirty, isn’t disgusting. It’s a normal part of being human, and until we get over the embarrassment, we won’t move forward,” says Singh. “Make it dinnertime conversation. Normalize it. That’s going to be our goal.”
Although she continues to struggle with health issues associated with endometriosis one day at a time, Boustani remains persistent in her battle to inform the public and help women voice their pain.
“If we don’t insist on our symptoms, don’t try to be taken seriously and give up on advocating for ourselves, then we’re going to continue being ignored and the stigma of painful periods and it being normal will remain. We need to educate the community as a whole, not just women.”
Women and men of all ages are encouraged to register online for the event. The Ottawa march will take place from 12:30 p.m. until 2. Marchers are invited to wear yellow and meet downtown at the intersection of York Street and Dalhousie Street. Event details can be found on the Worldwide Endometriosis March website.
查看原文...
“I feel like my pelvic area is being stabbed with metal spikes that are on fire and that I feel a constant hard blow to my stomach that, on many occasions, makes me feel faint,” the 24-year-old Ottawa woman said on the eve of Worldwide Endometriosis March 2018. “Nausea, chronic fatigue, pain all over my body, difficulty sleeping, difficulty digesting food and painful urination are some of my chronic issues I deal with.
“No, it is not just a painful period; the excruciating period pain that, sometimes with no awareness at that moment, led me to tear my bed sheets from how tight I’d pull on them during my worst days.”
So, what is endometriosis?
“Endometriosis, by definition, is tissue that’s similar to the lining of the uterus implanting itself outside the uterus,” said Dr. Sony Sukhbir Singh, vice-chair of Gynecology at The Ottawa Hospital. “It can be present most often on the pelvic organs, uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes. Every month, instead of having a normal period, the bleeding that results from the tissues on these organs can cause havoc and damage to the internal organs.”
The disorder which, according to the World Endometriosis Society, affects more than 176 million women worldwide, is one that still goes largely undiagnosed by medical professionals. It’s experienced differently by every woman that it affects.
Boustani described the almost impossible process of getting diagnosed and the frustrating struggle of being reassured that what she was experiencing was just “normal”.
“I was told I was crazy by many doctors or that I needed to just see a psychiatrist. Some even told me I was exaggerating just so I can get a prescription to strong pain medication.”
After seeing eight doctors and doing her own research, Boustani discovered she was suffering from a condition that affects one in 10 women of reproductive age. Her first reaction to hearing the news was deep confusion, followed by frustration. For such a common disorder, why had she never heard of it? Why had it taken so long to diagnose?
She wondered how many women, even women she knew, had endometriosis and were not receiving the proper treatment, and were dealing with the same drawn-out process to diagnose that she had endured. How many women had given up after doctors brushed them off?
“Pain is very important to treat early on, regardless of the cause,” Singh says. “When it’s not treated early on, it can become chronic and then the brain senses harm, not just on a monthly basis. It perceives that there may be harm on a daily basis.”
Singh explains that, if women do not seek the proper treatment, after time the immense agony felt during a period can potentially extend to daily pain and could also lead to infertility.
As she began learning more about endometriosis, Boustani admits that a certain loneliness crept in. The emotional toll of feeling alone led her to begin advocating for awareness of the issue and reaching out to women who were experiencing similar pains.
“I decided to be vocal and go public with my story. I wanted to get any girl’s attention that was still feeling the need to suffer in silence to try and stand up and believe her body and symptoms, and try her best to get answers and not give up.”
Since her diagnosis, Boustani has undergone six surgeries and several rounds of hormonal treatments that induced menopause. She’s had her gallbladder removed, developed fibromyalgia and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and had to treat depression caused by the effects of hormonal treatments.
Despite all of this, she persisted.
Today, Boustani is the Ottawa team leader for Worldwide Endometriosis March, happening in more than 50 countries on Saturday. Women are invited to share their stories, wear yellow in solidarity and help end the stigma attached to women’s reproductive and sexual health.
“Talking about periods isn’t gross, isn’t dirty, isn’t disgusting. It’s a normal part of being human, and until we get over the embarrassment, we won’t move forward,” says Singh. “Make it dinnertime conversation. Normalize it. That’s going to be our goal.”
Although she continues to struggle with health issues associated with endometriosis one day at a time, Boustani remains persistent in her battle to inform the public and help women voice their pain.
“If we don’t insist on our symptoms, don’t try to be taken seriously and give up on advocating for ourselves, then we’re going to continue being ignored and the stigma of painful periods and it being normal will remain. We need to educate the community as a whole, not just women.”
Women and men of all ages are encouraged to register online for the event. The Ottawa march will take place from 12:30 p.m. until 2. Marchers are invited to wear yellow and meet downtown at the intersection of York Street and Dalhousie Street. Event details can be found on the Worldwide Endometriosis March website.
查看原文...
