Paid Menstrual Leave

A few days ago my attention was drawn to an article in an Irish newspaper about "Paid Menstrual leave".
Apparently this situation already exists in many Asian countries and the topic was putting it to Women to gain their response as to whether they would approve of such sick leave being brought into the workplace. The writer of the article seemed to take the idea of this extra leave as an offensive situation, that it would be singling women out, giving their bosses an excuse to let them go or perhaps not hire them at all because they're too fragile to work.

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I have to say this irled me some. I feel that women such as ourselves could benefit from having these extra paid sick days because we suffer from a conditioin which we can't help that does cause us to call in sick more often than other co-workers. It's not a case a special consideration but I think one of understanding. A lot of women I have spoken to over the years have lost their jobs because they had to ring in sick so often due to the pain they were in. I'm not suggesting for a moment that this paid leave would put an end to all of that but I do think it would be a good place to start. Creating awareness and raising a level of understanding is a first step in our battle against the ignorance of this disease.

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You don't need to shout it from the rooftop's and I'm sure you could find a discreet way of dealing with it in the workplace between yourself and your boss. Obviously the details would need to be refined. But the general idea does appeal to me. It would allow Women who suffer with Dysmennorhea, Endometriosis, PCOS or other pelvic issues a bit more leeway when it came to their periods. Some women experience such pain that they need to be hospitalized. Others I've talked to are on such strong pain med's that they wouldn't be able to drive their car to get to work or operate machinery or sometimes even walk with the pain. I think is a step in the right direction.

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I do find however that other Women are often the ones who look down at Women who suffer with their periods. It's like they can't possibly comprehend that you could be in that much pain. We should stick together not try to tear each other apart. Everyone suffers in their own way and everyone has their own story.

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Stay positive my Sister's. Hope you're all well. Love to you all.

XxxxxX

Keeping positive

Happy Wednesday everyone! I hope you ladies are hanging in there and staying as strong as I know you can be.

Personally, I'm doing ok. I've had some flare up's over the past few days and again the pain is heavily concentrated on my left ovary but my mind is in a really positive place and I have to admit that it really does help to express it rather than hold it in. Whether it's talking out loud, speaking with my Mum or Sis or even writing it down its proved very useful in the past and especially of late to keep me on track.

Living with Endo can be tiring and difficult at times and trust me it's not always been easy to be bright and bubbly about the situation. I've hit my walls and obstacles but with some support and the determination not to quit I've kept going, moving forward because looking back is ok to learn from but it's not a place we should live in.

I take each day now as it comes and try not to think too far into the future. I've come to realise there are limitations to what I can contribute on my life. Endo certainly isn't one of them. I can seek treatments, take care of myself, mind, body and soul and genuinely keep a positive mindframe. Whether my disease advances or lays dormant isn't something I can control so I'll do what I can, when I can and right now that's working for me.

The days when I'm in pain are annoying, tiring and sometimes quite upsetting but it's only temporary. For me the intensity does pass and while there's day pain you become accustomed to it. We truly have no understanding of what our bodies are capable of tolerating until it has to.

It's not an ideal way of life "living in constant pain" but who's to say what's ideal or not? As long as I can cope I will keep going and having positive people in my life works for me.

Love to my Endo Sister's
XxxxxxX

Reflections (Part 1)

Finished the dose of 50mg of Clomid last Saturday, the 10th of March. First round, done & dusted.

Have had a very nauseous stomach, a little spotting & some PMS like moody moments but compared to the Endo pains & tribulations this is small change for me. So all in all I'm looking at this positively & also fingers crossed am hoping the treatment works out to our advantage over the coming months.

Things in general have been quite turbulent the past few weeks & at times I do wonder if we'd made the right choice to begin treatment for the infertility problem now but if not now after almost two years of TTC then when?

Is there ever a right time to be pregnant, be trying, give birth? Or does everything happen in it's own time & for it's own reasons.

One has to wonder, even if we don't always have the answers to the questions, it doesn't cost anything to ask. I just need to be happy in the knowledge that I won't always have the answers & neither will anyone else.

Doctors have been "buying time" with me for years, almost 9 now & from being told at 18 that I would never conceive to now being given that chance has flipped the odds in my favor.

I certainly was in no way prepared at 18 to consider having a child, nor did I want to at that time. I was in college, looking forward to my career & so forth & was convinced that it wasn't the choice for me.

Now however, it's a different kettle of fish as it was two years ago when I had that moment where I though I could be pregnant but obviously it turned out to be a falsehood. That started us on our journey, asking questions having tests & so forth. Going off & trying the natural root with a little apprehension because of the past comments by Medical Professionals. But it hasn't stopped us. The Endo is always somewhere in our minds but honestly it doesn't "control" me anymore.

It's been difficult at times to not let it constantly get in the way and of course there are days, hours, minutes where all of my positive thoughts go out the window with the pain I'm in but I know there's got to be an end goal. There's always something I can do to be proactive about this disease whether it's talking about it, writing about it, accepting treatments, medical, natural or otherwise.

If you can keep finding a way to move forward you'll get there eventually. It's like a marathon-pace yourself.