There are many individuals out there who know someone with endometriosis. They have not felt the pain of endo and will never understand our daily struggle. Some choose not to listen or care, however others have the desire to help but do not know how. This is my message to you! The friend, the significant others, the children, the grandparents, the aunts, and the uncles… You do not have to understand! We do not expect the perfect answers to our problems from you. There is nothing you can do (unless you are some kind of health professional and even then there is no cure) that will take our pain away. However you can come along side us. You can help us draw the strength to carry our own burdens. I believe one of our EndoArmy VA, DC, MD members worded it very well.
I think it’s important- at least for me, that my loved ones know that I don’t need them to understand what I’m going through, I just need them to be there to hold my hand when I’m hurting, hug me and lift me up on my bad days, and just be there for me. My fiancé has no idea what it’s like to have endo but he still wakes up when I’m in pain at 3 am and sits next to me while I’m crying in the bath or curled around my heating pad. That’s all I could ever ask for.”