In my last post, I opened up about the many hats I wear, IVF champion, wife, mother, and endo-warrior. I also shared how, somewhere in the whirlwind of titles, responsibilities, and expectations, I lost pieces of myself. Writing that felt like lifting a weight off my shoulders. This time, I want to share something different. This is a message of education, hope and resilience. My hope is it helps at least one person who is struggling.
Living With Endometriosis
Endometriosis isn’t easy to talk about. It’s a chronic condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in places it shouldn’t. As you can imagine, this can cause excruciating pain, fatigue, and sometimes affect fertility. What many don’t realize is how common it is. At least 1 in 10 women live with endometriosis and yet, it often takes years to be diagnosed.
Some days, endo feels like carrying an invisible weight. The pain doesn’t always show on the outside, but it changes how you move, plan and even how you dream. That’s the challenge most of us face - the world doesn’t always see what we’re carrying.
Finding Positivity Amid Challenges
Here’s the part I want to hold onto and share: there is strength in every struggle. Living with endometriosis has forced me to slow down at times when I wanted to keep pushing. It has made me more compassionate toward myself and others. It’s taught me to celebrate the small victories like a good day with less or no pain, energy to go on adventures with my kiddo or simply the courage to say, “I need rest today.”
I’ve learnt resilience doesn’t always look like pushing through and sometimes it looks like listening to your body and honouring what it needs.
Facts That Empower, Not Limit
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Endo is not “just bad periods.” The pain can be severe, lasting far beyond a cycle, and it’s not something you just “tough out.”
- Diagnosis often takes far too long. In Canada, women wait an average of 5.4 years for a diagnosis after symptoms begin (according to a national survey published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada 2020). This is why self-advocacy, seeking second opinions, and trusting your own experiences are essential in getting the right care.
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There is no cure yet, but treatments and lifestyle changes can help manage symptoms.
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You are not alone. Millions of women are navigating this too, even if they don’t always talk about it.
These aren’t facts meant to discourage but to remind us that knowledge is power. The more we share, the less invisible endometriosis becomes.
Choosing to Shine
Jewellery has become a way I express myself. Choosing to shine, even on the hard days, matters. Endo might shape part of my journey but it doesn’t get to define all of me.
If you’re living with endo, I want you to know that your strength is not in hiding the struggle but in continuing to show up. Whether that’s for your family, your passions or simply for yourself. You are more than your diagnosis and you are allowed (and should) keep finding joy in the midst of it.
Some days, endo will win a round. But in the bigger fight, I believe we, together, can keep winning by lifting each other up, sharing our stories and refusing to be silenced.
✨ To my fellow endo-warriors: keep choosing light, even in the hardest moments. We are stronger than we realize.