Health

Project Endo – a lifeline for endometriosis sufferers

Jo Gifford / October 23, 2012

My name is Jo. I live with a condition that has no cure. I live with pain and fatigue, and have done for 17 years. I have endometriosis, and I am an endo warrior.

Endometriosis is a condition which affects, incredibly, one in ten women globally. Despite this huge statistic, so many women still haven’t heard of it’s existence. An oestrogen dominance condition, endometriosis occurs when cells which normally shed during a menstrual cycle do not leave the body but instead become stuck in the pelvic cavity and continues to bleed and behave as they ususally would inside the womb. Having nowhere to go, they cause blisters, cysts, scar tissue and can cause the organs of the pelvis to stick together.

The main symptoms of endo are painful sex, abdominal bloating, pain in the lower back and abdomen, fatigue and potential fertility problems.

I am one of the lucky ones, and gave birth to my beautiful miracle twins Eva and Mia three years ago. I never thought I could have kids, so I know how incredibly fortunate I am. My journey with endo so far has been epic, including 5 operations, heavy hormone treatments, the pill, the coil, nervous breakdown, relationship breakdowns, loss of friends, income, social life, confidence. On any given day I can be exhausted, or in immense pain that has me bed bound.

On the up side (and there is indeed an up side) it has not stopped me living a wonderful and full life. I run my own design company, I write, I blog, I run and ride ( I did my first half marathon last year), I love being a mum and I am grateful to this condition for forcing me to look to nutrition and the holistic health world in which I have immersed myself to educate both myself and others about living with chronic illness.

I have had to radically re-design my life to live with endometriosis. Much of my endo journey I have been very open about on my blog; I have been thrilled to act as a spokesperson for the endo women out there an have made it my mission over the years to raise awareness of the condition. There is currently no cure, but there is so much endo warriors can do to help themselves through nutrition, exercise and lifestyle management.

It has been a natural progression for me to form Project Endo, the endo warrior’s guide to living and winning with endometriosis. Through Project Endo, I send out an email every single day to over 1,000 ladies globally with tips and coping strategies for dealing with endometriosis. Just 6 weeks into it’s existance Project Endo has been making a big difference to people’s lives who, just like me, are searching for answers and support.

I am now forming Project Endo as a social enterprise and have many exciting plans for it in the near future.

Endometriosis is a huge part of my life but it doesn’t own me. I have re-discovered my control and take great pride and passion in helping others. If you would like to know more, visit Project Endo and sign up for the daily emails – you will also get a free downloadable symptom tracker and mini e-book “10 ways to win with endometriosis today”.

Endo didn’t win. I did.

You can also connect with me on Twitter as @dexdiva and over on my blog, Dexterous Diva.