May 2009 find you good health, less pain and family and friends who support you!
One reoccurring question in letters I receive or posts in groups is ' How can I get people to believe the pain I am in' ?
or, "How can I get family and friends to be more supportive'?
Let me start by saying a sad truth, some will never understand and at some point you have to stop beating a dead horse and understand some will just NEVER get it. That's hard for us to live with because we want so desperately for the people we love, or our Dr's, work etc... to understand why we are forced to live the way we live in order to deal with this constant chronic pain, Dr's appts, hospitals, surgeries, medications....
In my 30+ years dealing with all of the above I can say honestly, there is no easy way, but there are some steps you can take to help those who will take the time to listen and learn a better chance of understanding.
Here are some idea's on how to better educate those who will give you the respect of time to teach them about Endo.
1) Keep it SIMPLE,
to begin with you don't want to overwhelm them with complicated information, keep it simple at first then add more as they digest the first. If you can get them to a computer I HIGHLY recommend bringing up the ERC's
Audio-Visual Presentation on "What is Endometriosis?"
http://www.endocenter.org/It is THE VERY BEST VIDEO on the subject I have seen which gives a simple explanation that is the easiest to understand. After viewing the video it can lead into a discussion of your own journey with the disease.
2) Join a support group!
There are so many groups out there today whether online or 'in person' that are excellent places to gain information, friends and support, something most of us need even more than we realize. Google Endometriosis and a list will come up, there are also plenty on Yahoo groups and many on Facebook such as one I currently offer support on called *I'm a Friend, Family member. And i support my loved ones with Endometriosis's Wall*
