Fighting through Pain to Live on Purpose By : Angeline Lawrence
We fight for everything from equal pay to health care . Fighting goes along with the territory when you are a woman . Over 176 million women are fighting a silent war that is upending their lives . It crosses ethnicity / race , age and socio-economic levels .
Endometriosis is hard to detect and often misdiagnosed . The physical pain and emotional strain are ever present in the lives of women who suffer from it .
It hits women in the prime of their reproductive lives and impacts women and girls from age 12 to age 60 . The symptoms mimic other conditions . Getting the correct diagnosis is vital to early detection . Endometriosis occurs when tissue like the endometrium ( the lining of the uterus ) is outside the uterus and found on other parts of the body .
Michelle Johnson , Founder of Fighting Fiercely Endometriosis Awareness Expo
Michelle Johnson , is a licensed massage therapist , author and endometriosis advocate . She fights for others who have the same disease that robbed her of the left side of her uterus . She states , " I had heavy menstrual cycles since I was a teenager . I accepted the pain and heavy flows as normal . But , the pain intensified and I started to bleed through my clothes . When the time between my periods decreased I knew something was wrong ."
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