Woman Warrior Project- Valéria Tennyson- My Battle with Endometriosis

I had the honor of meeting Valéria Tennyson this weekend for the second woman in the Woman’s Warrior Project lineup. She is battling a disease called Endometriosis and recently had a hysterectomy. While she has gone through struggles with this disease almost her entire life, she has remained such a positive and gorgeous woman inside and out. The following is written by her about her battle with Endometriosis.

“I’ve always struggled with bad cramps during my monthly periods. Not the “normal” cramps but the ones that would made me shiver, debilitating. I always missed some days a month at school during high school year, then later on I missed college and work. I’ve had doctors, saying that I should tough it up. So, it was just “ part of being a woman”, so I did. I would smile on the outside while feeling crushed on the inside. Since the age of 12 I visited many doctors back home in Brazil but none could figured anything out. At the time I had no idea it was going to take 14 years to get the correct diagnosis for endometriosis. In one sentence what is endometriosis? It's a chronic gynecological malfunction which causes serious pain, infertility, digestive and bowel problems, exhaustion, cysts, adhesions and can lead to abdominal organs sticking together, and that’s just the start.

I moved to Seattle in 2007 and married my husband the following year; all was going well when near our 1st anniversary the pain had increased significantly, but this time wasn’t during my monthly periods, it was during intercourse. I went to see a doctor and based on my symptoms, she said it was most likely endometriosis, all I could say at that time was: ENDO WHAT? I scheduled a surgery with a specialist and indeed on February 2010 I was properly diagnosed. Surgery took longer then what was expected due to the amount of endometriosis implants and organs being stuck together. I remember finding relief in knowing that “it wasn’t in my head” and that I was going to be okay. Little I knew that endometriosis has no cure.

My husband and I were vacationing in South America in January 2013 when I had what i could call “the worst pain ever”. 3 years after the first surgery the pain was back, the same old stabbing, sharp, excruciating pain that I learned to know so well was back, it was time to head back to the O.R.

Surgery #2 took place 2 months after we got back to WA. Sadly this was going to be the worst time of my life as I learned that on the day of my surgery my mom had passed away back home. The emotional pain was way worse than the healing pains from surgery. I was glad I was able to see her 2 months before her passing but couldn't get over the guilty of not being there. I wasn’t able to fly back to pay my respects until a month later. I developed depression and anxiety. It was very hard to deal with it but instead of feeling sorry for myself I got back outdoors and started to hike more frequently than ever. Nature saved me.

Unfortunately as I mentioned earlier, endometriosis has no cure, so the pain came back 2 years later. I once again, started missing some days at work, had to pass on some hikes with friends and intercourse with my husband became difficult once again. Right now I am recovering from a hysterectomy I had on April 26 2016. I know that the recovery will be long, but I decided that I won’t give up. I WILL keep fighting and spreading awareness to what endometriosis is as 1 out of 10 women have it, and worldwide we are talking about 178 million women.

Having excruciating pain during your period is not normal, pain during or after sex is not normal, and it should be looked into it. Endometriosis can cause infertility and it is such a complicated disease to understand as it has different ways to present itself. I feel very lucky to have a supportive husband that has been holding my hand throughout my journey fighting this disease, that has been by my side through the thick and thin. Right now we are hopeful that the hysterectomy will help me even though that still doesn’t guarantee that I will be free of it as it can create its own estrogen and come back. Talk about a pain in the butt disease, right?” For more info, visit: http://www.endo-resolved.com/