As many of you know, I was diagnosed with endometriosis in March of 2016. Since then, I have been dealing with the chronic symptoms as best as I can. I have been very quiet about my most recent struggles, but I have learned that being quiet is a very lonely place and that I am missing out on support. In April I suffered a flare up, the worst to date. I was basically bed ridden. I could barely walk, barely eat, barely care for myself as well as fulfill my daily obligations. We had just moved into a house and I was supposed to be working full time. I never recovered from that flare up. I have been out of work (with the exception of three days) since then. That flare up caused a chain reaction of issues. Almost immediately my mental health began to tank. It got so bad that I reached out to a text message crisis hotline (text TWT 741741 if anyone needs it!). The next day I began my second time with antidepressants (Cymbalta). For anyone that knows, antidepressants can have side effects and can take a while to get into your system and plateau. In a month’s time, I have lost almost 20 pounds. I am in constant pain and have chronic nausea, but my depression, anxiety, and paranoid thoughts have greatly diminished. I have trouble sleeping without a sleep aid (thank you Benadryl!) and I’m still struggling with negative thoughts. During these last few months, I have seen many doctors, visited the ER, suffered random other ailments (like strep throat?!), and scheduled my surgery. The last one is a huge step for me in being able to control my Endo. Endometriosis is a chronic, life long affliction. It affects people that have a uterus. What happens is the lining of the uterus that builds and sheds during a menstrual cycle is found outside of the uterus. I know I have endometrial tissue on my bowels and my rectum and potentially on my ribs and in my spine. This causes pain every day, where some days are excruciating. It also causes cysts in my ovaries to develop into what are known as endometriomas. I have had one removed (3/2016 - 5cms) and others monitored. I’ve also had cysts burst. That usually sends me to the ER. Throughout all of this, I have had great support. Keith has picked up a third job to assist with finances but it is still not enough. I am very lucky to be covered with medical insurance but I am still not physically well enough to work. I am swallowing my pride and everything else that goes along with it and opening up about my struggles. I cannot do this alone. Keith cannot do this alone. I am hoping this is temporary; my surgery is in August and I hope to be back to “normal” soon after. So here I am, asking for help, something I rarely do. But I can no longer go without it. Any funds raised will go directly towards bills (rent, car payment, utilities, etc.) until we can catch up and not struggle. I appreciate the time spent reading my story and I appreciate any assistance (shares, prayers, positive vibes, donations, etc) that you can offer. Thank you, Mandie ❤️