Endometriosis Community share messages of hope  

Eliza Hart, Jay Brennan, Keighli O’Brien and Elizabeth Riordan from our Endometriosis Community shares messages of hope back with us 
L–R: Eliza Hart, Jay Brennan, Keighli O’Brien and Elizabeth Riordan 

When members of our Endometriosis Community responded to our request for stories at the start of this year, common themes of pain, frustration, doctors not taking them seriously and long journeys to diagnosis were all present. However, what shone through in all the stories were messages of resilience, hope, persistence, and of the power of community. 

Solidarity in endometriosis community

As Eliza Hart said, “When I was going through pre-anxiety about surgery, beautiful messages of support and solidarity came from my online endometriosis community, and they pulled me out of the mud when I was going through that. It’s not heavy – you’ve got this beautiful group of people who are willing to help, who you have solidarity with. We take the rope and pull each other out.” 

Hope for endometriosis community

When asked what their hope for research like ours was, people living with endometriosis had a wealth of ideas. Eliza Hart mentioned that she would like to see the research impact diagnosis, which would trickle down to any practitioner interacting with women presenting with symptoms of endometriosis.  

Elizabeth Riordan expressed hope that the research would increase awareness and education, earlier diagnosis, better and alternative pain management methods. She also spoke about the need for a cure. 

Jay Brennan reflected on her experience in a regional area, and hoped that more resources can be provided to regional health professionals around pain, endometriosis and the mental health effects that stem from this condition. She also hoped that more support will be provided for employers around this health issue and how it impacts employees, as well as the need for less stigma overall. 

Lastly, Keighli O’Brien spoke about the need for increased gender inclusivity when speaking about those affected by endometriosis and the need for more research that will investigate the genetics of endometriosis and hereditary linkages among family members. 

Keep up-to-date with our critical endometriosis research via our ENDO newsletter.

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