Growing up, many of my friends would complain about cramps during their periods. For me, the idea of minor cramps was nothing. Instead, I’ve suffered from endometriosis, a painful disorder that is caused from uterine tissue growing on different organs. In the beginning, it wasn’t so terrible. Then, it got worse, and for the past several years of my life, I’ve dealt with constant nausea and vomiting, back pain, cramps and such extreme pain that some days, I can’t get out of bed.
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After attempting to slow the growth of the tissue growth with years-worth of birth control, I’ve had very little success. Other options include different forms of birth control or a surgery to scrape the lining. Unfortunately, the college lifestyle causes my body more damage.
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Some of the worst things for me to consume are alcohol and coffee. Let’s just say avoiding both are extremely difficult in college. Another major factor that makes my symptoms worse is not getting adequate sleep. This, again, is extremely difficult and almost impossible to accomplish in college.
Eating healthy is supposed to ease some of the symptoms as well. Anyone who is as busy as I am in college knows that trying to find time to eat a full meal is a daily challenge. From running between classes and meetings, dining hall times are super difficult to squeeze in. This being said, my diet isn’t the best. This doesn’t help much with my energy levels or other symptoms.
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Regardless, ibuprofen and Tums have become my best friend in college. No longer can I miss days of school in order to recover. And to all the other girls that suffer from endometriosis attacks, my best advice is to stock up on heating pads and ibuprofen. Drinking a lot of water, eating fruits and veggies when possible and working out are some of the best ways to relieve these symptoms.
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