The Rights of an Endometriosis Patient

You have the right to remain silent.  No one should ever feel obligated to entertain or otherwise indulge others when they are suffering in pain.

You have the right to expect non-judgmental validation and support from your core support network of loved ones, friends, etc.  No one should ever have to defend their symptoms.  To anyone.  Period.

You have the right to obtain a second, third or seventeenth opinion about your course of treatment(s).  No medical professional, family member, or other person should ever bully a woman or girl with endometriosis into a specific treatment because “their friend did it” or “that’s what everyone with endo does”.  What works for others, may not work for you, and vice versa.  Only you can decide what fits your symptoms, life and needs.

You have the right to authoritative information about your disease without having to weed through the ever-present propagation of myths, misinformation and inaccuracies that still continue to enshroud endometriosis.

You have the right to be “selfish” and focus on yourself and your recovery/well-being.

You have the right to remove toxic people from your life.  We only get one time around the ride; make the best of it in spite of this disease.  If it doesn’t bring value-added positivity to your life, remove it.

You have the right to efficacy of treatment(s).  If it’s not working, say “no more” and go to Plan B – whatever “Plan B” means to YOU.

You have the right to speak out about your disease.  If we don’t break the societal taboos about “period pain”, painful sex, infertility and all the other aspects of this illness that are not considered “appropriate” for public discussion, no one ever will.

You have the right to laugh, cry, scream, rant, rage, and show any other emotion you wish.  “Emotion” is not synonymous with “weakness”.

You have the right to expect appropriate pain relief measures without being labeled a ‘drug seeker’ and to hold an empowered role in your own healthcare decisions.

You have the right to have endometriosis acknowledged as a very real disease, the far-reaching impact of which is perhaps indescribable to others who do not live with the first-hand experience of it.  Simply because someone does not understand what you go through, does not make endometriosis any less a pivotal part of your life.  The onus to understand is on them - not you.

You have the right to grieve pregnancy loss, infertility and any other tangible or intangible loss associated with your battle against the disease - without being told to "move on" and "get over it".

You have the right to share your feelings...add on to this thread and keep it going!