Did you know that March is Endometriosis Awareness Month? Did you know that the yellow ribbon is the color for endometriosis awareness and support? The sponsors of the Million Women March for Endometriosis (MWMFE) have funded and organized a worldwide event to empower, educate and effect change.
The March for Endometriosis
On March 13th, 2014 women battling endometriosis and their supporters will take a stand against endometriosis. The goals are simple; to raise awareness about endo and the lifelong effects it has on both girls and women of all ages. Early diagnosis is key to winning the battle against endometriosis and non-invasive diagnostic tests are needed to make this possible. Currently, the only way to diagnose endometriosis at any stage is to have a surgeon perform an exploratory laparoscopic surgery.
What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a serious and sometimes severely debilitating disease that no one is talking about and some people have never even heard of. In North America estimates are that over 8 million women are currently battling this devastating disease. Worldwide there are close to 176 million women who are suffering the chronic pain of endometriosis. Let’s start with the basics; what is endometriosis?
I assure you it is not contagious like a cold and it’s not an STD from unprotected intercourse. “Endo” as it is commonly referred to; is a disease in which cells similar to the endometrial cells inside the lining of the uterus are growing outside of the uterus. These cells are under the constant influence and control of a woman’s hormones so as a woman gets her monthly cycle, these cells are stimulated, create inflammation, and may cause bleeding in the surrounding tissue. This means that wherever the endometriosis cells have started growing (the ovaries, the cervix, the bladder, the bowel, the colon, the appendix, the diaphragm, the sciatic nerve, the lungs) these areas can become extremely painful due to inflammation, and can develop painful adhesions (scar tissue) that attaches organs together and cause organ dysfunction.
Simple everyday bodily functions are compromised such as urinating and defecating. In extreme cases where endometriosis cells are found in the lungs, thoracic endometriosis causes shortness of breath, asthma-like symptoms and collapsed lungs. Hence the reason that-like cancer-endometriosis is classified by 4 stages. Endometriosis stages (I-minimal, II-mild, III-moderate, and IV-severe) are classified as such depending on the location, extent, and depth of the endometriosis implants and the extent of the adhesions. However, the stage of the disease does not necessarily correlate with the level of pain.
Every woman with endometriosis can make a difference by using her voice! All of our voices have power but only if we use them. This goes for the family, friends, acquaintances, neighbors, significant others and medical professionals who have a woman in their life battling this horrific incurable disease.
What is MWMFE?
The MWMFE is an internationally-coordinated awareness campaign that will occur worldwide on Thursday, March 13, 2014, in dozens of international capitals, including Amsterdam, Belfast, Berlin, Brasilia, Buenos Aires, Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Kingston, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Oslo, Reykjavik, Rome, Stockholm, Valleta, and Washington, D.C., just to name a few. An internationally coordinated campaign is absolutely necessary to effect the changes that are needed to overturn the status quo.
One person truly can make a difference but together-we can really make a difference in the lives of girls and women who currently battle endo and it’s crippling effects on the body. The 1st annual Million Women March for Endometriosis (MWMFE) will be held at the National Mall in DC and registration and attendance is FREE!
This unprecedented worldwide peaceful demonstration to raise awareness is an amazing opportunity for endo warriors and the people who love them to come together to effect real change. There will be live music and guest speakers as well as men, women, children, celebrities and medical professionals all focused on Endometriosis Awareness.
Please help us end the silence about endometriosis and get the proper care and cure we need before it’s too late.
How to Get Involved
Don’t wait, visit our website today! The event is less than 2 months away! Million Women March 2014. The website will help you:
- Register to attend the event in DC on March 13th, 2014
- Register to be a volunteer on the day of the event…..there could never be too many participants or volunteers!
- We have precinct managers in every state who can help with hotel discounts, flight discounts and event day information if you are planning to attend. They can also help you can make a difference in your own community. Contact us today and we can put you in touch with someone in your area.
- If you are unable to attend you can still use your most powerful weapon…..your voice. Get the conversation started! Please help us end the silence about endometriosis and get the proper care and cure we need before it’s too late. We would be honored to have you join the campaign in any way that works for you, even if it’s just a post about the event details on your Facebook/Twitter/Blog.
Feel free to contact us here at MWMFE so we can assist you in getting involved. Email:endomarch.information@gmail.com; Phone: (408) 28-MARCH; (408) 286-2724
Endo is widely recognized as one of the top 10 most painful diseases on Earth. It’s time to end the suffering in silence!
About the author. Lindsay Murphy is a freelance writer currently focusing on Endometriosis Awareness. Lindsay’s battle against Stage 4 Endometriosis has resulted in four surgeries in less than two years. She has a BA in Broadcast Journalism and Mass Communications which comes in handy with writing assignments about endo warriors and their struggles with this disease. Lindsay is traveling the country, changing locations bi-weekly, in order to advocate for more endometriosis awareness and research. “Our voices have power but only if we use them.” – Lindsay Murphy
