It is amusing the looks of disbelief

Hubby and I went to town today to get gas and groceries. I remembered that I really needed to stop by the health food store, so we made a quick detour. For a couple of weeks now, we have been meaning to stop and something else has been more urgent. After not being able to go to the bathroom (poop) for a week, the urgency has shifted (which is ironic because the lack of shifting is what makes it so urgent. Sorry for the dry humor, have to laugh at it or otherwise I would fall apart). 

We walk in and I wanted to find something that is natural and gluten free, that will help with the chronic constipation. The young lady in the store was helping someone else, so we waited. I asked her if she could tell me where their supplements were that would assist with constipation. My wonderful hubby pointed out that I needed something that wouldn't cause cramping because I have enough pain. Gotta love it when you have someone in your life that will speak up and look out for you. Happy wife, happy life, is a saying my hubby takes to heart, lol. Getting back on track. She handed me a few items and she went to check out another customer. When she came back she asked if we knew the reason for the constipation and my husband spoke up again. He told her that I suffer from endometriosis and have adhesions. She looked at us kind of weird but said that she knew what endo was, so I didn't go into explanation. I did, however, tell her that I also have to take pain meds for the pain. She took that as I am always taking pain meds and she even said as much. She said, "So you take a lot of pain meds, which would be the cause of your constipation." I proceeded to tell her that I don't take a lot of pain meds because I know the dangers of addiction and the constipation issues. I also told her that my main cause of constipation is that the back of my uterus is attached to my rectum. The look on her face was priceless. It went from being somewhat sarcastic and skeptical, to being shocked and sympathetic. She rang me up and handed me my medicine and said nothing. I shocked her speechless. 

The shock and surprise of the lack of information, sympathy, and understanding is why it is so important to me that the Million Women March for Endometriosis 2014 is happening. It needs to be as well known as cancer. The knowledge and understanding NEEDS to be there. It is time, that every woman that is suffering from this disorder, be respected for what they accomplish and the class that they do it with. It is time that the women suffering from infertility, because of this illness, be treated with kindness and not condemned. It is time that we receive treatment from qualified physicians. It is high time that we are treated as people in agonizing pain and not as drug addicts. 

Now that I have gone off script. I just wanted to discuss that moment in my day that made my husband and I both smile and laugh. We walked in a store to find help for something that can cause death if not treated. We walked out smiling because it was amusing, the 360 degree turn around that we saw on her face with just one sentence. You could see her think about what she imagined having her uterus attached to her rectum would feel like, and it was priceless. 

I took a little joy in the fact that I took a fact and knocked that smug, condescending tone and look off of her face. She definitely had that tone and look that most of us get when we talk about pain meds with people in our lives and most doctors. I know it is wrong to take joy in this, but we needed that. We needed to smile and not feel like I was doing something wrong for taking pain meds for my pain.  We needed to give a little honest info about endo and what painful side effects can happen. Maybe next time someone mentions that they have endo, she will think about that shocking moment and be kinder and have a little of sympathy, rather than judgement. If I can help someone else be treated more kindly, then I have accomplished one of my goals. If I am going to have to live with all of this, I may as well use it to teach someone else a little humility. 

I know, I know. It is not my place to change the world, but the way I see it, we have all suffered long enough in silence and it is high time we speak out. 

I hope you found this funny and informative. I understand that some may take offense to this, but the way I see it, I wasn't rude, crude, or disrespectful. I used a fact about my illness to defend myself. I don't think that is the worst thing I could have done. Trust me, I have a mouth and have never been afraid to use it.