Amanda was diagnosed with Endometriosis at 22 and had a hysterectomy at 28.  Now 36, she continues to suffer from chronic pain, despite the hysterectomy.  Regardless, she fights through it and she and her husband have adopted two lovely children. She is blessed, even with all she has endured.  May her story aid others in their journey.

Amanda’s Journey: My story started one summer afternoon when I was twelve. My family had gone on a day trip to a park. My period had started that day and the cramps started as usual. This day was going to be a turning point though as the pain reached a point to where I found myself curled up on the floor of our minivan drenched in a cold sweat, praying that I would not throw up as my family picnicked nearby.

At first, these episodes happened a few times a year. By the time I was seventeen, they became a monthly occurrence. I did not understand the significance of the degree of pain I was in. All of my friends complained about their periods so I figured I was just experiencing what everyone else did. My mom took me to my first gynecologist appointment that year, searching for relief. I was started on an anti-inflammatory and told that it was “normal” to have cramps like that at my age. Hopefully, they would improve with age.