I don't think anyone can really understand what Maria has been going through the past five years with intestinal endometriosis.
Endo....is a disease. Tissue normally found in the uterus is growing IN the body OUTSIDE of the uterus where it does not belong!!!!!!
I worked with Maria. I showed her the ropes and office procedures when she first came to work for the same company that I worked at more than ten years ago.
I recall there was one company event where Maria passed out in the bathroom - unconscious - from severe abdominal pain - God knows how long she lay there all alone. None of us knew about the incident until many, many, many months later. How embarrassing and humiliating that must have been.
Even though I took a different job in another town in 2002 Maria and I kept in touch. I moved back in December 2004 and we re-connected in the summer of 2005 with lunch on several occasions to "catch-up".
On May 31st of 2006 my son died at the age of 26 years old. His funeral was to be held on June 5th, 2006.
At the very same time Maria was on a business trip far away in California. Maria became extremely sick with horrific pain, diarrhea and projectile vomiting....it became so bad that Maria took herself to the emergency room. And was admitted with a small bowel obstruction and treated with a high doses of steroids, which dissolved the obstruction found in the scans. This hospital stay was for ten days. And to top if off, she lost her job because she was hospitalizeed for soooooo long.
Despite the fact that Maria was hospitalized in terrible pain, she still sent me this wonderful, and thoughtful email:
on 6/4/2006 Maria wrote:
R,
I can not believe it!!
I AM SO SORRY FOR YOUR TERRIBLE LOSS!
I am in S. Calf. right now otherwise I would be there tomorrow. (for the funeral)
Please know I am praying for you and your family.
I have asked my family around the world to pray for you all.
I love you R, if I can do anything to help please call me.
Maria
The months after my son's death were a very dark, painful and depressed time for me. The depression made my whole body hurt so much that I thought I was dying.
Maria was a tremendous friend to me at that time in my life
.........despite the fact that she was seriously ill, in and out of several hospitals, having medical tests, getting no answers, in severe pain, frustrated, on pain medication and steroids, had many more tests, endured surgical procedures, became dehydration, had severe reactions to medications, was referred to yet another doctor, and had to deal with perplexed doctors that could not figure out the "why". This was just the beginning for Maria. She has been in and out of hospitals so many times that I have lost count. Fortunately, she keeps a great medical history of all the things that she has gone through.
She has seen so many different doctors I don't know how she keeps their names straight. And the latest being rejected by other doctor - wow what a low blow to the ego that is. Yikes!!!
But the pain continues............pain is very personal. Some of us can tolerate very little pain and others can handle mega-does of it. The pain is just the tip of the iceberg called endometriosis.
I was reading the Mankoski Pain Scale the other day. And I can say from first hand experience on the numerous times I have visited Maria at home or in the hospital that her pain has to be a combined rating of 7 to 8 on the Mankoski Pain Scale on an "average" daily day...
7. Makes it difficult to concentrate, interferes with sleep.
8. Physical activity severely limited. Nausea and dizziness set in as factors of pain.
And many times she has pain so severe (9 and 10 ratings) that she is
9. Unable to speak. Cries out, moans, and is near delirium.
10. Unconscious...the pain has made her pass out.
I know that I could not endure "her" pain day after day after day like she does. I know that the painkillers help but the pain NEVER EVER goes away. This is no way to "live".
Maria is so grateful to ALL of her friends that help her daily take care of the "everyday" things that NEED to be done since she is bed-ridden with so much pain.
Maria can not do the daily things that you and I do.......get up, fix breakfast, get ready for work, drive to work, work for eight hours, drive home from work, fix dinner, etc.
There are so many women in the United States alone that have this kind of debilitating endo pain. Maria is not selfish in wanting to find answers for herself as she knows her answers will help scores of other women.
Maria's vision is to use her pain and suffering to help others have answers. She does not want her suffering to be in vain. Maria wants other women not to have to go through all the procdures that she has gone through these past five years. I have read stories of numerous women that have been in pain with endo for five years, nine years, fourteen years, even twenty years. That's unconscionable. Edno needs to stop.
It pulls at my heart strings to hear Maria say "I want my body to go to research when I die". This is a very noble thing for Maria to do. Maria has been rejected by so many doctors because her disease is at such an advanced stage. Her case will definitely be a major contribution to research journals; so I can understand her wanting to hep others by donating her body to research.
But all avenue's of help for Maria need to be exhausted first.
Maria has been referred to a Doctor in New York that might be able to help her. She needs your help to get this Doctor to take an interest in her specific case and agree to see her...... as Princess Leia would say "it's our only hope" at this juncture in Maria's plight.
Please keep Maria in your hearts and prayers ...Keep reading this blog, pass it on to others, and believe in miracles!
It is my hope that this blog will get Maria's plight out to other readers, all woman, and doctor's in the endometriosis field so that advancement can be made to help all the women suffering from such a terrible disease.
It is my hope that this blog will get Maria's plight out to other readers, all woman, and doctor's in the endometriosis field so that advancement can be made to help all the women suffering from such a terrible disease.
Please pass Maria's blog along to others you never know who it might help.
RSD
Montana
