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#endometriosis awareness
roisinivy · 8 months
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September is PCOS Awareness month, and I'd like to point out some of the many symptoms people with PCOS deal with everyday...
moon face
excessive body hair, arm, chests, back, face, legs and buttocks
irregular periods
painful periods
extremely heavy periods
constant bloating
mood swings
struggle to lose weight
struggle to gain weight
food cravings
high cholesterol
insulin resistance
oily skin
acne
insomnia
fatigue
sleep apnea
depression
anxiety
tubular breasts
dark and sensitive underarms
skin tags
belly fat
high testosterone
excessive hair loss
thinning hair
pelvic pain
infertility
ovarian cysts
And so much more, as well as having to struggle to even find a doctor who will take any of our symptoms and pain seriously. The medical industry needs to take better care of women, intersex and trans folks with PCOS and Endometriosis.
Our pains are real and we deserve better.
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sleepyeli · 1 month
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A short comic about my experience with Endometriosis for Endo awareness month <3
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lokisrealpurpous · 17 days
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cramps
loki x reader with endometriosis
warnings: mention of blood, mentions of periods, extremely bad period pain.
lokis fiancé has always struggled with her endometriosis, the pain leading her every month to passing out, throwing up or sometimes even in hospital and he dreaded knowing there was nothing he could do, but he finds a way.
this is for all my endometriosis girlies , as someone who has it themselves I wish it was spoke about more and that doctors didn't neglet it so much, getting forced to go on the pill and never given a remedy since 10yrs old is a horrible experience. My heart goes out to you all. If you'd like more like this, maybe small headshots of him looking after you in hospital or how he reacts when you faint, then please send requests or comment x
Loki's pov
I had arrived late from the mission I had so desperately been trying to get back from after seeing the 4 missed calls and 18 text messages left from my fiancé. I couldn't check the messages, being in a jet so high up there was only little WiFi, which was all being used by stark, so I sat in the back anxiously, merely muttering a word as i begged the trusted gods above me to keep her safe before I get to her.
I knocked gently before bursting into our bedroom, I was frantic and worried, adrenaline rushing through my veins before I stilled, seeing her lay on the bed, curled around a hot water bottle. Her face was flushed red, and her teeth were gritted. Her hair was a mess, and the blankets her tangled around her. The pill bottle on the side was empty, and the sickbowl on the other was not.
"heya dove..."
I whisper, slowly coming up beside the bed, pulling down some of the blanket that covered her pale but flustered face teasingly before sitting beside her, bringing her weak form in my arms and kissing her forehead.
"is it your cramps?"
I whisper again, running my hands through her knotted hair, untangling it gently.
She nods slowly against my chest, finally looking up at me so I could see her entire face. It was tearburnt and swollen.
"Oh darling..."
I take her face in my hands, rubbing her cheek softly with my thumb. I lift her up, bringing her further into my lap and wrapping my arms around her waist as they find her lower abdomen, I massage the area gently while kissing her neck.
"This good?"
I mumble and she nods again, leaning against my chest. I felt the guilt twist in my stomach that I wasn't able to get here earlier during her flare up, I was proud she managed to find her medication and get herself a sickness bowl, but the thought of her having to do all that while in absolute agony, then to be sick without me to hold her hair and rub her stomach, i never wanted to leave her side again.
"I was fine."
I hear her croak out.
"I don't always need my knight in shining armour my love, I know how to take care of myself."
I let a sigh of relief before kissing her neck, still massaging her lower stomach.
"I know princess, I just worry."
She chuckles, turning her head up to kiss my lips, then laying between my legs, her head resting on my chest, humming as I eased the tension in her belly.
It didn't take long for her fall asleep on top of me, and not long for myself either once switching off the crystal lamp beside us.
your pov 2:27am
I sat up, taking in the shadows of darkness that surrounded me as I reached across my lover's body to turn on the bedside lamp.
my hand flies to my mouth as I let out a groan of pain, not at all wanting to wake loki up, then slipping out of his embrace towards the bathroom until I realised the sheets and my brand new baby-pink nightgown.
'shit shit shit'
I mutter, stood in the middle of the dimly lit room, clutching onto my stomach as tears begin to well in my eyes.
I cover my mouth with both my hands now, pressing hard to stop the sobs escaping. The pain was unbearable as I held onto my dresser, my new gown and sheets were stained crimson, loki layed right next to the mess on our mattress, I had no medication left and I would not make it down the stairs to make myself a bottle.
wake him up.
I kept telling myself, but I couldn't bring myself to do so.
Before I could act upon a single thought, however, a wave of nausea crashed over me as the pain stabbed at my stomach, feeling as if my uterus was collapsing in on itself. I desperately ran to the toilet, holding onto the seat and puking into the bowl. My stomach churned and tightened as I gagged.. another meal rising up my throat.
Every spiralling worry stopped when I felt his hands run through my hair, pulling it out my face and using the band that was in just in his hair to tie mine in a tight ponytail.
He knelt beside me, rubbing my back and whispering things I couldn't make sense of at the moment with the pain still cursing me.
"Loki..."
I sob, gagging over the toilet but not being sick.
He continued rubbing, kissing my head and making sure I'm sat comftable, I didn't even realise how he had put me in his lap.
"nghh.."
I groan, holding onto my stomach, my hands gripping and the area and pulling and pushing, I didn't know what I was doing but I just wanted the pain off... I couldn't bare it...
"Lokiiiiii"
I groan again, my voice strained in pain.
"P...please"
My voice cracks, tears spilling down my cheeks. Once he realised my scratching hands, he pulled them away slowly, replacing them with his own and massaging again.
I let out a whimper of pain.
"Shhh shh shh... trust me my darling, just relax"
He coos, rocking me side to side in his arms.
My eyes suddenly widen as I feel his palms heat up to the perfect temputure as he continues kneeding my skin.
I whine, leaning against him, the pain fading with every movement of his huge hands that now had mine wrapped around them. He dosent stop, just whispering words of affirmation in my ears and swaying me with himself as my eyes began to flutter shut, my body finally feeling at ease and calm.
"That's it..."
I hear him whisper as he lifts me in his arms, hands still on my belly..
"You're okay love, ive got you"
He says as he lies me in a bed, the sheets changed and fresh, and a new nightgown dressing my body with the flash of a small green light.
How he does it I will never know but I do know that him, and his mother's parenting, will always be there to guide me through terrible nights like this.
"I love you Lo..." I whisper as I feel my body sink into the mattress and a kiss on my lips, large arms wrapping around my waist.
"I love you more, my darling.."
He replies with another kiss, then turns the lamp off, keeping his hands on my abdomen throughout the early morning till dawn.
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yrfemmehusband · 8 months
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Please fucking read about endometriosis before you talk about it.
"get checked for endometriosis" "ask your doctor about endometriosis" "it's a quick easy non invasive exam/ultrasound/surgery" NO.
NO NO NO NO NO.
There is a reason women DIE before they know they have Endo.
There is a reason women find out they have it through miscarriages.
One day I will write down my entire endometriosis story on here. Maybe later even.
But I was forced on birth control at 12, didn't get diagnosed until 18. Symptoms began at 10. The average amount of time it takes to get diagnosed with endometriosis from the onset of asking for medical help is 7. Years.
You cannot see it in any tests unless MAYBE it's extensive. I have stage three and mine wasn't visible on MRI, external or intravaginal ultrasound, nor could you feel it.
And laparoscopic surgery is easy? Yeah, maybe, unless you have a higher stage, or unless you have comorbid conditions. I was out of work for two months after mine, and that was only because I saved a lot. I lost way too much weight after it and my surgeon abandoned me because she wasn't an Endo specialist and my case was too much effort.
It didn't help with my symptoms at all.
Please just do the smallest bit of research about endometriosis if you're gonna talk about it, even bring it up. So many women and other AFAB people go their whole lives without being diagnosed because it's HARD to get diagnosed.
So much misinformation is spread about this already little known about disease. please don't fucking contribute to it.
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Women's healthcare is being forced to beg for a barbaric, torturous procedure just for the chance that it'll get you a diagnosis you're being told is in your head.
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bettercallroasty · 2 months
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I made this for endometriosis awareness month which is March! It's important to spread awareness. It took me about 15 years to get a diagnosis. I am 3 months post total hysterectomy. I was hoping people would get interested if they saw something with one of their faves!
There is no cure, but certain things may alleviate the symptoms. It is grossly underdiagnosed, understudied, and underfunded. There are a wide variety of symptoms that vary from person to person. I only wrote SOME possible symptoms.
Other things that can cause similar symptoms are PCOS, adyemosis, and fibroids. Learn how to advocate for yourself and reach out to support groups. There are many online. A doctor should not be telling you it's "just a bad period" and writing you off.
Endometriosis can worsen and advance in stage over time. The only way to truly diagnose endometriosis is through exploratory laproscopic surgery. If Endometriosis is found, they will excise (cut it out) and run it through pathology. This is because endometriosis often does not show up I'm imaging. If you have a clean ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI, this does NOT mean your issues are in your head. Your best bet is to find an OBGYN who specializes in endometriosis and uterus diseases. After excision, Endometriosis is likely to grow back. However it's managed depends on you and your body. Do a lot of research, and don't be afraid to turn down a treatment plan if it makes you uncomfortable. Not all cases have to end in hysterectomy.
And when all else fails, better call saul! Medical malpractice attorney!
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evilartist37 · 2 months
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Something my therapist said when we talked about my endometriosis.
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sparkles-and-trash · 2 months
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The surgery went so well!
The found and removed lots and lots, and I actually got to go home with my parents last night because I was doing so well!
Today was supposed to be the worst day pain wise, and istg the pain I lived with before was worse than the post op stuff..?
I’m sore and tired but like… I also feel GOOD?
The worst part is not being able to take baths for three whole weeks, but thank god for my rain shower ig!
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evilwriter37 · 1 year
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Fun fact! Raspberry tea can often help menstrual cramping! If over the counter pain meds don’t seem to be helping, I would definitely give it a try. (And I think it tastes best with two spoonfuls of sugar instead of honey.) Sometimes this is all that helps to manage my endometriosis pain.
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carusolikey · 2 days
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The Blue Hour
a Max Phillips & Bloodsucking Bastards FanFic Chapter 1: There Goes the Building
Pairing: Max Phillips of Bloodsucking Bastards x afab!fem!reader
Rating: Explicit / NSFW 18+ (No Minors)
Author’s Note: I wrote this piece during the month of April 2024 - Adenomyosis Awareness Month, and the idea came to me during March 2024 (Endometriosis Awareness Month). This will not have any type of pregnancy kink, but will touch on infertility of OC due to the aforementioned; canon for this story is also that Vampires are infertile - there will be no Renesmé. OC is intended to be around the same age as Max, reader’s choice up or down, but no age gap. Because older afab/fem lovers are sexy - we drink and we know things.
Warnings: Most of these warnings will apply to later Chapters. Chapter 1 is fairly light and fluffy "getting to know you" with some steamy close calls, lingering touches and what have you (the what have you is the best part). But don't worry - we'll be getting down and dirty in Chapter 2.
A bit of rough sex/smut (fingering, fem penetration - P in V, oral [m + f receiving]), food play, 18+ only content, able bodied fem afab reader, alcohol consumption, non-gendered pet names, fem can be carried and has hair - though length is not mentioned, consensual "bondage", some use of y+n - but not explicitly, though consensuality is implied and intended through actions and reactions, no protection used for Vampire reasons TBD (be wise and always use protection, this is fiction). Did attempt to stay away from gendered pronouns and nicknames, although did use the word woman, 3 times throughout the entire piece (not fully published yet) referring to OC. Future chapters will discuss history endo / adeno, and of previous relationship / SA; there will also be Vampire hunting, murdering, and blood….sucking bastards.
Return to the Masterlist!
Sitting at my little mahogany desk, stretching back in the leather desk chair, I shut off my phone alarm as it blasted the opening chords of Raspberry Beret. 3:15 a.m. - time to grab my laundry from the basement of the old apartment building where I was settled.
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Weird time to be doing laundry, huh? Not for me, though - I’d had insomnia for, let’s see, I’ll have to count on fingers and toes, 5 + 12 + 3 months, so that makes...20 months. 
20 months without sunlight, for the most part. I’d had random doctor appointments that interrupted my daytime drowsiness, but about 20 months ago, I broke a little inside and haven’t been able to get back on a normal schedule.
So middle of the night laundry. And mail. And gym time, groceries, cleaning, working…
Honestly, it’s not that bad - I make my living narrating books, and I can do that whenever. Groceries get delivered to my apartment, I’m living Sandra Bullock’s The Net dream life. Peace, quiet, solitude, and ultimate zen.
Is it lonely sometimes? Sure. But that’s what my vibrator is for, and Mr. Rochester is doing fine work. The best part for us is that it’s pretty noncommittal, given that his back story is that he keeps his mentally unwell wife in the attic. Thank you, Charlotte Brontë.
As I headed down the apartment stairwell with my laundry basket against my hip, wearing my laundry day “Li’l Sebastian” (you’re 5,000 candles in the wind) t-shirt, and my hair in a side party-pony, I scrolled through my phone looking for the perfect song. Walking down the stairs, the scent of clean laundry wafting nearer, I enjoyed the open breezes from the stairwell windows. Spring was certainly taking the tepid steps of a lamb, easing along and bringing slightly warmer licks on gentle winds, carrying hints of flowers and plants experiencing horticultural resurrection.
The laundry room, in the dank cement-block basement, was far enough from the apartments that you could throw a party and no one would know, but it also had amazing acoustics. The actual accommodations, on the other hand, left much to be desired - but down here? Chef’s kiss - perfection. Which is why I always seized the opportunity of being the only one awake doing laundry, to partake in one of my favorite activities: singing while folding laundry. The ultimate mood booster.
As I scrolled through my Spotify, I landed on a classic and hit play, crooning in my best sultry voice, “I was staring at the sky, just looking for a star, to pray on or wish on or something like that…”
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I continued folding, singing at the top of my lungs, letting my voice trickle through the runs, shimmying my shoulders as I danced in place. Breathing right along with Fiona Apple during Paper Bag, “Oh, hunger hurts - but I want him so bad, oh-oh it kills, because I know that I'm a mess that he don't wanna clean up. I got to fold because these hands are just too - shaky to hold. Hunger hurts, but starving, it works, when it costs too much to love.”
Daintily placing the last folded item on top, I turned around and was startled to see a man in a three piece suit standing in the doorway of the laundry room.
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This is why I don’t wear airpods down here. Safety first.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize someone else was down here. And - you just had to endure me giving a private demonstration on how to sing like no one’s listening and dance like no one’s watching.”
I uncomfortably raised my eyebrow and pursed my lips.
“If I gave you money, you could be my private dancer, my dancer for money.” He smirked.
“Tina Turner? Really? I don’t know if that’s the best way to - “ I paused before changing my mind, “No, wait a minute, I think if you’re even going to start with that proposition you have to at least sing it to me. Otherwise, that’s a lazy proposal.”
He didn’t laugh, but he didn’t not laugh. While I gave him the once over, waiting for his response, I noticed that he was unnervingly handsome. Sandy brown hair, with eyes like a hot, fresh espresso, I could practically smell the roasty cinnamon and nutmeg, getting lost in them as he poured them over me, so warm and comforting. His smile crept up to one side - I had a hard time determining its sincerity, but he certainly seemed amused by me. Why? I had no idea. Like the mere idea of me tickled him as he watched me uncomfortably shift in my laundry day outfit and party pony under his gaze.
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“Another time, absolutely.” I took a step back, confused by his response, “I’m more interested in who you want so bad that it kills?”
“Huh?” I asked him, ineloquently, and then, “I’m sorry - what are you asking me?”
He gave a low chuckle, and stepped closer, “The song you were singing. You sang about how you ‘want him so bad, OH, it kills,’ -- “ he put his face next to mine, “who do you want?”
“You’re intense, aren’t you?”
Stepping back, he raised his eyebrows.
“How about a, ‘Hi, my name is, I don’t know - Blake? I live in the building, I like ponies and narwhals, and my favorite book is something super pretentious about fountain pens’?” 
His smile widened from a half smile to a full smile, “My name is Max Phillips, I live in the building, I do like ponies - and narwhals, in theory, I’ve never seen one. My favorite book is The Grapes of Wrath and basically anything by Bill Waterson.”
“Wait - Bill Waterson? Calvin & Hobbes, Bill Waterson?” I responded, a bit shocked, but highly intrigued.
“Yes, but I think you’re supposed to respond in kind,” the words were nice, although they sounded a bit like an order, which I’m not a huge fan of, but for some reason I didn’t seem to mind coming from him.
I told him my name, that I was a huge Capote fan, loved Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood, but that I also really, really loved Dickens, too. Specifically David Copperfield. I hated to admit it, but somehow he’d cracked me open and gotten me talking about my favorite subject. As I stood there waxing on about the upside down ship house and Aunt Betsey Trotwood, and how the movie Breakfast at TIffany’s differed from the book, the laundry basket kept drooping lower and lower on my hip. Without realizing it until I had finished a particularly impassioned speech, I noticed that Max was holding my laundry basket for me. I had been wildly gesticulating with both hands while he contentedly watched me.
“Oh my goodness.” I started, realizing that I’d  gone off on a tangent, “I’m so sorry - you probably have other things that you’re meant to be doing.” 
My eyes drifted to his suit, perfectly tailored, the button-up underneath holding on just barely, and the snug collar that would probably be a lot more comfortable for him if I were to loosen his tie for him. I bit my lower lip, thinking about it - and then told myself to snap out of it. Alone is good and healthy. So what if my therapist friends say “fine” is a four letter word? I’m fine. I’m FINE. He’s fine. Haha. No. Back to narrating books. Oh shit, he’s looking at me.
“I’m not in any rush,” he started - but I took the laundry basket away from him anyway. 
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Immediately, he reached out and grabbed my hand in between my thumb and forefinger, pressing firmly, “Did you know that this spot right here is an acupressure point, that helps with migraines?”
“Oh!” caught by surprise, I let out a gasp. “Well, that’s incredibly useful information, thank you,” nervously, I chuckled, “I’m gonna go, but it was really nice to meet you, Max.”
“It was an extremely pleasurable experience for me, as well.” He said, his words dripping with single, double, and I didn’t know it was possible, but triple entendre as well.
As I walked back up the stairs, I thought about what he had just done for me - the acupressure point. How did he know that I was getting a migraine? Was it just obvious from my facial expressions? Well, I suppose I’d rather he recognize that I was having a migraine than think I wasn’t interested. Wait - is he a doctor? Shoot. I didn’t ask. We also didn’t exchange numbers. I can’t go back, I’m already halfway up the stairs. Ugh! You know what? No. I’m therapist “F” word. FINE. If it’s meant to happen, it’ll happen. Meanwhile, I know Mr. Rochester is charged and waiting. It’s all good.
By the time I got back to my apartment my migraine was actually gone, and I was feeling quite flushed after the passing experience with Max, so I decided to treat myself. I lit my fancy Sage & Peppermint candle, turned on my “To Be Savored” playlist, then went straight to my treasure box and pulled out Mr. Rochester. I know exactly how to set the mood for me.
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I thought about Max’s handsomely roguish grin, with its slight dimple and the way his eyes crinkled playfully, like he wanted to keep toying with me all night. Placing Mr. Rochester onto my clitoris, then rubbing up and down to get him wet - easily done. After where my thoughts had been, I turned him on to the first vibration and started moaning lightly. In the back of my mind, it registered that I heard footsteps coming down the corridor of apartments in the hallway, just outside of mine. I turned the vibrator up another click and moaned a bit more, thinking about a fantasy situation where Max came bursting into my apartment, and fucked me right here and now. Suddenly, the footsteps stopped right outside the door of my apartment.
Panting, there was a sudden twitch as my clitoris began to orgasm, unable to determine what was fantasy and reality.
“Is he outside my apartment?!” I hissed in confusion and paranoia. I ramped up the vibrator, and let myself have it, breathing out, “Oh god, Max!”
Then, the footsteps started again, and I heard a deep baritone chuckling.
No. No, no, no, no, no.
Shit.
Well, there goes the neighborhood.
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It had been a few days, and I started to wonder if Max was actually real, or just the product of my desperate, overactive imagination. If that was the case, kudos to me. I really could not have imagined a more perfect specimen.
I would be glad, if he were simply imagined. 
Because I was so horrified post-self-coital that he might’ve heard me, that I did actively hide even more so than I’ve already been hidden. 
But I still had to get mail, and I do still exercise pretty regularly, so there was bound to be an incident. Not that there had been, or that we’d bumped into each other in the gym before, but the odds of someone you’ve never met from your building, bumping into you in the laundry and then walking down your hallway at the exact moment that you just happen to decide to masturbate to their extremely, tall, hovering frame - the odds, what were they, really? I laughed to myself, to keep myself from overheating and crying a little bit. 
However, I’d been keeping my nighttime moonlighting as the resident lounge singer on the very, very nonexistent down low. Which, yes, “crushes my fragile spirit,” sure, but worth it not to bump into someone I fantasy-orgasmed to very loudly.
Especially if they were real and happened to hear me through my poorly sound-proofed door. The cringe is real, the cringe has its own cringe, the cringe lives in a house made of cringe on Cringe Lane in the town of Cringe at the edge of Cringe Lake. But when you say it that way, it just sounds British, and suddenly, my cringe sounds quaint, doesn’t it? But oh, god - what if Cringe Lake has a Cringe Lake House, with a magic mailbox? No. I can’t entertain that idea. It’s too much, I’m spinning out!
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The only thing that really centers me, is heading down to the basement gym. Is it poorly lit with the same cement block walls as the laundry room? Is it carpeted with a full wall of mirrors and a bar for an imaginary barre class that I sometimes pretend that I’m taking? Are there only two ellipticals, one exercise bike, and only one set of mismatched weights, but 5 treadmills? Yes, yes, yes, always, yes, yes, yes, who knows why - maybe because of the prancercise craze of the mid 90’s? (It’s just prancing. Prancing, I said!)
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My machine of choice? Always the elliptical. I’ve never been skiing, but I like to pretend like I’m Audrey Hepburn, in the Swiss Alps at the very beginning of the movie Charade, when she’s at a ski resort in the Swiss Alps, not skiing at all, and then she never goes back there at any time for the rest of the movie. What I’m really saying is, I watch something on my iPad for almost an hour until I reach an esoteric high.
Tonight though, I needed to focus. No comfort binging Law & Order: SVU. Nay, it was vital I concentrate on the latest book I was narrating. I would love to say that it was something that will take the literary world by storm but, it was definitely a bit more niche. 
The plot was focused on sexy British assassins - a first day on the job for one, while the other had been training their whole life. Naturally, the conflict being that they’d slept together once before and someone accidentally lost their memory when they were kidnapped. Of course, that led to misunderstandings, and one assassin thought the other was blowing them off, when it was just simply a case of, “I was drugged by a rival assassin team and forgot everything that happened between us”.
Make no mistake, once everything was cleared up - there was a lot of sex in this book. A LOT of sex in this book. So much. And you have to wonder when people are writing this, is this what they like? Do they have a partner that they’re trying all of this out with first to make sure it works? Should I be trying this out first in order to be an accurate narrator?
Oh, no. Stop thinking about Max.
As I placed my iPad on the elliptical along with my water bottle and stepped up onto the machine, my thoughts began to drift. Setting the machine to Interval Training, I opened up my iPad to the book and continued where I’d left off, trying to decide what voice I would give to the main character, to her counterpart. Although, there was a possibility the author would be finding another narrator to read for the male character. I wouldn’t know until later.
These thoughts trailed beneath as I read about how the male character could identify the female character by her scent. Ridiculous, I thought, letting out an amused giggle, even with a personalized perfume, really? Tracking her by her scent across London? Who would buy that?
Things continued to heat up for the protagonists, but right before they were about to rip their clothes off, my elliptical made a disappointed, whoosh sound as it transitioned from cool down to off.
Same, elliptical. Same.
Climbing off the elliptical, I turned up the music on my phone, and started stretching out my muscles. As I finished my stretches, Adele’s Send My Love (To Your New Lover)  came on, and there was no way I was going to resist singing along.
Fuck it, it’s 2:45 a.m.
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I grabbed the mirror rail, feeling myself entirely, swaying my hips back and forth. Sliding down and dipping back up, dragging my hand down my neck, my chest, and letting it rest on my stomach, I closed my eyes and belted, “Send my love to your new lo-o-ver! Treat her be-e-etter. We’ve gotta let go of all of our ghosts, we both know we ain’t kids no more….”
“I don’t know about you, but I’m very glad we’re not kids anymore.” 
“Oh SHIT!”
I jumped and hit my elbow against the mirror, then immediately slid down the mirror hard and hit the same spot on my elbow on the mirror rail, landing on my backside, cradling my elbow.
“Oh! Sad face!” I yelped.
“Did you just say ‘sad face’?” Max had rushed over from where he’d been standing in the doorframe watching me, and with tempered concern put his hand on my forehead, then my arm to see if I was alright.
“Yes, I believe it’s the current preferred standard of emoting. It’s clear, concise…it’s um,” I started to drift a little.
“Hey, stay with me, tell me more about your emojis.”
Taking his phone, he turned on the flashlight and shone it in my eyes, holding my chin to keep me steady, “Pretty eyes, song bird,” and gave me a half smile.
“I’m not a BIRD. I’m a full grown adult woman.”
Eyeing me up and down, Max scoffed gently while shaking his head, “There’s no denying that. Luckily it looks like you don’t have a concussion, but unfortunately,” licking his lips softly as he looked at my elbow, which had a large splinter of wood sticking out of it and a little bit of blood starting to drip from the site, “I’m gonna have to cut my workout short. I think this is definitely a ‘walk my sexy neighbor home emergency’.”
It was my turn to scoff, “Okay, okay - how many sexy neighbors do you walk home every night? Don’t act like this is impressive or like I should be impressed because I’m not.”
He didn’t laugh out loud, but his deep laugh rumbled and shook his chest, like he was deliberately trying not to laugh at me. As though he thought it was important to me, to be taken seriously. Which it IS, of course, but - why does he know that? 
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Sweeping his right arm under my left arm, leaving my wounded right arm out so that I could hold it close to my chest, and using his left arm to lift me up by the legs, he picked me up.
“Just the one,” he smirked as he made direct eye contact - and carried me up five flights of stairs. 
It was definitely impressive, but I had to ask him when we got to the top, “Why didn’t you take the elevator?”
Max clicked his tongue and looked at me reproachfully, “Never, ever miss leg day. Ever.” and then he used me to do curls, after unlocking the apartment and walking inside.
“I object! To being used as gym equipment!” I declared like a regular Lady Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, and Max immediately set me down on my leather couch.
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“Much better.” Quietly approving in a mutter from my seated position.
“I’m assuming bandages, antiseptic, antibiotic ointment, that’s all in your - bathroom?” I nodded, still feeling a little woozy, as I watched him walk away.
And then panic struck as I remembered something terrible, a pall was cast over my face as sudden abject horror and humiliation pulled me into a dark and spiraling pit.
“Oh no.” I whispered.
“What?” called Max, from the other room.
How could he possibly have heard that? Did I not whisper? Am I a loud whisperer like my mom and I just don’t know it yet? Max returned, with the engaging smile of someone ready to sell me a bridge, and holding Mr. Rochester, “Is this what you’re looking for?”
My eyes grew wide and large and extra. I ran through a list of possible scenarios where this worked out well for me, and I hated every single one where I admitted it was mine. Normally, yes, I don’t care. I’m very sex positive, but (sobbing internally) this man. I am just not there yet, and I get to make that decision, right? Right.
“What’d you find there?” I asked innocently.
Genuine shock washed over Max’s face and  he looked slightly taken aback for a split second, before smoothing himself over, and resuming play, “It was sitting on a towel on the sink in your bathroom.”
I shrugged my shoulders, I touched my face, I looked up and to the left, hid my thumbs, pursed my lips, I basically inadvertently did everything the FBI guy from the podcast about lie detecting said liars do.
“Oh, um, I don’t know. Maybe - uh, maybe maintenance left it here?”
“Maintenance?” Max gave me a dubious look.
“Yeah, the –“ had to pause while I remembered everything that might go in a bathroom that I was willing to have clogged in front of him, “SINK was clogged. I had to get maintenance here to use something for it. I think that’s a snake, is what they call it, right there. What that is.”
“A snake? For clearing clogged drains?” He bit the inside of his cheek, and ground his jaw - I could tell he was not convinced, and might be slightly amused, “You know I’ve used a snake before, this isn’t it.”
“Oh my god. I wonder if someone - accidentally - left it here during one of those, neighbor meetings.”
“What neighbor meetings?” Max gave me a very skeptical look.
“You know, the ones we have. With chips and dip and we talk about neighbor happenings. I don’t think you were at the last one. Probably it’s a microphone. Cordless. With bluetooth for TIkToks,” I gave an extra super chill shrug to add to my very convincing improv acting that has not remotely degraded in skill over the years, “Obviously.”
“You know what. You’re probably right.” He said, seeming very convinced, and I don’t think he noticed, but I did breath a sigh of relief. 
“I’ll check in with all of the neighbors, and make sure that I’m on the email list for the next neighbor meeting, while simultaneously checking to see who might’ve misplaced this ‘device,’ here. In your apartment.” The look he gave me was smug.
I grabbed my Nic Cage sequined throw pillow, and hugged it tight, groaning when I realized we still hadn’t attended to my arm.
Max’s face softened, but only by a hair as he set down Mr. Rochester and walked towards me. Sitting down on the couch next to me, placing all of the medical supplies on the coffee table, he began to examine my arm. Licking his lips with a far off look in his eyes, he gulped softly, then took a tweezers and started removing the pieces of wood.
As he worked, he spoke softly, firm, but his voice remained smooth, velvety rich, plush - I wanted to run my hands against it and feel the warmth - nope, that’s the horny pain talking; but what he actually said was, “So, as I was saying, I’m going to take the ‘mysterious device’ from your bathroom for safe keeping. I’ll, uh, ‘check-in’ with your neighbors to see if it belongs to anyone,” then he looked directly into my eyes, holding mine and not letting go - deep caramel brown pulling me into him, “and if I can’t find who it belongs to in a few days time,” I groaned at that, “I’m sorry, am I hurting your arm?” I bit my lip, knowing that wasn’t why I groaned, “then I’ll bring it back, and we can explore the device together. Try and figure out what it does, how it works, the best way to use it. Sound good?” 
He looked up at me from under his eyebrows, and I melted. Oof, he was smarmy and smooth, and I had a bad feeling he was going to be my achilles dick.
I tilted my head to the side like a puppy and raised one eyebrow, “I suppose that could be – ” pausing as I bit my lip, debating the right word, “amenable.”
“Well, we certainly wouldn’t want to inconvenience you, would we?” Max looked back down at my arm, taking a wet, soapy, warm cloth, and gently washing off my elbow.
The action was so small and insignificant, but I found myself easing out of my discomfort as I watched him dry off my arm, and apply a large bandage. 
Snapping out of it, I started to sit up, “Oh wait, no - I just finished exercising, I need to take a shower first, I’ll put a bandage on afterwards.”
Max looked at me, one eyebrow raised, as he continued what he was doing, and I scrunched my nose up at him in response. 
Giving me his smug half-smile with the dimple, his voice somewhat patronizing, “Now that this is taken care of, I’ll run a bath for you – “
“Extra bubbles, if you must,” I interrupted, frowning at him and feeling slightly suspicious. Who was he to run baths for me in my own apartment? I picked up my phone and started passive aggressively scrolling for bath tunes, because of course, despite the nerve of this man, I was going to enjoy my bath. 
“Alright,” Max came out of the bathroom, “I hope it’s hot enough for you.”
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Looking up from my phone, I couldn’t help myself from drawing my gaze slowly up his body, slowly lingering on his stomach, where his shirt lifted as he stretched his arm above his head. The V of his stomach, disappearing into his sweats, the light trail of hair from his navel to - destination unknown as of yet, but those pants gave some ideas. Oh my god, I’m such a Samantha! I giggled to myself, and Max gave me a confused, yet intrigued look.
I shook my head, “Nothing. Don’t worry about it. I’m sure the water is fine, thank you.”
“You’re very welcome,” he crossed over to the couch, reaching under my left arm, and giving me a lift so that I could walk leaning against him. I groaned getting up, “Yeah - you’re sore, aren’t you? You fell pretty hard. The hot water should help, I added some bath salt with the bubbles.”
“Why are you being so nice to me? We barely know each other.”
“I’m being a decent person. You need to adjust your bar for ‘so nice’, because that threshold is too low, Sweetness.”
As he walked me into the bathroom, I saw that he’d lit a candle, and put all of my shower toiletries, as well as a fresh towel on the bench next to the bathtub, within easy reach. It really wasn’t a hard thing to do, it was a simple, nice thing to do for someone who’d just hurt themself, but it got to me and I had to swallow a lump I felt rising in my throat.
Turning to him, my eyes starting to sparkle a bit with the beginnings of tears that I was determined to hold back, but my sincerity would not be mistaken, “Thank you. I mean it.”
His mouth was smiling, but his eyes lost their crinkle and his eyebrows frowned slightly, “You’re welcome. Now, I’m gonna be just outside the door, over there on the couch, catching up on some emails on my phone, but if you need me –” he mimed the words ‘call me’ while holding his hand up to his ear like a phone.
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I nodded, chuckling at his corny sense of humor, “Okay, buddy. Will do,” giving him a thumbs up. He gave a look indicating that he did not like being referred to as ‘buddy,’ and I laughed a little harder while closing the door on him.
Shedding my clothes and tossing them into the hamper, I noticed that I had a large purple and green bruise forming on my backside. Perfect, that’s gonna be sore for a little while. Before stepping into the tub, I popped on my playlist - the water was nice and hot, and felt amazing on my sore body as I sank lower into the water. Yes, yes, and yes - perfection. I let my bandaged arm rest on the edge of the tub as I soaked a cloth, washing my face and the rest of my body. Using the handheld shower head attachment with my left hand, I rinsed through my hair, getting it thoroughly soaked. 
I grabbed my shampoo bar soap and started to lather, realizing very quickly that with an elbow that I couldn’t bend, I was going to have to do it one handed. 
“Shoot!” I muttered under my breath, as I tried to figure out the best way to do  it without getting my bandage wet.
Immediately there was a knock on the bathroom door. “Is everything alright? I’m coming in, but my eyes are closed.”
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Max walked in with one hand on the doorknob, and the other over his eyes. I quickly put my left arm over my chest, despite the fact that there were still a LOT of bubbles covering me up. Max knows how to make a good bubble bath, I’ll give him that. 
I looked down at myself, and realizing that it was fine, said, “You can look, Max. It’s all good.”
He took his hand down from his eyes, and closed the door behind him. “I’m just struggling a bit to wash my hair while not bending my arm. I mean, I’m sure I can get used to it - I’m just in an adjustment period.”
He sat down next to the bathtub, “Why don’t I help you out tonight - you’re still obviously in shock, right?”
It definitely was a question that indicated concern, but I had a strong sense that he was cajoling me. Mr. Spider, may I introduce you to Miss Fly?
Bickering with my shoulder angel and demon, I opted to accept his offer - because I was sore, and even if his bid to assist me concealed darker intentions, I struggled to care. Somehow, within the presence of his pheromones, his spicy musk, leather and oaky whisky, there existed nothing outside of the puzzle box where we existed, where I was kept like his little secret treasure.
Handing him the shampoo bar, he dipped his hands in the bath water quickly, and started lathering up the bar. “Can you sit up?” 
I put my left arm back over my chest and leaned forward until I rested my breasts against my knees, my right arm still clinging to the tub. Max started to massage the shampoo into my hair and I involuntarily leaned my head back into his hands, moaning gently.
“Well, if that’s all it takes to get you to make sounds like that, maybe I should come by and wash your hair again tomorrow.” he teased, his voice irresistibly oozing charm.
“I mean –” I started without finishing, my eyes blissfully closed, thoroughly enjoying what Herbal Essences commercials of the 90’s long ago promised and never delivered.
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Cackling, actually gleefully cackling - pleased with himself, Max took the handheld shower head and rinsed the shampoo from my hair. “Alright, I’m assuming there’s a conditioner next?” I pointed to the Olaplex No. 5, “Okay, Fancy.”
“You don’t have to use very much, a lot goes a long way.” I looked over at him, resting my chin on my knees.
“Fair enough.” He squeezed a bit of conditioner into his open palm, and then started rubbing it with both hands into my ends, working his way towards the roots. 
“Uh, this is not your first time washing a woman’s hair, is it?” I asked, my voice brimming with curiosity.
“Well, that would be part of my backstory.” I frowned at his response.
“Which I will tell you. One day. But I think it’s a little soon for that.” Max could tell that he was losing me to my thoughts, “But no, it’s not something that I’ve done for a sexy neighbor before.”
Immediately, I was brought back to the here and now, as the word ‘neighbor’ must have given me the same tone of face that I had given Max when I called him ‘buddy’. He looked particularly self-satisfied, as I shot him an admonishing glare.
“How long do we need to leave your conditioner in?” he asked, as my playlist moved onto one of my favorite songs, albeit an unfortunate choice for the moment - Sharon Van Etten’s, Jupiter 4. 
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Twisting my hair up, I gestured towards a hair clip on the bathroom sink. Max picked it up, and while I used my left hand to hold my hair up on top of my head, he clipped my hair in place for me.
“Thanks, I usually leave it in for the length of a song - this one should be good.” Blushing as I thought about how sexy this song made me feel. I started to lean back, crossing my left arm back over my chest, and sank back in the water - letting my chest and abdomen be submerged, while my knees and legs stuck out in peaks from the water and the bubbles.
“This is Sharon Van Etten - “ Max paused, “I really like her, and this song,” he took a breath, raised an eyebrow, while looking me up and down, and started singing in his low voice, “Touching your face,” he leaned forward and lifted my chin towards his face with his index finger and thumb, “How’d it take a long, long time - to be here. Turning the wheel on my street. My heart still skips a beat. It’s echoing, echoing, echoing - “ he stared into my eyes, and it felt like another world was opening up to me, “Baby, baby, baby, I’ve been waiting, waiting, waiting my whole life for someone like you.”
As he leaned forward on the tub, his arm knocked the bottle of conditioner into the water, and I took a deep breath in, realizing that I had stopped breathing during his serenade. I broke my gaze from him to the water where the bottle had fallen in, near my legs, and then back to him. Without breaking eye contact with me, he reached through the warm, foamy water, leaning closer to my face as he carefully waded deeper beneath the bubbles.
His hand didn’t touch me, exactly, but felt along the edge of the tub, near the side of my body, going down. I knew where he needed to go, I could feel where the bottle was and squeezed my legs together, tilting them both towards the wall. Suddenly, he put his hand on my right thigh, slowly going up towards my knees. I closed my eyes, and I could feel his breath on me as he turned his face, leaning closer into my neck. 
When he got to my knees, I breathed out like I was breathing through a straw, opening my eyes and looking down the tub at his large hand. He slipped his fingers between my knees and gently wedged them apart, stretching his hand so that his thumb was on one leg, and his pinky was on the other. Slowly, he dragged them down both legs, gradually pushing my legs open wider the further down he got. I could feel my heart rate increasing, my nipples growing harder, my vagina pulsing. Looking back at him, my mouth slightly open as my breath started to grow a bit more ragged, my eyebrows furrowing as I held myself back. Gazing back at me, his lips parted, his tongue poised between them, he watched me hungrily - and as I looked down at his sweatpants, I could tell his appetite was fully whetted.
His hand was almost to my vagina, to my clitoris - my whole body trembling, I involuntarily arched my back, letting my breasts peek out from the water for the briefest of moments, and Max’s eyes flickered down my body as he licked his lips. That hand, that cruel hand, slipped just mere seconds before touching me where I craved it. With a quick detour, he pulled the bottle of conditioner out of the water.
I cried out in agony, throwing my left arm over my chest, suddenly and abruptly sitting upright in the tub - trying to catch my breath, shaking as my body pulsed with uncontrollable longing. What is wrong with me? I hardly know this man. This is my neighbor. Oh god. THIS IS MY NEIGHBOR. And I let him give me a bath? Inside I was cry-laughing and dying. I’ve talked to him twice. How did I think this was a good idea?
Max said absolutely nothing. He turned on the handheld shower head and rinsed the conditioner out of my hair, then used one hand to rub my back while I focused on steadying my breath.
As my breath steadied, he asked, “Are you ready to get out?”
Standing up, he held the towel with both hands, and closing his eyes, “I promise I won’t open my eyes –” he opened one eye, looking amused, and then closed it, “again - until I leave the bathroom and, or, you say it’s okay.”
A simple enough promise - will he break it? I suppose there’s only one way to find out.
I sighed and said, “Yeah, I’m ready.” 
Standing up, I started to take the towel, but Max wrapped the towel around me instead, giving me strong arms to lean on as I stepped out of the tub, and closer to him and the overwhelming scent of him. Tucking in the towel I looked up at his face, with his eyes closed. The strong, angled, and clean shaven cut of his jaw, the beautiful line of his incredibly sexy aquiline nose - like a marble statue from antiquity. The line of his brow, begging me to trace my fingers across them, and his lips - always pulling back to reveal that suave smile and dreamy little dimple. What I wouldn’t do with those lips!
“You can open your eyes.” I spoke softly, embarrassed that I was here in this moment of intense vulnerability, somehow.
He opened his eyes and looked down at me, grinning at first, but then he saw my look of deflation and his gaze became stern.
“What’s wrong?”
Glancing down, I tried to find the words, “I’m not exactly sure what just happened –”
With an encouraging smile, Max asked, “Well, I helped my sexy neighbor wash her hair –” he squeezed my shoulders, “did she want something more to happen?”
“I’m not sure.” My brows knitted together as I looked up at him.
“And that’s why I didn’t do anything more. But rest assured, the moment I get a resounding ‘full speed ahead!’ I will be hard pressed to stop.” 
His eyes flashed down to my lips, sticking his tongue out just a little bit, and then continued, “You’re beautiful. You’re attractive, intelligent, funny - did I say smart? I’m not going to take advantage of you, or risk pushing you before you’re ready. We have time to get to know each other.”
I beamed as he fawned over me, heat rushing to my cheeks.
Feeling certain and satisfied that he had rejuvenated my spirits, he wrapped his arm underneath my left arm, opening the door and walking me out of the bathroom, naked but for a towel.
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“What exactly are your plans for the rest of these midnight hours?” he casually asked.
I thought back to my iPad and the sexy assassin story, “Ah, well, I need to work actually.”
“Narrating? I’d love to sit in and listen.”
Again, I thought about the content of the sexy assassin story, and after that bath - no, no, no. My cheeks and my neck flushed red, “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Besides, I don’t think the material would be up your alley.”
“Really?” He mocked surprise, “But how do you know? Unless you try?” giving me a wink.
The thought of reading him sexy lady-porn books and then ripping his sweatpants off and taking his cock in my mouth stopped me in my tracks and made my mouth twitch. You have a job, and you have to make money. You cannot make money sucking his cock. Or can you? No. You can’t. That’s not legal here. GODDAMMIT.
“As a professional,” I cleared my throat, “narrator, to be clear - it is - my professional opinion that you not be here while I work. Unfortunately. I’m sorry.”
I gave him an ‘ohmygod, I’m sooooo sorry,’ smile.
“That’s too bad,” he said, biting his lip.
“Yeah, maybe another time - like Bring Your Daughter to Work Day.” Why did I say that? Was that funny?
His eyebrows flashed up and down quickly, and he gave a surprised chuckle as he walked me to my apartment door. But not before stopping by the coffee table and grabbing Mr. Rochester.
“Can’t forget this,” he arbitrarily declared, “gotta make sure this little guy makes it back to his forever home. Bet his family misses him.”
And then he made it jump around in the air with his hand, making little yapping and barking sounds, like Mr. Rochester was someone’s lost purse dog. The blatant audacity of this man. I refuse to laugh.
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When I didn’t laugh, Max made sad puppy whining sounds while nuzzling it up to my neck. “Noooooo.” I cried, closing my eyes in mock distress.
When we got to the door, he quickly nabbed my phone and held it up to my face, swiping up so that he could unlock it. Then, he called his phone from mine, and took a selfie of us together - him holding Mr. Rochester in one hand and his other arm around me in a towel. Which of course, he programmed so that it popped up every time he called me on my phone, and every time I called him, that way, “we could be phone twins.”
Stepping outside my apartment door, he turned around to speak to me, “So, I’ll see you in a couple days, after I confirm who this bad boy belongs to, and get myself situated with those,” he squinted his eyes at me, “building meetings. But if you need anything, you have my number.”
His eyes drifted down to where I was feeling tension, a craving that I wasn’t willing to give into just yet.
“Do you think you’ll be okay for a few days?”
He shook Mr. Rochester playfully, and my eyes widened, my left arm tightening around my towel, and I shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Can he read minds? What is happening?
“I’ll be fine, and I promise I’ll text if I need anything.”
His grin widened, “Great! See ya soon!”
I closed the door and wobbled over to the couch, where I picked up my Nic Cage pillow and screamed into his sequined face, throwing it at the door afterwards.
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Somewhere, far off, I could swear that I heard Max laughing.
Knowing full well that I am right handed and only technically a little ambidextrous because of piano lessons as a child, but definitely not enough to satisfy myself as necessary without Mr. Rochester - I looked down at my left hand, “You’re a disappointment, and I hate you.” 
But it wasn’t lefty’s fault alone, it was partially mine and I would remedy that later. But first, to slog through painfully sexy narration for the next few hours. I let myself give out a loud sob, and then told myself to buck up and be a professional.
To be continued...
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clusts · 6 months
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Headspace.
Pause.
Mindfulness.
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mental-mona · 28 days
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yrfemmehusband · 1 month
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It's endometriosis awareness month! Here's some general knowledge on my condition, as misinformation is constantly spread about it.
Endometriosis is a disease affecting 1 in 10 people with uteruses. A tissue similar to the endometrial lining, of period blood, grows and sheds on the outside of the uterus. As the menstrual cycle comes, the blood has nowhere to go. This causes intense pain and irritation to surrounding organs. It is one of the most painful diseases recorded.
Endometriosis was first discovered in 1860, though it was recognized in the Hippocratic Corpus around 4,000 years ago. Treatments have varied through the years, starting out with bloodletting, leeches, hanging upside down, exorcisms, genital mutilation, and chemical douches. During the Middle ages, the perception of chronic pelvic pain shifted from a recognized condition to something caused by hysteria, promiscuity, or it was made up. In the hayday of Hippocratic practice, Endometriosis was more common than it is today, likely due to the inaccessibility of diagnosis compared to 4,000 years ago. Somehow.
Today, treatments include birth control, surgery, hysterectomy, and pain relief. There is no cure.
It takes an average of 7-12 years for someone to receive a diagnosis.
Anyone can get endometriosis, including cis men
A hysterectomy is not a cure, as endometriosis will continue to grow and spread to other organs
The pain one experiences due to endometriosis does not correlate with staging. Staging reveals how extensive endometriosis lesions are, not pain. Someone with stage 1 could experience excruciating pain, while someone with stage 4 and frozen pelvis can experience no pain.
Endometriosis lesions are not endometrial lining. The tissue is similar, but not the same. Thus, no one actually knows what endometriosis actually is.
It is only diagnosable through laparoscopic surgery. It can be detected via imaging such as ultrasound or MRI, but more often than not, it isn't seen. You can have completely clear tests up until your surgery and still have even the higher stages of Endo (like me!) (this one was for all you undiagnosed people, you're not crazy!)
Endometriosis is comorbid with many things, including pelvic floor dysfunction, adenomyosis, vulvodynia, uterine cancer and fibroids, ovarian cancer, many autoimmune and inflammatory conditions (rheumatoid arthritis, MS, IBD), and cardiovascular disease.
I've provided links in each point and I deeply encourage you to read my sources, whether you have endo or not. Not enough people understand endometriosis so a lot of us who deal with it don't get grace or compassion, be it in our work lives, relationships, friendships, or family. People with endo, happy endometriosis awareness month.
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Happy Endometriosis Awareness Month. This is my story
Hi, I'm Nia and I have endometriosis. Probably. For the past several years I have been fighting to be believed by the healthcare system only to be told over and over again that there is nothing wrong with me. Despite the fact that I have all of the symptoms and that the 'whatever is wrong with me' has progressed in the past several years.
About a year and a half ago I went to the doctor for the first time about my debilitating pain where I was told that I was just overly anxious and my mental health was affecting my periods. I was given pain meds and sent on my way. After that it was a billion blood tests to see if it was a thyroid issue, hormonal imbalance, blood pressure, anemia, anything that could be tested was tested. Finally my doctor goes 'it's PCOS' and proceeded to list a bunch of symptoms that I did not have. Then I did not have it.
During this time I was given birth control medications. The first one, I was able to stay on for around a week before I rushed back to the doctor to change it because it was affecting me so badly. The second prescription was great, for all of two weeks. Then I bled for the entirety of October and thought I was going to bleed to death. I became seriously anemic because of it. The third one is the one I've been on for 4 months now. I'm tired and sore 24/7 but hey, at least I'm not dying.
I have missed over 50 classes this school year. It was not until my second medication failed so badly that my doctors finally agreed I probably had endometriosis and that it was certainly a serious situation.
For the past three years and a half years, my life has revolved around my period. It is a constant worry for me of when I will get it next and how bad it will be. It is also a terrifyingly realistic possibility that it will be several more years before I get any type of answer. 
Endometriosis is a horrific, cruel and neglected disease. At every turn, the job of advocating and fighting is left up to me. I have to call doctors, check in on referrals and beg and plead to be taken seriously. I’ve been told again and again I need to make the doctors like me, I need to make a connection. I need to make myself a human to them. Not another name on a list or another young person who doesn’t understand their own bodies. 
I keep fighting anyways. Most importantly, I talk about it. I was raised not to be ashamed of being a woman and I am not afraid to talk about my struggles, even if menstrual cycles are still considered taboo subjects by many. I know that there is something wrong and I refuse to stop searching for answers. I am not afraid of my body, I am afraid of the system that is determined to undermine and dismisss  womens pain. If you think you have endometriosis or something similar, put on some armor and get ready to be a warrior. It’s going to be a long journey and you’re going to have to fight. Fight like a girl. 
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bettercallroasty · 4 months
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Reminder that heavy cramping and extremely heavy periods are NOT normal and no doctor should be excusing it by saying it's "just a painful period".
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endopositivity · 1 year
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I am very aware of my endo this month.
💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛
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