Mutual Aid Needed for Amanda's Hysterectomy
Donation protected
Since I was 12 years old, I've experienced extreme pain and discomfort every single month during my period. When I was 17, I finally received some care and medication, yet nothing seemed to really work, and my pain only continued to worsen.
In 2020, I developed such severe constant pain that I started a series of tests for what we now know is endometriosis. Unfortunately, since we discovered this during the height of the pandemic, I was unable to access the excision surgery I needed until June of 2021. Again, the surgery was helpful to alleviate some of the symptoms short-term, but the pain and underlying issues all returned pretty quickly.
Over the past 2.5 years, I’ve undergone many more procedures and deeper testing, and now know that the only next step for care is a full hysterectomy. This is something I've been considering for a very long time, and have finally come to the conclusion that it’s the best thing for my mental and physical well-being. Among my host of other medical ailments and chronic illness, I know if this surgery can help me, I have to try.
I have spent most of my adult life advocating for myself inside of the medical health industrial complex, and this year I feel like I’m making some more meaningful progress toward addressing the root issues. That said, my endometriosis and adenomyosis have become a debilitating disability with chronic pain, and I typically only have a few hours or days when I can be up and moving my body, and then require 2-4 days to rest and recover. I have recently lost work because of my disability and have been unable to find secure, stable work (freelance or otherwise) to pay the bills that is accessible with my needs. My doctor kindly helped me to apply for disability this year, and my application has been placed on hold for at least another 6 months just to be “reviewed” (not even necessarily approved). Our healthcare system is so broken, especially for those of us with uteruses.
If you know me, you know I am often the helper, and I truly struggle to ask for help — this is probably harder for me than most things. But, with some encouragement from my siblings and community, I'm hoping to raise funds to help cover my medical bills, buy all of the support items needed for post-surgery (hysterectomy pillows, med cart, shower stool, etc.), and supplement my income while I recover from surgery (approx. 8 weeks) and begin to seek work again in the Spring.
Thank you in advance, from the bottom of my heart, for supporting me with whatever amount feels accessible to you. Big or small, everything helps!
Love, Amanda
PS - There is sooo much misinformation on endometriosis and not nearly enough research on the matter, so also be wary of what you read. For those interested in learning more about endometriosis and adenomyosis, I suggest checking out:
Organizer
Amanda Wilens
Organizer
Rancho Cordova, CA