Open Letter to Senator John McCain

Senator McCain:

My name is Heather Pickens and I reside in Phoenix, AZ. I am 27 years old and am writing regarding my illness, Endometriosis and spreading awareness. 

On August 26, 2014, I will go in for my first excision to (hopefully) fully treat my disease. I am not writing this out of sympathy, those that truly know me understand that I am a strong woman. As an emotionally strong person, it is very difficult to speak of my weakness. However, being silent has not made any advancement in the treatment and cure of endometriosis. I am sharing my story for awareness. 

Endometriosis is a serious gynecological disorder that causes severe pain, bladder and bowel issues, painful intercourse and infertility. The only way to diagnose and treat the disease of endometriosis is by a surgical procedure. It is also a progressive disease. 

Since the age of 13, I have had symptoms of endometriosis. I ignored and pushed through my symptoms until I was 25 and hit a road block. I was bed ridden from the pain and almost lost my job due to the fact that I was off work for six months.

During those six months, I could not function. Showering resulted in me returning to bed with damp hair. I couldn’t keep up with my house work properly and took a huge hit financially. My husband helplessly watched over me during one of the darkest periods of my life. 

Since my diagnosis via laparoscopic surgery on November 7, 2012 I have had several painful treatments, physical therapy, four surgeries (one of which resulted in an overnight hospital stay, and another resulted in being sent home with a catheter). Although I was able to become pregnant, I had a very traumatic labor that resulted in a cesarean. Four surgeries in less than two years, and my excision on August 26, 2014 will be my fifth surgery. This is unacceptable. 

Young girls, teens, and women are suffering. It is time to break the silence.

My story is not uncommon, and is definitely not the most tragic. Many women are ignored, made to feel like drug seekers and are left infertile. Others have lost their babies after pre-mature labor due to the disease. It is the women that have suffered the most due to this God-awful disease that I will use the voice and experiences that God gave me to speak of this disease. I will never stop talking and raising awareness because I never, and I mean NEVER want my daughter to experience a single moment of physical or emotional pain that endometriosis can cause. 

Please support the women of Arizona and the 176 million women worldwide who suffer from endometriosis in declaring March as Endometriosis Awareness Month. 

Numb

It's been an extremely long time since I have posted, so I want to apologize first of all. Life has been insane lately, both good and bad.

Good, because I welcomed my beautiful baby girl Eliana into the world via c-section on January 12th, 2014. She is absolutely perfect!

Bad, because I am becoming numb to life. Endo is trying to destroy my life once again. Since giving birth last month, my pain scale has been through the roof. I thought that my endometriosis symptoms were bad during pregnancy, but endo is reminding me just how ruthless she is! I am numb to the fact that my so called Endo Specialist (who is on numerous excision specialist lists) does not seem to care that my endometriosis is spreading and I need surgery. Since his office will not return my calls, and I will not be seen until May, I have ultimately decided to send my records to Sinervo, Dulemba, and an up-and-coming specialist in Utah. Even if insurance claims do not work out, I will have a report from Sinervo to show my current specialist in May in order for him to get the ball rolling. Hopefully I can get my life back, for my daughter.

P.S. If you would like me to post Ellie's birth story, leave a comment below!

xo Heather

Healthline: How to Reduce Endometriosis Symptoms through Diet and Exercise

Endometriosis is a painful condition that affects between five and ten percent of women and can make the discomfort of menstruation much more extreme.

During the normal menstrual cycle, the endometrial tissue grows inside the uterus and is expelled during menstruation. Endometriosis occurs when this tissue grows outside of the uterus, sometimes attaching to other organs and causing significant pain, bleeding, and inflammation.

The symptoms of the condition tend to get worse with time if they go untreated, so treatment is vital to combat this condition. In addition to medicinal options, diet and exercise have been shown to have a beneficial effect in dealing with the symptoms of this condition.

Benefits of Exercise

In general, the benefits of exercise are somewhat mixed in terms of their success in alleviating pain that results from endometriosis. Among the side effects of this condition are extremely painful periods, pelvic soreness, fatigue, and pain because of exercise. Because of that, women who experience endometriosis are typically hesitant to pick up new exercise routines to combat the symptoms of their condition.

Still, exercise can have certain positive effects. One of the benefits comes before the condition develops. Research indicates that women who exercise vigorously are far less likely to develop endometriosis, although there is less of a pattern for women who exercise less.

For women that have already developed the condition, some level of exercise may help alleviate some of the pain. During exercise, the body releases endorphins, which are natural chemicals that relieve pain and improve mood. These feel-good chemicals work for everyone doing exercise—not just those with conditions that cause significant pain—but this endorphin production can be especially helpful in dealing with pain as significant as that caused by endometriosis.

In general, light to moderate exercise is advised for women with this condition. Exercise beyond that may be impossible, as the body experiences more pain with high levels of exertion. Exercises like walking and yoga, however, require relatively little stress on the body and can produce endorphins to provide some level of pain relief.

Dietary Suggestions

Diet appears to have a much more significant effect on symptoms, so it is important for women that experience this condition to focus on regulating their diet with the proper nutrients.

Certain fatty acids can aggravate pain that is caused by endometriosis, and others can help to relieve that pain. The bad kind of fatty acids are found in foods like meat, dairy, and palm oil, so women with endometriosis would do well to cut these foods out of their diet as much as possible. On the other hand, omega-3 acids fall in the good category, so it helps to consume plenty of food that includes these compounds. Examples of foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids are salmon, olive oil, and legumes.

Cutting meat and other animal products out of your diet carries the risk of having an unbalanced diet, with too little protein and calcium intake. Having a balanced diet is vital for stabilizing your hormones, and hormones are ultimately responsible for the development of this condition. Thus, balancing your diet with the right nutrients is vital. To keep your protein levels high, replace meat products with foods like tofu, nuts, and fish, and replace the calcium that you get from animal products with leafy greens, almonds, and tofu.

There are a few foods that you will want to avoid in case of endometriosis and other conditions, like arthritis. Caffeine and refined sugar are two of them, as these ingredients tend to result in nutrient loss, allowing additional pain and inflammation to occur in the body because of endometriosis.

Valerie Johnston is a health and fitness writer located in East Texas. With ambitions of one day running a marathon, writing for Healthline.com ensures she keeps up-to-date on all of the latest health and fitness news.

                                       

Special thanks to Valerie Johnston of HealthLine for sharing such an informative post. 

Hello Endo Fundraiser

Please visit My Fundraising Page to donate to my Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain non-profit, "Women's Pelvic Pain Foundation."

I am in the beginning stages of getting the foundation established and need your help.

I believe that all of the awareness and research that other organizations are doing is great, but I am seeking a different approach.

My goal is to help women suffering from pelvic disorders (Endometriosis, IC, etc) financially. Whether or not you have insurance, there are other expenses related to our medical care.

We should not have to worry about missing work, paying rent or mortgage, etc while recovering from surgeries or during our "bad days." 

We also should not ignore the women without insurance who are suffering because they do not have the thousands of dollars needed for medication and surgeries.

Help me to help you.

My goal is $7,500 and would love to meet that goal!

Please donate here. Your donations WILL go to a women suffering.

I will make every attempt to blog about donations that have went to help others (with the respect of an individual's privacy, of course).

xo Heather

 

"Do I Look Sick?" Blogging Contest

Some of you may follow Rachel Meeks of "Do I Look Sick" on her twitter or blog. I recently made an Invisible Illness Meme for her blog in a contest designed to raise awareness on Invisible Illnesses! Some of you may also know that I won third place in the contest!

Here is the meme I designed:

 

What do you think? I hope you like it! 

Also, make sure to subscribe to the "Do I Look Sick?" blog and follow the lovely Rachel on Twitter!

xo Heather 

Endo Happy: Validate Yourself

Most sufferers of Endometriosis face so much on a daily basis that we often start to accept the pain and emotions as a part of our daily life. But when you're having a bad day I find it helpful to validate the feelings I'm having, this is not feeling sorry for yourself it's acknowledging what difficulties you have had to overcome to make it through the day.

 

 The next time you're going through a difficult time make a mental list of what you're having to overcome, maybe it's pain that meds will not get rid of, tired from another sleepless night, worrying about money problems, unpleasant side affects from hormone treatments etc and take a few minutes to see why you're having such difficult time sometimes often doing the simplest things like physically getting out of bed when you're in pain.

It's easy to feel like you're getting nowhere, I have always felt like my life just went round in circles but when facing my most recent surgery I had an 'AHA' moment and realized how was I of supposed to achieve all the things I wanted to when so much of my life comprised of pain, surgery and unpaid recovery absence from work. I had however achieved things that I didn't give myself credit for and now that I am post op I can see that getting out of bed and going to work while in so much pain was an achievement in itself!

So the next time you are being hard on yourself acknowledge the daily challenges you face and simply say 'I am imperfect, I'm doing my best and I am enough!"

                                             

Special thanks to Katie,  founder of Endo Happy for another great post! If you are not already doing so, please follow & connect with @_EndoHappy on Twitter!!

xo Heather 

Endo Journey: Angela

The following "Endo Journey" post comes from the lovely Angela Kawakami! Angela has been living and learning to cope with Endometriosis for more than two decades. Please read on to discover Angela's emotional struggle:

During my endometriosis journey of the last 22 years, I have seen more than 40 doctors and specialists, including three naturopaths.  I have come to realize that I have to be an advocate for my own health. If I don’t agree with the doctor’s suggestion or diagnosis, I get a second or third opinion.  Here is my experience with medical and naturopathic physicians.

Early Menstrual Pain

I began seeing doctors when I was 13 years old. I always went alone to the appointments. I guess I saw too many different doctors for anyone to come with me and support me. They thought I was just a hypochondriac.

For years, test after test showed nothing but mild scoliosis and thoracic outlet syndrome; they told me it was all in my head and that I should accept it and take antidepressants.  I had doctors talk to me like I was an idiot and prescribe medications for conditions I clearly did not have. One doctor told me that he couldn’t be my doctor anymore because I cried too much. Several doctors embarrassed me in front of other patients because they were frustrated that my body was in so much pain and couldn’t figure out why.  Twenty–two years later, I was diagnosed with stage IV endometriosis, proof that the pain was real.

Alternative Care

 

Frustrated with medical doctors, I went to a naturopath doctor that was hours away. I just wanted to see if she could find something the other doctors could not.  She asked me to lie down on my back and then she walked around me, touched my arms, looked into my eyes. The rest I really can’t remember, it was long ago.  The interesting thing was, without any tests, she said I had an overabundance of yeast and that my stomach was out of place. Then she moved it back into place! I swear it was so strange because for the first time I felt that I could breathe. It no longer felt as if someone was sitting on top of my chest. She told me to do a yeast free diet along with eating raw pumpkin seeds and some other items as well. It was an interesting visit.  Later I found out that my stomach had been out of place.  Scar tissue from the endometriosis pulled it out of place.

In 2009 I went to see a dietician. After a long interview, she said I had hypoglycemia, bone loss, and adrenal fatigue. This again is something that I would remember later on, as I put the pieces of my illness together. Because I was on Lupron, I have osteoporosis in my jaw. It is possible that the Lupron and the suppression of all the estrogens have caused serious bone loss elsewhere in my body.  No one had considered sending me to get a recent bone scan. My last one was 12 years ago, so at my next GP appointment I will be asking for one.

In 2011, I went to another naturopath. She said I had food intolerances to wheat, dairy and spelt and that my body was not absorbing any nutrients, minerals or vitamins. She put me on a load of supplements to get my body going and for a time, it was working.  While on the diet I had more energy, I was more alert and over all I felt great. Then I was put on Amitriptyline for nerve pain from the endometriosis and everything fell apart.  The Amitriptyline made me feel groggy, crave junk food and I didn’t want to do anything. It was almost like the medication was making me depressed. I was on 70mg a night. The one good thing it did was help me sleep, something I have needed for years.

Back to a Medical Doctor

 

In 2012, I went to one of the best doctors of Canada.  He pulled all of my files from all the doctors I had seen over the years.  His office sent me a copy of everything.  This was the first time I had access to all of my medical records.  At least half the information in my file was wrong.  (Ladies request your medical files!) Much of the information was new – tests that had not been ordered but that were in my file anyway, notes to disregard anything that anyone other than a medical doctor had told me. From these files, I learned that I must take all of my files with me and make notes. Otherwise, there is no guarantee the  information will be accurate. If it hadn’t been for my persistence to research and find one of the best doctors for endometriosis, I wouldn’t be writing this article as we speak.

All in all, the Naturopathic doctors made me feel better and talked to me like a human being, while many of the medical doctors treated me like a piece of garbage, humiliated me and made me feel like I was crazy. I wasn’t crazy. The five hours of surgery to remove and repair the endometriosis damaged organs proved the pain was real.  It had a cause.

Where I Stand Now

 

After years of suffering with endometriosis and being ignored and humiliated by medical doctors, it is difficult for me to listen to their advice. The errors and comments in my medical files showed a blatant disregard for my health. Many of my doctors thought I was crazy or faking it. I feel that I have wasted most of my life in and out of doctors’ offices. It was only through my persistence that I found the one doctor who was able to diagnose my endometriosis.

For now, I have decided to still take my birth control pills for my endometriosis – they seem to work.  At least, the pills even out my moods. Eventually, I would like to come off of the pill and my other medications. As for everything else, it’s all natural and clean eating for me. I am also learning how to manage stress.  Unless I am dying or I feel it’s 100% needed, I will never see a doctor again.

                                          

Thank you for being brave enough to share your Endo story, Angela! Please make sure to stop by Hormone's Matter to read more on Angela's life with Endo!

Have you suffered from an eating disorder? How has Endo affected your life? If you would like to share your story, please leave a comment below!

xo Heather

Endo Journey: Kali & Anti-Bullying

The following Endo Journey post is from an Endo Sister named Kali who suffers from multiple illnesses. She has a YouTube Channel that you can find here. Please watch the video below to learn about Kali and her struggle:

If you are a victim of bullying because of an illness, I hope that this video helps you.  Special thanks to Kali for raising awareness on Chronic illnesses and bullying. I am extremely proud of you for being so courageous! God bless you sweetie!

xo Heather

 

 

Endo Journey: Dominica

The newest Endo Journey post is written by Dominica. Dominica has been on a very difficult path while trying to be diagnosed. Please read on to learn about Dominica's life with Stage IV Endometriosis:

My story actually starts in 2006. But before we get into that, let me tell you about the symptoms I was having but never actually known what was going on. Growing up I never had bad periods. I didn’t have my first period until I was 16. They always seemed normal, lasted about 5 days, no bloating, no PMS, no painful bowel movements, medium flow, and since I had never had sex there was no pain to connect the two with endometriosis. It wasn’t until I was 23 that I started experiencing painful sex.

Looking back, this was more than likely my first symptom. I had been told that I had a tilted uterus so I just kind of figured that was it. I grew up never openly discussing issues such as this so I never brought it up to my Gyn. That subject was just something I didn’t share with anyone. I didn’t even tell my boyfriend at the time. It got to the point where I just couldn’t stand the pain. Now, I had been seen by a Gyn twice and everything was always fine. Since I did not have any insurance I had to use the Indian Health Services. In order for me to see a Gyn there I had to get on a waiting list and sometimes you had to wait 4-6 months just to get seen. Crazy right? I decided it wasn’t worth the wait and I could deal with the pain. I know. I was pretty naive. Around this time my periods started getting heavier. They started lasting from 7-10 days and the pain? It got to the point where I couldn’t move. I would stay in bed the first two to three days of my period because it was just too painful to walk, to sit, to do anything.  2^nd symptom? I would get so sick I couldn’t even eat because nothing would stay down. I also started feeling like there was a mass, in my right side. It’s hard to explain but I just knew something was there. It hurt when I laid on my right side, and as soon as I laid on my left, I felt some pressure being relieved on the other side. I dealt with this until I was 25, or until 2006.

I got married in March of 2006. We had come home from our honeymoon and I went back to work. 

At this time I still hadn’t gotten any insurance, I was working part-time at Michaels and was planning on getting on my husband’s insurance as soon as possible. That weekend, after we got home, I had some terrible pain in my right side. I had a fever and felt like I had the worst stomach ache ever. I headed to the ER at the Indian Health Services in Phoenix. When I got called in, at first they thought it was appendicitis. But after doing an ultrasound they ruled that out. Next, I had a doctor come in and do a vaginal exam on me. I told him EVERYTHING. He then left, not saying much, and moved me to a different room. This time a lady came in and asked to do another exam. I went over all my symptoms again and then she left. Uh? No one told my why they were even doing a vaginal exam. They ran some tests and came to the conclusion that I had some sort of bacteria in my intestines. I got admitted, staying in the hospital for 4 days. I was released and went back to work.

I continued to have all my “normal” pains and continued to work and try to live a regular life despite the pain. In September my pain was now a constant thing. I would be working and all of sudden have a sharp pain would cut across my lower abdomen. I remember standing in places for a few seconds until it passed, then continue working. By this time I was a Department Manager and being on my feet and lifting big boxes was routine. So, the pain was pushed aside. It was at the end of September, I was at work doing my normal daily routine and something happened. It was like someone had stabbed me in the right side. I belted over in pain and could not move. The pain was excruciating. I was in the middle of the aisle, with customers around and my co-workers staring at me. I started to cry. One of the gals I worked with ran up to me and offered to take me to the ER. I couldn’t even walk out the front door but I made it. Once I got to the ER I was admitted very quickly, put on Morphine, and taken for an ultrasound plus a CT Scan. Again, they thought it was my appendix but results came back negative. After reviewing my ultrasounds I was told I had some very large cysts on my ovaries. 

The result of my pain? According to them my ovary had flipped. The pain I was feeling on my side was all making sense to me. I knew something was there! I still didn’t know what was causing everything else. I found a Gyn to go to, since I had insurance now I didn’t need to go back to the Indian Hospital. My visit didn’t go well. My new Gyn told me I was fine. He couldn’t feel the cysts and sent me on my way. I was frustrated. How can one doctor tell me they see cysts and he not ‘feel’ any? I went back to work and vented to my Manager about what had happened. That was when he suggested I go to Mayo Clinic. I called right away. 

It is now October of 2006. The day of my appointment I was pretty nervous because I had no idea what was going to be done. I was tired of ultrasounds and exams and just wanted some answers. We went through the normal questions about how I was feeling. I did mention to her that I was having very painful periods and pain during sex. Now that I think about it I don’t think any red flags went off for her that I had endometriosis. After the questioning she pulled up the results of my ultrasound. I had a 6.5 cm cyst on my right ovary and a 4.6 cm cyst on my left ovary. That was when she brought up surgery. I freaked, I was not prepared for that. 

I’ve never had surgery, I’ve never had a broken bone, and I had never been hospitalized for anything serious except for the 4 days at the beginning of the year.  As I was sitting there she then proceeded to tell me that the surgeon was actually next door meeting with his patients and she wanted him to take a look at my ultrasounds. I gave her my consent and she left. When she returned it was agreed by both her and the surgeon that I needed to get in as soon as possible. I said, “Let’s do it.” I was scheduled for surgery the 3^rd week of November. 

A few days later I got a phone call. Guess who it was? The Indian Hospital in Phoenix. Guess what they found? Mind you it’s been about 6 months since I was hospitalized there. Yup, cysts showed up on my ultrasound and I needed surgery. I remember laughing at the doctor on the phone. He must have thought I was crazy. To think, that if they had found that out earlier I could have avoided all the pain I went through the previous month. I told the doctor, “Yea, I know. I’m already scheduled for a surgery but thanks anyways.” Because of the largeness of my cysts I was put on a waiting list with Mayo Clinic in case anyone had canceled a surgery. Lucky me, I got a call saying they could get me in sooner. Of course I accepted. 

The day of my surgery I got called back to my room, changed, and waited. The doctors who were going to be in my surgery came into my room and introduced themselves. My surgery was to last only an hour. My husband was told to leave, wait in the waiting room and he would see me in an hour. I don’t remember much after that. When I woke up my husband was sitting next to me. I was in and out for more than an hour. When I was finally able to stay awake, my husband told me my hour surgery turned into a 5 hour surgery. It wasn’t just my cysts they had found but something called Endometriosis.

Recovery from the surgery took me four months. After recovering I was finally able to go into my Gyn at Mayo to discuss this disease called Endometriosis. This was when I learned I was diagnosed, at 25, with Stage IV Endometriosis. See, I knew I had Endometriosis but this was the first time learning what stage I had. Ok. So now what? My Gyn then told me she wanted to put me on the birth control. This would help with the cysts and endometriosis. I was hesitant because I wanted to have kids and pointed that out to her. That’s when she told me my chances of having any kids were about 5%. I was devastated so, I agreed to go on the birth control. I stayed on the birth control for about 1 1/2 years. During that time I had become depressed and started having anxiety attacks on a daily basis. I withdrew from my husband, my frens, and my family. I was always sad and wanted to be left alone and just didn’t care about anything.

I had this disease that was affecting my quality of life and I didn’t know what to do or where to turn. That was when I decided to go off the birth control. And there was some small hope that maybe; just maybe I could get pregnant despite the endometriosis causing infertility. So far, I wasn’t having any major symptoms of endometriosis. I was still having long periods, and the pain wasn’t so bad. Every time I tried talking to my doctor she would suggest that I go back on the birth control and I just did not want to. She then suggested if I wanted to get pregnant then I should go see a fertility specialist. She gave me a name and I went. I remember that after my surgery I was told to go back in 2 months later so they could do a dye test on my fallopian tubes to see if they were blocked. I put it off because of everything else that was happening to my body after the surgery. This was one of the first tests my Fertility doctor gave me. I was fearing for the worst and preparing myself for bad news. It was the most painful test I have ever taken to this day.

The result of the test showed that my fallopian tubes were clear and open. Good news! I was told that they could probably do a successful IVF but the cost of it all put a stop to it then and there. So I went on my way.

In 2011, my symptoms started coming back. Painful bed ridding cramps during my period, pain during sex, and those random pains shooting across my pelvic area. This time around I knew what the cause was. But with no cure or medication to reverse the effects of endometriosis I just figured I was on my own. My Gyn doctor was no help to me and the fertility doctor was not an endometriosis specialist. I just figured I made it this far and I could handle it. At the beginning of 2012 I started having pains in my right side again. I knew right away what it was. Without a doubt my cysts were back and getting to that size where I could feel them. Not again. I decided I needed to do something. I had to change everything. My outlook on what was handed to me, I needed some positivity in my life, and I sought out counseling to help deal with my infertility. I then found a doctor who specialized in Endometriosis in AZ. I called and setup an appointment. I was actually excited to be going to a doctor’s office because I felt like I could get good help this time around.

Since seeing her I have learned so much more about my Endometriosis and exactly what it is doing to me. She explained it to me like no one has ever been able to. I’ve done my regular Google searches and looked at pictures and read articles but no one ever sat me down and told me the severity of my Endometriosis. I learned, 5 years later, that my Endometriosis was so severe that when they did my surgery I should have had a hysterectomy. What?! But because of my age they chose not to. No one ever told me this!  I even learned that they diagnosed me with Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. No one ever told me this! I would think my own doctor, who I followed up with after my surgery would have shared this information with me. She then gave me a copy of the notes from my surgery, which I had never seen before. This was my first time seeing everything that went on. Every time I requested my records I had only received my labs and images and blood test results. I read that they removed fibroids from my uterus. And I was never told. I also read that I was supposed to go in three months after for a second look lap. I was never told this either. I was angry that I was never told or given this information and I was angry at myself for not asking. In that past year I have learned so much about what I need to ask and how I need to ask for things. It has been trial and error at the expense of my well being. I have accomplished so much in one year than I had in the previous 5 years just living with my Endo thinking I couldn’t do anything to help myself. 

Today, I feel like I am finally on the right track; that I am doing something right for myself. It’s made a huge difference on the days when I just want to throw in the towel and waste away. Fighting the depression has been a big struggle BUT knowing that I’m in control of how I handle it has been a great tool for me. So far I still depend on my pain meds to get me through my first couple days of my period. I take Xanax for my anxiety attacks when things get the best of me. I do feel exhausted all the time but I don’t get much sleep. I’m working on that. I deal with being anemic due to my long/heavy periods. In light of all that, I am now a foster mom. I figured if I can’t have my own kids at least I can be a mom to those who need one. It’s so hard to see women have kids and not take care of them when I want one so bad and can’t have any. That’s another topic for another day. But I really wanted to take a negative and turn it into a positive so becoming a foster parent was part of that. As for my plans for the year, I have been directed by my current Gyn to seek out surgery and have been looking for a surgeon. 

I’m hoping to get my second surgery before summer time is here. I am doing my best to have a positive outlook on everything that has happened to me. It has not been easy, but some days it’s possible. I believe that whatever the doctors have said is impossible, God can make possible. I am not giving up faith on having kids or being endometriosis free. That is my hope and I am not letting go. Hold on tight ladies! Hope can give us strength. We can all get through this together. 

                                 

                                                           

Thank you for sharing your story, Dominica. You are very strong, and I hope that you are able to have the children you truly deserve. It takes a very brave, kind, and loving person to become a foster parent and I wish you the best!

If you have a story you would like to share, please leave a comment below!

xo Heather