Portrait Fanny : How to overcome endometriosis?
Fanny is 20 years old, a dancer in professional training and hasendometriosis. She tells us about the arrival of her period in high school, the pain that prevented her from going to class, her taking of painkillers, and her meeting with several health professionals. Zoom on Fanny's portrait!
Why did you decide to participate in an Elia shoot?
"I've always wanted to participate in a photoshoot or a shoot. I've done a lot of acting, so it was something that interested me. When I saw that Elia was offering the opportunity to participate in a shoot I thought it was a good idea to participate and take the opportunity in relation to this brand that I share the same values with."
You have endometriosis, can you tell us about your journey with the disease?
"I had my first period in middle school, which was immediately quite painful. I was in pain everywhere, I couldn't go to class because I was in so much pain. I was told from the beginning that it was normal to have pain during your period. That it was normal and commonplace. I was just prescribed painkillers. I spent my school years like that, on painkillers. It went away for a while, and in high school it came back stronger. I was really sore all over, plus nausea and hot flashes, aches and pains... Again I couldn't go to class. I had to miss days of classes. A friend told me about a midwife, whom I went to see, who gave me very good advice and support. She told me that I probably had endometriosis. She told me that my disease was not yet too developed. So at that stage, there was not much to do other than to stop the disease by taking the continuous pill, which she prescribed. I did that, so effectively for a long time I didn't have my period and therefore I didn't have any pain. After a year and a half, I got tired of taking hormones, so I decided to stop the pill, but the pain came back. After that, I decided to have an MRI at the endometriosis center in Paris. And there, they gave me the same answer as the midwife. They told me that my disease was not very developed, that there was nothing else to do but to take hormones to slow down the progress of the disease. So at that point, I was quite depressed and disappointed that they didn't offer me any other valid and effective solutions. After that, I stopped the hormones, and the pain came back... stronger. In relation to that, my dance practice which became my studies, it was complicated to reconcile the two, but I had no choice. So the days when I had my period, I was in pain, but I still went to class. I couldn't help but force myself to stand and dance all day, even if I was in pain. A few months ago, by chance or not, I met an osteopath, who is also an acupuncturist. I told him about my problem and he suggested a treatment, a follow-up over several months with several acupuncture sessions. What I did and indeed, since then there is a clear progress in the pain. I have much less pain than before. I can live normally again. Everything has calmed down. I have to see in the long term, if this solution works, but for a few months now I have no more pain during my period and I have no more pain due to endometriosis."
How long have you been using menstrual panties? What do you think of them?
Can you tell us about your vision of ecology?
Do you have any books, podcasts, people to follow that you recommend to learn about this topic?
"I think you have to follow current events to realize and become aware of the issues that society is facing. There is a film: "Demain" which follows the path of many farmers, or people who are committed to the environment. There is also the documentary "Nos enfants nous accuseront" which talks about the whole consumer society, and the food chains which are polluting etc... Hugo Clément, he is a committed journalist, to follow, that I advise. And the company Avaaz, which proposes petitions committed to humanist and environmental causes."
Do you have a piece of advice or a mantra you'd like to share?
"What I would like to share is that our only limit is ourselves. The limits we impose on ourselves are our own. For fear of failing, for fear of disappointing others, for fear of hurting ourselves. We impose things on ourselves that restrict us in all our actions. And I think that's a shame. I realized that the only thing that determines us is ourselves. And if we live in fear of anything, of the actions we are going to do, we are only half living. So my advice is to live without fear and dare to do whatever you want to do."
If you had to sum up your portrait or your struggle in one word?
"I would say determination. That's what speaks to me when I think about my journey. When I was told there was no solution to my problem, when I was told, 'you just have to wait it out' and try to restrict it, instead of curing it. I tried to look for other solutions, to see other alternatives, which, for now, work. My advice is to not stop when someone just tells you, "No, it's possible. There are no other solutions".
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