In today’s world, it often feels like everything is so rigid, so binary, in its design – we look at things as right or wrong, black or white, left or right (in the literal sense and in politics) or presence or absence. In the case of endometriosis, we often look at it as a disease that affects the physical with the presence of symptoms and lesions, but it is so much more than that. It is pervasive, and affects so many aspects of our lives – mentally, emotionally, financially, professionally and our various relationships.
How can we look beyond this binary lens and see more dimensions or extensions in our life?
Social media is very often viewed through this binary lens. On one side we think of it as a source of evil, distributor of misinformation, cyberbullying and addiction. On the flip side, it is a wonderfully cheap way to reach the masses, staying in touch with family and friends, be a part of support or shared interest and education groups (made all the more important because of COVID19). This medium has, for some, become an extension of ourselves and has blurred the lines of the image we portray to the world, our brand versus our authentic self.
Studying my Masters in Research is all about opening new windows in learning and discovery. Our latest challenge is exploring posthumanism, and this has given me cause to consider how we may view the world differently. Posthumanism has been a quite a challenge to get my head around this week. Melanie Rock and her authors, in the article ‘Toward stronger theory in critical public health: insights from debates surrounding posthumanism’ sums it up quite nicely - “The ‘posthumanist turn’ in critical theory comprises of efforts to recognise and analyse the interdependence of human existence with non-human entities, including other animals, spaces, and technologies”.
We often look at technology as something separate from ourselves. But every day, it has slowly become more integrated and integral within our lives. Reflecting on your own daily life, can you identify all the touchpoints of technology?
For Endo Warriors (endometriosis patients), we often start our day by reaching for our mobile phone and checking in on our menstrual cycle calendar via apps. We may then go for our electric heat pads (not sure about you, but for me this feels like a permanent extension of my being) and check in with our fellow Endo Warriors on our various social channels. This may be to either discover up to date information about the disease or to support another person.
Patients for many years were left to their own devices and often suffered in silence. With the advent of social media and this instant connectivity, we have found so many ways to keep in touch and not feel so isolated. Extending these social media groups to support research helps patients engage and be part of the solution to finding better ways to live with and manage endometriosis and hopefully be able to play a part in finding a cure.
Throughout the rest of the day, we’re using other apps to document and track our endometriosis-symptoms, our caloric and dietary intake, and apps with tools and strategies to ensure we keep our mind and body attuned for self-care. A further demonstration how technology has become an extension of ourselves. I am also in the group of people that wears a smart-watch, which, of course is linked to my mobile and tracks my daily exercise count, my heart rate and how well I’ve slept the night before.
With all of this continued connectivity and advancement of technology to assist with collecting health data, it is certainly time to look at diseases (tracking of symptoms and providing the most appropriate and supportive therapy) through a non-binary lens of the physical and to keep up and offer treatment strategies that are multi-disciplinary – treat the whole person and the multi-faceted beings that we are.
