I often end up having convulsions due to adrenal response (and being unable to "burn it off" since I can't even stand much less do anything else). Essentially, the pain is so severe and overwhelming that my body reacts as if it has actually sustained a physical trauma. It is excruciating. Very excruciating. But I think the pure terror of having your own body do something like that to you is far worse. At least in my experience. And, of course, the stress of being able to mark this event on a calendar every month... Knowing that it's coming and that there's nothing you can do about it. I think I'd actually have to label that as a form of torture. The lists of symptoms you find on the internet, while accurate, aren't comprehensive enough in my opinion. They don't explain what it's like to live with this condition. Or have to care for someone who does. I think that's why Tom is so much more focused on raising awareness, rather than money. Sorry if that was a little too graphic, but I suppose Tom has inspired me to try to help people understand what these women (and supposedly a few rare cases of men receiving certain hormone treatments) really go through.

I have had to deal with losing the ability to walk after having it for 13+ years, I knew it was coming, I have Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. So I can at least understand that fact it is difficult to know something is coming and you can't do anything about it. Symptoms are hard to understand unless you feel what it's like.