Pain has a way of turning even the strongest into shadows of themselves. It drains the color from a woman’s dreams, leaving her wrapped in silent agony. Beneath the loud music of bustling streets and the prayers echoing in sanctuaries, millions of women are waging an invisible war—one that is stealing their joy, their fertility, and sometimes, their will to live.
In a world where pain is too often dismissed, umbilical endometriosis has crept into the lives of many, binding them in chains unseen by those around them. The world moves on, doctors shrug, families assume, and churches pray for everything except the healing of this affliction. Yet pain does not need permission to destroy. It rages in secret, while its victims try to carry on with a smile that even the angels weep over.
Bishop David Oyedepo once said, “No affliction is normal; what you don’t confront, you cannot conquer.” But how do you confront an enemy that hides within? How do you fight a battle when those around you do not even believe you are at war?
Some call it “women’s issues.” Some doctors wave it off as “normal period pain.” But this is not normal. A woman should not wake up every day feeling like her body is a battlefield. She should not have to explain her pain a thousand times, only to be told it is all in her head. She should not have to suffer in silence, clutching her stomach in agony while the world moves on like nothing is wrong.
Dr. Paul Enenche once declared, “What God did not create has no right to exist in your body.” And yet, endometriosis—a disease that causes tissue meant for the womb to grow where it does not belong—has taken residence in millions of bodies, wreaking havoc in the most merciless way. It causes pain so deep it feels like the body is being torn apart from within. It leads to excessive bleeding, infertility, and a suffering that words cannot fully capture. Worst still is when a woman bleeds foul-smelling menstrual blood through an opening in her navel, a horror that no woman should have to endure.
A woman’s body is the place where life begins, yet for those afflicted, it often feels like the place where suffering never ends. In some cases, the disease mimics an umbilical hernia, making doctors chase shadows while the real enemy thrives undetected. In others, it forms painful nodules near the navel, leaving medical science puzzled. But beyond medical definitions, research papers, and sterile hospital rooms, there is a reality the world has yet to confront—this disease is breaking destinies.
Baba Abiye often said, “God is still in the business of healing.” But healing must be sought with knowledge and faith. Women are told to “pray about it,” but when will the Church move from fighting itself to fighting for those who are suffering? Faith and medicine were never meant to be enemies. Jesus healed the sick, but He never rebuked doctors for treating the wounded. Luke, one of His disciples, was a physician. Healing is divine, but knowledge is also a gift from God.
Bishop Abioye once said, “Light is the answer to darkness; ignorance is a weapon in the hands of the enemy.” If people knew the truth, if women were diagnosed early, if hospitals treated this disease with the seriousness it deserves, how many lives would be saved? How many tears would remain unshed? How many destinies would still be on track?
Prophet TB Joshua once declared, “Your situation is not your conclusion.” But for many women, umbilical endometriosis feels like a life sentence. It steals their ability to bear children. It disrupts their careers. It crushes relationships because not everyone can understand a pain that never leaves. And worst of all, it isolates. It makes a woman feel like she is alone in her suffering. But she is not alone.
To every woman reading this, your pain is real. Your suffering is not in your head. The God who saw the woman with the issue of blood sees you too. He sees the sleepless nights, the countless medications, the hopeless whispers in the dark. And He is not silent. Healing may come through prayer, through medicine, or through a voice speaking up for those who have been unheard for too long.
Umbilical endometriosis is not just a medical condition—it is a test of faith, a fight for dignity, and a battle that must be won. Our governments must rise to the occasion and establish proper health facilities where they are needed most. Doctors must listen. Families must understand. Churches must not only pray but act. This disease has stolen enough. It is time to take back what the enemy has tried to destroy.
No woman should have to carry this cross alone.
– Inah Boniface Ocholi writes from Ayah – Igalamela/Odolu LGA, Kogi state.
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