Stories of Strength from Patients We've Supported.

In my case, I had endometriomas, which were visible on imaging and ultimately helped lead to my diagnosis—something many women don’t have the benefit of. At the same time, I understood that their presence typically indicates more extensive disease.

After a lot of research and prayer, I reached a point where I knew surgery was my only option. I also knew I wanted to go to a specific surgeon who is highly experienced with advanced cases and able to treat thoracic endometriosis if needed. It was a big decision—especially knowing the surgery would be entirely out of pocket—but one I felt I needed to make for my health. If it weren’t for Endo Excision for All, I’m not sure I would have even been able to move forward. Your support helped make up a significant portion of the difference that I wasn’t able to afford, and truly made this surgery possible for me.

During surgery, my doctor found extensive disease throughout my body. He removed two large endometriomas as well as my appendix, and excised masses of endometriosis from multiple areas including my tailbone, rectum, bowels, bladder, vagina, ovaries, pelvis, diaphragm, lungs, ribs, and essentially everywhere in between. While it was overwhelming to hear, it was also incredibly validating after years of not having clear answers.

Recovery has definitely been challenging, but I’m starting to feel better little by little. I know this isn’t the end of my journey, but it truly feels like a really big step in the right direction. I’m eager to see how my body feels once I’m fully healed and all the surgical inflammation settles down.

I can’t say enough about how much Endo Excision for All has impacted me. Your support not only helped make this surgery possible for me, but also gave me guidance, reassurance, and a sense of not going through this alone. It truly made such a difference during such a difficult time.

I’ve also been doing my best to share my story and spread awareness—not only about endometriosis, but about Endo Excision for All and the incredible work you do. I’ve been encouraging others that if they’re ever looking to give back to a cause that truly makes a direct impact, this is one that does. Thank you to EEFA for everything they do and for being such a big part of this journey for me.

I was in and out of the hospital, living in constant pain, bleeding, and exhaustion. My body was shutting down. My appendix was inflamed and slowly leaking infection. I spent months on high-dose antibiotics, in the ICU, multiple ambulance rides, constant agony, pain, infections, heart issues wondering how much more my body could take. I went from doctor to doctor, begging to be heard.

I was told it was “normal,” that I didn’t need surgery, that birth control would fix it. But deep down, I knew something was very wrong. I struggled with painful cycles since I was 12. Over the years it worsened to unbearable levels of pain and agony. By the time I finally got answers, it was stage 4 deep infiltrating endometriosis. My organs were fused together. My body was failing. And then came another obstacle… I couldn’t afford to get to the surgeon who could actually save my life.

And SO MUCH MORE. They had to address disease that had spread far beyond where anyone expected, all because nobody listened to me before and my condition progressed to such a severe stage. There were moments my body was so unstable I nearly went into cardiac arrest. But I made it. Because of this organization… I am here. I am here to keep saving lives as an EMT. I am here to teach my students. I am here to write, to create, to live. I will never be the same—but I am alive.

Every month, I was passing out and vomiting from the pain of my cycle. Every day, I felt my organs pulling in my abdomen with every movement. Something as routine as using the restroom caused severe pain. And for the past two and a half years, I’ve had to face the heartbreak of seeing single lines on pregnancy tests while my list of nieces, nephews, and friends with babies continues to grow. My symptoms started when I was just 12 years old. I missed out on sports, field trips, and after school activities, watching my peers from the sidelines. Now in my 20s, that hasn’t changed, it’s affected my ability to further my education, keep steady jobs, and become a mother. I’m still watching life from the sidelines.

Excision surgery was my only real option to reduce my pain, protect my fertility, and have a chance at a normal life, but insurance doesn’t cover it. I knew I needed the surgery, but I had no idea how I would ever be able to afford it. Endo Excision for All made it possible. One phone call changed everything. Because of the generosity of this organization and the people who support it, I was able to have my surgery on February 11th of this year.

Now, almost two months post-op, my life already feels different. I still have some pain, but I no longer feel that constant pulling in my abdomen with every movement. I have real hope that I may be able to conceive. My inflammatory symptoms have improved, the constant aching and pressure in my lower back is gone, and the sharp nerve pain that used to shoot through my hips and thighs at random hasn’t hit me since my surgery. For the first time in years, I feel hopeful about my health. I didn’t know it was possible for my body to feel this way. I’ve also been told my pain should continue to improve as my body keeps healing.

The physical relief I felt after surgery was overwhelming in a way I can’t fully describe. I would go through that recovery again every single month without hesitation if it meant never having another endometriosis flare. The emotional relief was just as powerful. When I woke up I couldn’t stop sobbing, not because I was in pain, for the first time in almost a decade my pain was unnoticeable. I was crying because I finally had proof. I was never crazy. It was never all in my head. After being dismissed for so long, I didn’t even fully believe it at first when my surgeon found endometriosis via ultrasound prior to my surgery. As much as I wanted answers, and as much as I knew something was wrong, it was hard to accept after a decade of being told otherwise. I needed that pathology report just as much as I needed the surgery itself.

Endo Excision for All gave me that. They gave me my life back. I can stretch without sharp pain. I can sleep through the night. I can make plans without constantly worrying about whether I’ll have to cancel. I started working full time again, for the first time in over a year. I finally have an explanation with irrefutable proof of what I’ve been living with. Every woman with endometriosis deserves to feel this kind of relief, both physically and emotionally. My journey isn’t over and as all women with endometriosis know, it never will be. But the physical and mental relief provided to me by not only the doctor who finally believed me but this amazing nonprofit is invaluable. I can finally breathe. Until insurance companies and our medical system start taking women’s pain seriously, until endometriosis receives equal priority to other chronic illnesses, so many of us are left with no choice but to rely on organizations like Endo Excision for All. They do all they can, but they can only do as much as donations allow.

So please, if you’re able to donate, consider supporting this organization. They are changing, and saving, the lives of women like me. I will never be able to say thank you enough for what they’ve given me.

I was also struggling with infertility, which added even more emotional weight to everything I was going through.

Getting an excision surgery truly changed everything for me. For the first time in my life, I recovered and felt no pain—something I didn’t even know was possible. And now, I’m almost 17 weeks pregnant with a baby boy, due at the end of August.

EEFA means the world to me. The founder is so thoughtful, and having a community where others genuinely understand your experience makes you feel seen in a way nothing else does. Receiving a donation to help with my surgery costs helped more than I can ever explain. It gave me access to a life-changing surgery, helped me overcome infertility, and gave me the chance to live a life without pain.