Stories of Strength from Patients We’ve Supported

Life before excision surgery meant being gaslit by medical professionals and being made to feel  crazy, for years being told there was “no way” I could be in that much pain. I was expected to  function like a healthy young woman while being consistently embarrassed, dismissed,  ridiculed, and labeled as “dramatic” and “faking sick” by doctors, ex-teachers, ex-coworkers and  bosses, and even some family members and friends.  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.