A No-bullshit
endometriosis
magazine
Mainstream media has a fucked up perception of what endometriosis actually looks like.
Endometriosis is a chronic (read: incurable) inflammatory condition that affects a person’s physical body, mental and emotional health, relationships, career, and overall well-being.
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There’s a lot of talk about period cramps and heavy bleeding, but that’s not all we’re dealing with. Behind closed doors, it looks a lot more like…
Waking up already exhausted.
We’re in a constant state of exhaustion that no amount of coffee (or sleep) can fix. One study found that over half of women with endo deal with chronic fatigue, even after ruling out pain or insomnia.
Waiting 10+ years for a diagnosis.
On average, it takes four to 12 years from the first symptom to get a definitive diagnosis. What’s even more of a bitch is that while imaging can suggest it, the only way to truly confirm it is a diagnostic laparoscopy. So, surgery.
Sending the “Sorry, I have to cancel” text. Again.
For a lot of us, leaving the house usually means managing debilitating pain and mentally mapping out bathroom routes. We shrink our social circles to avoid judgment or being labeled “weak,” “emotional,” or “flaky.”
Choosing between surgery and rent.
The out-of-pocket costs are insane. The average out-of-pocket cost for a diagnostic laparoscopy is $4,923. Without insurance, that same surgery can cost $12,317 or more, and that’s before anesthesia (another $7,300) or the hospital’s “facility fees.” And that’s not even counting the pre-op imaging, blood work, or the travel costs just to see a specialist who will listen.
Collecting comorbid diagnoses.
Research suggests endometriosis is associated with immune system dysregulation. That means we have higher rates of other immune-mediated conditions, including lupus, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Struggling with infertility.
Globally, as many as 25% to 50% of women with infertility have endometriosis. It makes getting pregnant harder and can even cause eggs harvested for IVF to fail. It’s a heartbreaking, expensive battle (it can cost over $24,373 per cycle) that insurance companies usually won’t cover because they don’t consider it “medically necessary.”