Sometimes life takes the scenic route instead of the one we mapped out.
You know the one — being done with school by 22, getting married by 25, enjoying a few years of the honeymoon phase, and then settling down to start a family before 30.
But that’s not how my life unfolded.
A Different Timeline
I didn’t get married until I was 30. By that time, I already knew I had endometriosis — although it would take a few more years (and a lot of self-advocacy) to get a surgical diagnosis.
My journey with this condition didn’t start in adulthood. It started the moment I got my first period at age 12.
When Pain Was My Normal
From the very beginning, I knew something wasn’t right.
The cramps were debilitating — so intense they left me bedridden. I would bleed through multiple sanitary pads in a short amount of time. The pain wasn’t just monthly; it was constant.
I knew in my gut this wasn’t “normal,” but no one around me had experienced what I was going through. They couldn’t relate. And so, the severity of my symptoms was brushed off.
Eventually, my parents took me to a doctor — who prescribed birth control to suppress the symptoms. That was it. No deeper investigation. No imaging. No concern.
Learning to Advocate for Myself
Years later, after doing my own research and learning how to speak up, I finally got the diagnosis I had suspected all along: Endometriosis.
By then, I had spent years living in pain — both physical and emotional. I had been told “this is just how periods are” too many times. I had learned that if I didn’t fight for answers, no one else would.
The truth is, self-advocacy with your physician should be non-negotiable — especially for us as women.
Maybe if I had found my voice sooner, I wouldn’t have needed multiple surgeries. Maybe I would’ve been taken seriously earlier. Maybe I wouldn’t have reached the point where I only had five pain-free days a month.
What I Want You to Know
Endometriosis has taken a lot from me — time, opportunities, peace. But if sharing my story helps even one person get an earlier diagnosis or learn to advocate for themselves, then it means something.
You’re not alone in this journey.
If you or someone you love is struggling with Endo, please leave a note in the comments. Support is everything. Let’s create a space where we see each other and lift each other up.
Withlove, Deb
