it's officially been a year since my excision surgery for #endometriosis. for those that are unfamiliar with this disease that is much more common than you'd think (1 in 10 women), it is a life-altering condition with no cure. but excision surgery is one of the best options we currently have. I can only speak for myself, but my quality of life has improved markedly since my surgery-- and I recognize I am one of the lucky ones, because it still doesn't always work out this way. because endo is not just painful periods-- it's chronic fatigue, mental fog, digestive issues, pelvic floor pain and dysfunction, painful sex, infertility, loss of money and TIME spent on rehabilitation care/pain management/on the phone with doctors and insurance companies, and the culmination of what all of that does to one's mental health. and this is all besides the fact that it takes an average of 7 years to get a diagnosis, because women's pain is so often minimized, and not enough people in healthcare fully understand this disease (as it's also painfully under-researched). as anyone with a chronic illness knows, it fundamentally changes your career and life choices and trajectory in a way that others simply cannot understand. there is a cyclical, permeating grief that accompanies every decline of a social invitation, work opportunity, repro choice, and many a life experience-- simply because your body simply cannot be relied on to perform. I hope things can change one day-- for all my fellow women who have been far too acquainted with this disease. until then, I am with you and advocating for you. PSA I linked my free issue of my newsletter that covers all my FAQ's about Endo + excision surgery 💕