Hi, I’m Aubrey, and I have endometriosis. I am a health and nutrition coach, a yoga teacher, a doula, and an event coordinator. I love to cook and write poetry. I enjoy hiking and swimming. I try to enjoy the small pleasures in life while managing my illness.

This is my story.

When I was in 5th grade, I started my period, and I felt like I was dying. I woke up with the worst stomachache ever. I cried when it happened. My mom let me take off school that day; she and my Nonni took me to the mall. I was clenching my fists to distract myself from the pain I was feeling because I thought I had to pretend I was fine. After my first cycle, I decided I hated pads and wanted to try tampons. My mom bought nearly every tampon brand out there. I tried them all. They all hurt and were uncomfortable, but I hated pads more than the pain. So I dealt with it. My gym teacher let me sit out of gym when I was cramping. I felt so bad for days before and days after each period. Then I started to feel sick when I was ovulating and then on days that I wasn’t on my period or ovulating. Some days it hurts to walk. Some days I would get dizzy and nauseous from the pain. I bled so much that I had low iron levels. I took 800mg of ibuprofen more often than not. I suffered through it.

I knew about endometriosis and asked my family doctor about it. He said I just had a low pain tolerance and that I’d grow out of it. I didn’t; it got worse. Freshman year, I would crawl around my dorm room because I couldn’t stand up when I was on my period. I would cry and sit on the shower floor. I was so bloated I looked 3 months pregnant. Sophomore year, I went to an OB-GYN who dismissed my questions about endometriosis after telling me I had it and told me “get pregnant or go on birth control, those are the only cures,” meanwhile, there are no cures for endometriosis. I went on birth control for 5 years. I gained weight. Dated questionable men. Couldn’t regulate my emotions. Had high blood pressure. Had TMJ. Was bloated 24/7. And still had horrible pelvic pain and cramps, every single day.

After I graduated, I found a new OB-GYN (Dr. Horowitz), and she also diagnosed me with endometriosis. I had not been surgically diagnosed, but she said I had every symptom and referred me to a surgeon. I decided not to book a surgery, which was my own personal decision. I may have the surgery one day, but for now, I have decided not to. I will get more into that in a later post.

In the summer of 2021, I decided to stop taking my birth control. My body still feels like shit most of the time, but I’m no longer pumping hormones into my body to treat a disease that is negatively affected by hormones. For now, I’ve decided to test out literally every method, therapy, product, etc. known to man to treat this debilitating disease. Please join me on this journey into the abyss that is endometriosis. Together, we are going to discover new things and see if we can give those who suffer from endometriosis and similar illnesses some peace!