“Hey y’all, my name is Kim! I was misdiagnosed and treated for Crohn’s Disease and chronic urinary tract infections for almost seven years. It was not until an urgent laparoscopic exploratory laparotomy revealed that I was actually suffering from advanced endometriosis. I had my first endometrial excision in May of 2019. A large part of me was so excited thinking that the surgery was going to be it for me. By August, the adhesions regrew and spread to other organ systems. Looking back, I was naive of just how powerful and resilient this disease is. The physical symptoms are debilitating, exhausting and isolating at times, yes.. but what infuriates me is the lack of education and training around endometriosis. I don’t want pity, but I do want awareness and empathy for woman living with endometriosis. Advocate for their pain, because this disease is often invisible to those who do are not affected. Advocate for affordable healthcare for those who do not have the financial access to specialists and excision surgeons. There currently is no cure for endometriosis and treatment options are essentially trial-and-error. A disease that affects 1 in 10 women in the U.S and approximately 200 million world-wide deserves more attention then this.” @kimabruns