u/LizardQueen19_

Background I am someone who’s been diagnosed with endo in 2019 when undergoing the laparoscopy stage 1 & only found them on my uterus. Fast forward to 2026 and I most likely have lesions on my bladder, uterus and bowel. For the past two almost three years I’ve been dealing with terrible bladder pain and rectal pain. I’ve dealt with some rectal bleeding on and off and anal fissure that won’t go away for months and then I’ll be find again and terrible hemmorrhoids that’ll last for months. I did a colonoscopy of course and it came clear. And when meeting about my bladder they gave me some oxybutynin and they was pointless and they just said “its probably your endo, cut down on the caffeine”.
I’ve limited spicy and caffeine tremendously and it’s still not enough. I do a sitzs soak the Tusk cooling pads, icing my ass etc. Nothing works and I’m overwhelmed because it’s affecting my job & ability to stand/bend/walk.

Anyone else going through something similar & anything help?

I am curious to know what jobs everyone has and how you go about putting yourself first but also working and making good money?
With painful bladder & bowel endo pains I have a hard time keeping a full time job and feel like part time or a job with more flexibility is better for me. The only reason I need to be in a full time job is for health insurance. I do go about filling ADA paperwork but then I feel like a burden/guilty for some reason…

I am a freelance film photographer & I’ve been a RBT 4+ years in the ABA field. Being a RBT doesn’t seem long term for my body anymore and unsure what to do next.

Now hear me out …
Yes a lot of women are saving up money first before they want kids. Or yes there can be totally other factors and reasons. But I just really wonder how many women are NOT diagnosed with endometriosis and trying to get pregnant and can’t.
Spending shit loads of money on IUI and IVF treatments just to not be able to get pregnant because …OOPS finally did a laparoscopy and turns out you had stage III or IV endo and lessons everywhere and your ovary looked terrible etc etc.

Like truly the lack of research/education on endo and accessibility to the surgery is crazyyyyyy.
Imagine if everyone could do the surgery for free - I wonder if birth rates would go up?