Olivia Culpo revealed that she recently underwent surgery to help manage her endometriosis, a condition that typically causes heavy period bleeding and pain.
“Yesterday I had surgery for my endometriosis ❤️ Not a very glamorous post but I felt like I needed to share this to create more awareness around this disease,” Culpo wrote on Instagram. “I have been in agony for years around my period and I was misdiagnosed countless times by doctors,” she continued, calling the condition, “excruciatingly painful.”
Doctors previously dismissed her pain, telling her to just take over-the-counter pain medication, that her ultrasounds looked normal, or that she just needed to rest more. “I know a lot of people out there in the Endo community are familiar with these diagnoses which is why I am so passionate about this,” she continued. “Painful periods are not normal!!!”
Endometriosis occurs when the type of tissue that normally grows inside the uterus (or tissue that’s very similar to it) grows outside of the uterus. Most commonly that tissue shows up on the other reproductive organs that are near the uterus, such as the ovaries or fallopian tubes. That can cause severe period pain, heavy period bleeding, and issues with fertility, as Culpo noted in her Instagram caption.
Culpo said back in August that she was managing her endometriosis pain with typical at-home care, such as pain relievers, heating pads, and lots of water. “There’s a surgery you can get for it that I don’t really want to get,” she said at the time. Although some people are able to keep their endometriosis symptoms in somewhat check with self-care strategies like those, that simply isn’t enough for many others.
If over-the-counter medications don’t help, doctors may recommend hormone-based medication, such as hormonal birth control, to help prevent the buildup of that wayward tissue. But even that may not be enough. For some, minimally invasive surgery to remove the endometrial tissue that’s built up, as well as any cysts or scar tissue that’s developed as a result of the condition, may be helpful. Procedures like these can help reduce pain and minimize the effects of endometriosis on fertility. But they aren’t necessarily permanent, and the endometriosis tissue can come back, the Mayo Clinic says.
Because endometriosis is difficult to diagnose (the gold standard for an endometriosis diagnosis requires minimally invasive surgery) and the medical establishment has a long history of invalidating women’s pain, doctors often dismiss people who have the painful symptoms associated with the condition. But there is power in knowing you’re not alone in these experiences.
“To anyone out there who has endometriosis, I understand the depression, and overall loneliness that can occur with a condition that is so painful yet so hard to be interpreted by other people outside of the body,” Culpo said. “It’s hard when chronic pain is not validated and you don’t get an answer or understanding.”
Related:
Olivia Culpo Reveals She Has Endometriosis—And Urges People to Take Painful Periods Seriously
Savannah Chrisley Had a ‘Huge Cyst’ Removed During Her Endometriosis Surgery
How Does Endometriosis Impact Fertility?