Madison's Journey with Endometriosis and Overcoming Family Misunderstandings

Endometriosis is a reproductive disorder where there are endometrial-like glands located outside of its belonged endometrial space. This chronic disease affects 10% of women of reproductive age around the world - around 190 million women. One of these women is Madison Byers.?

Madison is a 20-year-old African American woman who was diagnosed with endometriosis when she was 18-years-old. She grew up experiencing acute pain during her periods, along with nausea and headaches. At times, she had to skip school because of the intensity of the pain. She felt that compared to other women, her periods were a lot more severe and recalls that, “At the age of 12 I knew this pain was something else. My mother told me it would get easier, but it never got easier”. And so she never thought to mention it to her primary care physician. Yet as she grew up, the pain was something she could no longer manage.?

After constant dismissal by others about the pain she felt, Madison decided to listen and trust her body and went to a gynecologist: “I went to a gynecologist and they said this isn’t normal. She said I had endometriosis about two years ago” and was finally diagnosed with endometriosis when she was 18-years-old. “My concerns were validated. I finally felt heard” said Ms. Byers. At the time of the diagnosis, she was given birth control to help with her period cramps.

In terms of her treatment, Madison says that she felt like the birth control was easily accessible and helps with the symptoms she is experiencing. She is now able to go to school, work, and hang out with friends while on her period and is not stuck in bed because of her previous immense pain. And thankfully, she has experienced a greater number of positive side effects from birth control than negative ones.?

Madison, like IndyGeneUS AI, wishes that people took women’s health seriously. Despite her voicing her discomfort numerous times, her pain was constantly dismissed. “It took 6 years to know, I wish people knew the kind of pain I was in” said Ms. Byer.?

People tend to overlook when a woman is in extreme pain during her period and often incorrectly attribute the pain to just the period itself. More often than not, however, the pain is because of an underlying issue, like endometriosis. Women are constantly told that their abnormal period pain is normal and that everyone feels the same amount of pain. Because of this dismissal, women do not even know, or think, to consult a gynecologist or their primary care physician to check for any conditions. As a result, some women live their entire lives with crippling period pain, not knowing that if diagnosed, they could receive treatment that would greatly alleviate their pain and prevent the condition from getting worse.

Yusuf Henriques?Bradford Wilson, PhD?Angel N. Livas Nozomi Williams Chinmayee Yerraguntla ?Sona Prabu Dinakaran?Sebastian Salazar?Endometriosis Foundation of America

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