In Sixteen Years of Endometriosis

Amy speaks with Tracey Lindeman about her book BLEED: Destroying Myths and Misogyny in Endometriosis Care. We discuss a variety of topics, such as: —why many patients have lost trust in the medical system —misogyny and other biases that affect patient care —the predatory nature of wellness culture 🎤WHO IS TRACEY LINDEMAN?🎤 Tracey Lindeman is a longtime journalist and the author of BLEED: Destroying Myths and Misogyny in Endometriosis Care. She lives in Quebec with her partner and cats, and without a uterus.   ☀️CONNECT WITH TRACEY☀️ https://www.traceylindeman.com/bleed ☀️CONNECT WITH AMY☀️ Instagram @in16yearsofendo Website: www.insixteenyears.com Like my show? Please rate...

Amy speaks with Lorraine Truman about MCAS. We talk about: —what’s been helping our MCAS on a physical level —how we’ve learned to set boundaries and put our health first in social situations —the challenges and also personal growth in rebuilding our lives with MCAS 🎤WHO IS LORRAINE TRUMAN?🎤 Lorraine has been seen by almost every specialty and experienced a large array of testing to determine her current diagnosis of endometriosis, POTS, MCAS and bartonella. This has been almost 12 years of constant advocacy for herself and in the last 5 years for others suffering with the same symptoms. Her mission is to sha...

Amy and Brittany wrap up our discussion about advocating for ourselves, sharing 4 stories about times in our lives when we originally didn’t advocate for ourselves, but then through preparation, self-work, and better understanding disability and ourselves, we successfully advocated for what we needed! These stories include 2 personal ones (with our family and traveling) and 2 work-related (involving disability accommodations). ☀️CONNECT WITH AMY☀️ Instagram @in16yearsofendo Website: www.insixteenyears.com Like my show? Please rate it or leave a review! Support me by buying me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/insixteenyears 📖MY BOOKS ABOUT ENDO📖 Endometriosis: Putting the Pieces Together for a Better Life. h...

Amy and Brittany talk about how beliefs about our worth and what we deserve can often get in the way of asking for what we want, especially with our chronic illness and disability. Because of socialization in society for women and those AFAB, ableist comments from loved ones, and the times people made us feel embarrassed for having specific needs, it can feel impossible to speak up. We talk about how we are unpacking the beliefs we have about ourselves to better support ourselves and our chronic illness. We want you to know that your needs are important, even if...

Amy speaks with Andoeni about: —the lack of multidisciplinary centers or coordinated care specifically for endo and how this hurts patients —how patients can feel abandoned post surgery if there’s no post op care —the burden that falls on the patients to research their conditions and find a knowledgable doctor they can trust 🎤WHO IS ANDOENI?🎤 Andoeni is the creator behind CuerpoCurativo, a community-led platform dedicated to educating, supporting, and empowering women living with endometriosis. After her own diagnosis, she turned her search for answers into a space that centers patient voices, shares accessible resources, and brings awareness to the systemic g...

Amy speaks with Michelle about the guidelines for IC/PBS (Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome). We talk about: —the different phenotypes and what this means for treatment —key takeaways from the updated 2025 Canadian guidelines —our personal experiences with this condition 🎤WHO IS MICHELLE?🎤 Michelle is a peer health navigator and a dedicated advocate for pelvic health. Known as the voice behind The Happy Pelvis, she passionately spreads awareness about pelvic health through her platforms. At The Happy Pelvis, Michelle leads numerous initiatives aimed at empowering individuals grappling with chronic pelvic pain and illness. Her mission is clear: to equip people with the too...

Amy speaks with Dr. Adam Duke about: —what endometriosis care would look like of he could rewrite the guidelines for care —what it was like to open his own excision practice in a more rural part of the United States —the importance of endometriosis advocacy in improving patient care 🎤WHO IS Dr. Adam Duke?🎤 Dr. Adam Duke is an endometriosis excision surgeon who is nationally recognized for his excellent endometriosis care. He considers himself as much of an endometriosis advocate and ally as an endometriosis surgeon. ☀️CONNECT WITH AMY☀️ Instagram @in16yearsofendo Website: www.insixteenyears.com Like my show? Please rate it or leave a r...

Amy speaks with Dr Sula Windgassen about her new book called “It’s All in Your Body: A Practical Roadmap to Healing Through Mind Body Connection”. We talk about: —an overview of the mind-body connection and why it can be hard to embrace after years of medical gaslighting and being told “it’s all in our head” —how stress affects the bladder —the difference between safety behaviors and necessary behaviors 🎤WHO IS Dr Sula Windgassen?🎤 Dr Sula Windgassen PhD MSc is a health psychologist who has dedicated her career to understanding the powerful intersection between physical and mental health. Dr Sula is the director of...

Amy speaks with Jade Walker about SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) —how SIBO is an umbrella term for multiple bacterial overgrowths —what causes it and why it’s a common co-condition with endometriosis —different ways of treating and managing it. 🎤WHO IS JADE WALKER?🎤 Jade Walker is a degree-qualified naturopath and educator known for her work in complex endometriosis, gut health, and hormone conditions. With eight years of clinical experience, and a personal journey with endo, Jade has a passion for uncovering overlooked drivers of chronic symptoms, particularly the intersection between the microbiome, inflammation, and hormonal dysfunction. She is the founder of the...

Amy speaks with Casey Berna about her new book “Endometriosis: From Harm to Hope”. We talk about topics discussed in her book, such as: —medical narcissism and how to navigate difficult experiences with our healthcare professionals —what the medical industry complex is and how it harms patients —the importance of identifying our needs, how to do so, and putting ourselves first. 🎤WHO IS CASEY BERNA?🎤 Casey is a social worker, endometriosis patient, published author, and highly regarded endometriosis advocate. In addition to providing professional counseling to endometriosis patients, she’s also worked with expert medical professionals, advocates, and global nonprofits in the endometrios...

Amy speaks with Dr. Lora Liu about excision surgery. She explains to us: —Tips for asking your surgeon about their multidisciplinary surgical team. —How she decides when to operate on a patient. —Some of the risks vs benefits of excision, especially bowel surgery. 🎤WHO IS DR. LORA LIU?🎤 Dr. Lora Liu is an excision surgeon who became interested in surgery as a teenager watching her father, Dr. CY Liu, operate. Dr Liu is a trainer and proctor in the use of robotic surgery. She firmly believes in multidisciplinary care. She has multidisciplinary surgical team in the OR with her and also has wor...

Amy speaks with Judith Chavarría about: —what her personal experience with endometriosis is —what’s helped her physically and emotionally to live better with this disease —her advice for others living with endo 🎤WHO IS JUDITH CHAVARRÍA?🎤 Judith is 38 years old and lives in Matagalpa, Nicaragua. She has been married for 6 years and has a 12-year-old daughter. She is an English teacher and enjoys sharing her knowledge to help others learn the language. In her free time, she loves watching and listening to podcasts, interviews, movies, and series focused on personal growth, as she is always looking for new ways to grow...

Listen to a chapter from Amy’s audiobook: 📖Chapter 67: “No Matter What Happens, I Will Be Okay” Amy’s book is available as a paperbook, e-book, and audiobook. See where to find it here: https://insixteenyears.com/where-to-find-my-book/ ☀️CONNECT WITH AMY☀️ Instagram @in16yearsofendo Website: www.insixteenyears.com Like my show? Please rate it or leave a review! Support me by buying me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/insixteenyears

Amy speaks to Orla O’Connor from Ireland and Jennifer Todd from Canada about traveling abroad for excision surgery. They share about: —what they think is most important to keep in mind when going to another country to medical care —their process for choosing a surgeon —logistics such as post op care and flying home after the surgery 🎤WHO IS ORLA AND JEN?🎤 Orla O’Connor is a fourth-year BSc Public Health Sciences student who runs a WhatsApp peer-support group that helps patients understand their options and feel less alone. Drawing on public-health training and lived community experience, Orla focuses on evidence-based i...

Amy speaks with Dr. Jorge Carrillo about the complexity of chronic pelvic pain. We talk about: —his strategy for evaluating menstrual, bladder, bowel, musculoskeletal, and neuropathic symptoms in his patients —the biopsychosocial model of pain and why it’s important —the need for integrative pain care for endometriosis 🎤WHO IS DR. JORGE CARRILLO?🎤 Dr. Carrillo earned his degree as a Medical Doctor and Surgeon from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia. He then completed his residency in Gynecology and Obstetrics, followed by a Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Surgery with a focus on Chronic Pelvic Pain. He is a Professor in the Fellowsh...

Amy and Brittany talk about self-forgiveness: —what it is —the benefits it provides —some examples of situations related to chronic illness that we’ve found difficult to let go of and forgive ourselves ☀️CONNECT WITH AMY☀️ Instagram @in16yearsofendo Website: www.insixteenyears.com Like my show? Please rate it or leave a review! Support me by buying me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/insixteenyears ⚠️DISCLAIMER⚠️ The information on my platforms is educational information only and not medical advice. Always check with your qualified medical professional before making any changes to your treatment plan. Keep in mind that while I strive to share evidenced-based...

Today I’m speaking with Dr. John Dulemba about: —surgical gatekeeping —endometriosis recurrence —the importance of treating this disease early and not after years of symptoms 🎤WHO IS DR. JOHN DULEMBA?🎤 A now retired excision surgeon who was in private practice in Denton, Texas, from 1986-2023. He performed over 7300 endometriosis surgeries, both robotically and via standard laparoscopy, so he has a lot of insight on endometriosis. ☀️CONNECT WITH AMY☀️ Instagram @in16yearsofendo Website: www.insixteenyears.com Like my show? Please rate it or leave a review! Support me by buying me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/insixteenyears ⚠️DISCLAIMER⚠️ The information on my platforms is educational...

Amy speaks with Sharida Mohammed about: —how medical gaslighting caused her to doubt and invalidate her pain —how upsetting it is that treatment options are so limited and inaccessible for people with endo —her advice to others living with endometriosis 🎤WHO IS SHARIDA MOHAMMED?🎤 Sharida Mohammed is a graphic designer from the twin islands of Trinidad & Tobago. She has been living with endometriosis since the age of 12 and has undergone four surgeries for the condition. Sharida runs an Instagram page, Crushendo.tt, where she advocates for endometriosis awareness.  ☀️CONNECT WITH SHARIDA ☀️ Instagram @crushendo.tt ☀️CONNECT WITH AMY☀️ Instagram @in16yearsofendo Website: www.insixteenyears.c...

Amy speaks with Dr. Laura Gouge, ND about managing mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS). We talk about: —the varied symptoms we can have with MCAS, including neurological ones —the importance of a multimodal approach for addressing MCAS symptom drivers  —what she’s learned over years of working with MCAS patients and what she would have done differently in her own MCAS journey 🎤WHO IS DR. LAURA GOUGE, ND?🎤 Dr. Laura Gouge is a licensed naturopathic doctor and Certified Nutrition Specialist with expertise in mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), POTS, long COVID, ADHD, anxiety, insomnia, histamine intolerance, and endometriosis. She earned her Doctorate in...

Amy and Brittany talk about what it’s like to live with chronic diarrhea: —the social embarrassment it can cause —the close calls we’ve had in public, including times we just didn’t make it to the toilet! —the unhealthy coping mechanisms we had ☀️CONNECT WITH AMY☀️ Instagram @in16yearsofendo Website: www.insixteenyears.com Like my show? Please rate it or leave a review! Support me by buying me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/insixteenyears ⚠️DISCLAIMER⚠️ The information on my platforms is educational information only and not medical advice. Always check with your qualified medical professional before making any changes to your treatment pl...

Many of us understand the benefit of PFT for pelvic pain, bladder, and bowel symptoms, but it’s hard to know how to actually find an expert PT. Amy speaks with Abby De Angelis about: —where we can search online to start putting together names of potential PTs —what kind of questions we should ask them to judge their knowledge and treatment plans —examples of PFT practices they are likely to do during your appointment 🎤WHO IS ABBY DE ANGELIS?🎤 Abby De Angelis is a specialist in women’s physical therapy and has made it her mission to transform lives — especially during...

Amy speaks with Stephanie Moss, MD about: —the importance of trauma-informed medical care —how being an endometriosis patient has informed her perspective as a new doctor —navigating disability accommodations and her insights on this as a medical student 🎤WHO IS DR. STEPHANIE MOSS?🎤 Stephanie Moss, MD, is an endometriosis warrior and a PGY-2 Psychiatry Chief Resident Physician at Rosalind Franklin University. Dr. Moss is an active public speaker and writer, with her work featured on platforms like MedPageToday, the American Medical Women's Association, Endometriosis Foundation, and Doximity. Her mental health advocacy has focussed on sharing stories of humanism in medicine on her podca...

Amy speaks with Tanner Murtagh about the nervous system. We talk about: —how having a flexible nervous system helps us to better face the challenges of our lives —Polyvagal theory and what a dysregulated nervous system is —ways we can regulate our nervous system for physical and emotional health benefits 🎤WHO IS TANNER MURTAGH, MSW, RSW?🎤 Tanner is a therapist who treats clients with chronic pain and symptoms that are fully or partly brain generated. He is the director of Pain Psychotherapy Canada, and co-director of MBody Community. Through his agencies, they provide therapy and a digital course for people who have chr...

Amy speaks with Rey about various topics. We talk about: —the independent research project they spearheaded which is focused on illustrating how improving practitioner education will result in positive patient outcomes. —why they made the decision to leave their country to seek expert treatment elsewhere. —their experience with MHT/HRT. 🎤WHO IS REY?🎤 Rey (they/she) is an independent patient advocate dedicated to raising awareness and driving change in endometriosis care. After a strong suspicion they suffered with endometriosis, they became actively involved in online advocacy, sharing knowledge and supporting others navigating the complexities of the disease. They underwent their first surgery...

Today Amy speaks with Dr. Tatnai Burnett about endometriosis treatment. We talk about: —the challenges of treating pain associated with superficial endo. —how endo needs a multimodal approach using all the tools in the toolbox. —his approach to exploring the causes of recurrent pain post excision. 🎤WHO IS DR. TATNAI BURNETT?🎤 Tatnai L. Burnett, M.D. is an assistant professor in obstetrics and gynecology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Following medical school and residency at the University of Michigan, he completed a 2 year fellowship in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery at Southern Illinois University before joining the faculty in his current posi...

Today Amy and Brittany talk about working with endometriosis: —the mental battle to decide when you’re “sick enough” to call out and take the day off —the pressure we might feel to hide how we are really feeling —how draining it can be to work with chronic illness and how much it can take out of you physically and emotionally 🔗RESOURCES🔗 Clickable links at www.insixteenyears.com/episode152 🔗Episode 89: Endometriosis and Disability 🔗Episode 116 and 117: Disability Accommodations in the Workplace. Part 1 and Part 2 ☀️CONNECT WITH AMY☀️ Instagram @in16yearsofendo Website: www.insixteenyears.com Like my show? Please rate it or leave a review! Support me by bu...

Today Amy speaks with Christina Saldanha about HRT/MHT. We talk about: —options for hormone therapy such as: combined options, progestins vs progesterone, and using the pill in perimenopause. —the different types of estrogen and how much estrogen blood levels rise with systemic HRT/MHT vs blood levels during our cycling years —how soon a person should begin HRT/MHT after surgical menopause 🎤WHO IS CHRISTINA SALDANHA?🎤 Christina Saldanha is a PA, writer, speaker, and fierce advocate for women's health.  She owns her own independent private practice in Winston Salem, NC, where she provides primary care to women across the lifespan but...

Today Amy speaks with Anna Holtzman about mind-body pain. We talk about: —how black and white thinking in the mind-body world has led to gaslighting patients and harm. —some of the ways that mind-body practices have helped us as people who had chronic pain. —how are goals for our symptoms aren’t focused anymore on being 100% pain free, but rather on improving quality of life and knowing how to support ourselves on high symptom days. ***IMPORTANT: Both Anna and I recognize the harm that can come from practitioners believing that all pain is mind-body, or is a manifestation of stress/emotions...

Amy speaks with Lula Cuba about: —how impossible it can be to find trustworthy endo information for non-English speakers —her experience as an adolescent with endo growing up in difficult housing conditions —the importance of checking your medical charts for mistakes, misdiagnoses, and harmful comments. 🎤WHO IS LULA CUBA?🎤 Lula Cuba is 33 years old and from Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. She was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2020 after more than 10 years searching for answers. Since hearing the word endometriosis, she dedicated herself to reading and learning about the topic. Lula runs the Instagram account Endocomunidad, where she seeks to show what it's li...

Listen to 2 chapters from Amy’s audiobook: 📖Chapter 8: “Climbing Out from Rock Bottom” 📖Chapter 56: “Be Proud of Yourself” Amy’s book is available as a paperbook, e-book, and audiobook. See where to find it here: https://insixteenyears.com/where-to-find-my-book/ ☀️CONNECT WITH AMY☀️ Instagram @in16yearsofendo Website: www.insixteenyears.com Like my show? Please rate it or leave a review! Support me by buying me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/insixteenyears ⚠️DISCLAIMER⚠️ The information on my platforms is educational information only and not medical advice. Always check with your qualified medical professional before making any changes to your treatment plan. Keep in mind that while I strive to sha...

Amy speaks with Dr. Naomi Whittaker about: —what NaPro Technology is and how it’s goal is to identify and address the underlying causes of gynecologic issues and infertility —some of the tools that have helped her patients with fertility, such as formal cycle instruction and charting, intentional adhesion prevention during excision surgery, and the use of progesterone. —the difference between NaPro Technology and IUI and IVF. 🎤WHO IS DR. NAOMI WHITTAKER?🎤 Dr. Naomi Whittaker is a board-certified restorative reproductive medicine physician and surgeon specializing in fertility and has received the Focused Practice Designation in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery by the American B...

Amy and Brittany both follow an individualized diet for endo and chronic illness, which we’ve each been on for over a decade. We talk about the mistakes we made when we changed their way of eating for, such as: —cutting out too many foods at once with no focus on bringing in new foods —waiting too long to learn how to cook —not realizing we needed mental health support for the feelings that came up around diet change. This episode is a continuation of the previous episode on how we changed our perspective in relation to our diet. ☀️CONNECT WITH AMY☀️ I...

Amy and Brittany each changed our diet over 15 years ago due to help manage our symptoms. While at first we abhorred our way of eating and found it tedious and a chore, we now embrace it as something that helps us feel our best, and we’ve learned new habits and ways of thinking that has made following our way of eating much easier. We talk about this shift in the way we see our food choices and how we got there, such as by: —understanding how diet culture played a role in our thinking —identifying our priorities and making a comm...

Amy speaks with Yesenia Villalta about: —the importance of boundaries and some examples of them in relation to chronic illness —if there’s room for joy among our pain and how to find it —how to redefine what a good life means to us with chronic illness Yesenia and I also chatted in episode 129 about the emotions that can come up with endo. 🎤WHO IS YESENIA VILLALTA?🎤 Yesenia Villalta is a bilingual and bicultural social worker licensed in Virginia and Maryland, USA. She is the founder and owner of Venceremos®, LLC, a holistic healing practice primarily serving Black, Indigenous, and People of Color...

Today I’m speaking with Kimether Redmon about how: —the healthcare system is getting more and more dysfunctional and confusing —healthcare provider burnout is common —the average 10-12 minute appointment time doesn’t give enough time to meet the patient’s medical needs, which are becoming increasingly more complex. 🎤WHO IS KIMETHER REDMON?🎤 She is an endometriosis patient as well as a Family Nurse Practitioner serving low-income uninsured patients in her area. Before her nursing career, she was a research consultant with a background in brain injury research, and employment. Being diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis in 2021 after over 20 years of countless incident...

Amy speaks with Dr. Abdala Karame about: —if endometriomas can be distinguished from cysts in an ultrasound. —how to treat endometriomas and the evidence available on hormonal suppression and endometrioma recurrence. —if endometriomas always grow or not. 🎤WHO IS DR. ABDALA KARAME?🎤 Dr. Abdala Karame is a gynecologist obstetrician and specialists in assistive reproductive technology as well as an excision surgeon for endometriosis. He did his residency in Mexico after studying at the University “La Salle” Mexico. He then spent 8 years in Houston, TX working in the subspeciality of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the Woman’s Hospital of Texas. He’s a member of v...

Amy speaks with Alysia, who tells us about: —her experience with thoracic endometriosis —the challenges of recovering from 2 strokes brought on by COVID —what has helped her get through the darkest times with her health 🎤WHO IS ALYSIA J. DAGROSA, BCPA, CFSD, CLC?🎤 Born and bred in Brooklyn, NY Alysia grew up in a biracial household. Exposure to the rich cultures of both Southern Italy and St Vincent & the Grenadines has afforded her a unique perspective. After 20 years of suffering with the painful symptoms of endometriosis, Alysia finally pushed for better care and control of her life and finally underwent surgery in 2...

Amy and Brittany talk about the challenges of getting good sleep. We chat about: —some reasons why it’s tough to sleep well, from histamine to hormones to pain. —our tips for improving our sleep, from using red lights at night to meditation apps to worry logs for our anxiety. ☀️CONNECT WITH AMY☀️ Instagram @in16yearsofendo Website: www.insixteenyears.com Like my show? Please rate it or leave a review! Support me by buying me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/insixteenyears ⚠️DISCLAIMER⚠️ The information on my platforms is educational information only and not medical advice. Always check with your qualified medical professional b...

Amy speaks with menopause specialist Jackie Piasta about: —menopause, perimenopause, surgical menopause, and early menopause —how the risks of hormonal replacement therapy were exaggerated by the media after the WHI study and how that’s led to unnecessary fear around HRT —taking testosterone as part of HRT: what symptoms does it help and what data is there on it. 🎤WHO IS JACKIE PIASTA?🎤 Jackie Piasta, WHNP-BC, is a board-certified Women's Health and Gender-related Nurse Practitioner, menopause specialist, and founder of Monarch Health, a midlife and menopause clinic in Marietta, GA. She co-hosts the podcast "JustAsk," which focuses on women’s health topics. J...

Amy speaks with Bev about: —ableism and healthism: what they are, and how they affect people with chronic illness and/or disability —the social vs the medical model of disability —equity vs equality and the social determinants of health 🎤WHO IS BEV HERSCOVITCH?🎤 Bev Herscovitch is a writer, communications professional and healthcare and disability activist/advocate living in Toronto, Ontario. She is passionate about sharing insights into how our society perceives and addresses the body, and about working with others to dismantle barriers to create an environment that empowers people to thrive as much as possible. 🔗RESOURCES🔗 For clickable links to the resources b...