What No One Tells You About Endometriosis—But You NEED to Know

Written By Shannon Smith

Welcome, warrior. 💛 If you’ve ever left a doctor’s office with more questions than answers—or googled your symptoms at 3 a.m. wondering “Is this normal?”—you’re not alone. Endometriosis is wildly misunderstood, and most women are left piecing together clues by themselves. That ends here. I’ve gathered the most common (and most important) questions women like you are asking—and I’m answering them with honesty, heart, and a whole lot of hope.

📘 What Is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus. It can affect ovaries, fallopian tubes, pelvic cavity—even the diaphragm, lungs, and brain. It is not just a period disease.

🧬 What Causes It? (Current Theories)

  • Retrograde Menstruation: Flow moves backward into the pelvic cavity.

  • Metaplasia: Pelvic cells transform into endometrial tissue.

  • Hormones: Estrogen fuels growth; tissue resists progesterone.

  • Oxidative Stress & Inflammation: Triggers immune responses.

  • Immune Dysfunction: Body doesn’t clear misplaced cells.

  • Apoptosis Suppression: Cells resist natural death.

  • Genetics: 9% of female fetuses show lesions.

  • Stem Cells: Regenerative cells may initiate lesions.

🧪 How Is It Diagnosed?

MethodDescriptionSymptom-BasedBased on pain, cycles; often unreliableImagingMRI/Ultrasound; may miss deep or small lesionsBiomarkersNot yet widely available or specificLaparoscopySurgical visual confirmation (gold standard)

🔮 What’s the Future of Diagnosis?

  • Advanced biomarker panels

  • AI-assisted ultrasound and MRI

  • Real-time tissue visualization (confocal microscopy)

  • Multimodal AI + genetic testing

  • Wearables to track symptom biomarkers

🔥 What Does It Feel Like?

  • Shooting pain down legs (sciatic involvement)

  • Sharp, burning, electric pain

  • Numb or hypersensitive pelvis

  • Hip/thigh aches from muscle inflammation

  • Painful intimacy

  • GI: bloating, IBS-like flares, constipation

  • Fatigue, depression, and anxiety

👶 Can I Get Pregnant?

Yes, though some need excision surgery to reduce inflammation and improve outcomes. Everyone’s path is unique. Seek support early.

🔍 What If Surgery Finds Nothing?

  • The surgeon may lack endo recognition training

  • Lesions could be microscopic or deep

  • Request surgical reports and imaging

  • AI tools may help in the near future

♻️ Will It Come Back After Surgery?

  • 28% may need repeat surgery in 10 years

  • Uterus removal is not a cure; endo can recur independently

🌱 Excision vs. Ablation

  • Excision = Remove root (pull the weed)

  • Ablation = Burn surface (mow the lawn)

  • Both billed the same, but vastly different in outcomes

🤖 How AI Is Changing Endo Care

  • Education: Chatbots answering patient FAQs

  • Diagnosis: Image reading, symptom modeling

  • Surgery: Augmented reality, robotics

  • Prediction: IVF outcomes, treatment results

  • Research: Parsing massive data sets for insights

⚠️ AI relies on quality data, unbiased programming, and real-world testing before full clinical adoption.

💬 Ready for Your Next Step?

You deserve more than confusion. You deserve clarity, support, and truth.

→ Book a free clarity call
→ Explore our education hub

Written by Shannon, Founder of Forgiving Endo

Shannon Smith
Previous

My Detox Journey