Lili Reinhart is opening up about her experience being diagnosed with endometriosis.
It’s pretty common, sadly, for women’s complaints to be overlooked in the medical world. They’ve even been overlooked in research for years! Often they’re told they’re just being dramatic, that it’s just anxiety, or that it’s normal to have a period so bad it affects their daily wellbeing… It’s SO frustrating for women to get the healthcare they deserve in general, and that’s exactly what the Riverdale star had to go through.
In a new candid post to Instagram Thursday, Lili got real about her journey to her endometriosis diagnosis. She shared some snaps of her lying in a hospital bed, writing in the caption:
“Last week, I was officially diagnosed with endometriosis following laparoscopic surgery. Last year, I saw a urogynecologist and was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis. I was told there was no cure—and no lasting relief—for my symptoms. Three hospital visits. Multiple urologists and gynecologists. And not one of them seriously considered endometriosis as the underlying cause of what I was experiencing. It wasn’t until I worked with two different pelvic floor therapists that the word endometriosis was even mentioned to me as a possible source of my pain.”
She went on, saying SHE was the one who “pushed” for doctors to take her seriously, adding:
“It wasn’t until I worked with two different pelvic floor therapists that the word endometriosis was even mentioned to me as a possible source of my pain. I pushed for an MRI on my own, which led to a diagnosis of adenomyosis. From there, I met with an endometriosis specialist who helped me decide that laparoscopic surgery was the next step I wanted to take—while, at the same time, another gynecologist told me I “probably didn’t have endo” and should just go on the pill.”
SO frustrating! Women’s pain is never a pressing issue…
Wrapping up her post, the 29-year-old said:
“I’m glad I trusted my body and listened to my gut and will continue advocating for others to do so. (Endometriosis is an extremely misunderstood disease, leaving often a 4-11 year gap between symptoms and a definitive surgical diagnosis. It’s estimated 1 in 10 people with uteruses have endo according to the World Health Organization.)”
Related: Bindi Irwin Reveals Endometriosis Diagnosis After 10 Years Of ‘Indescribable’ Pain & No Answers
She even posted some pics of her scars and bandages from her laparoscopic surgery! See for yourself (below):
Ouch!
We’re really glad Lili was able to get to the root of her problem, but it’s such a shame she had to jump through so many hoops.
In the last slide of her post, she shared some information about other complications you can possibly have with endometriosis:
“Interstitial cystitis: 16x higher odds
Adenomyosis: 181x higher odds
Ehlers Danlos Syndrome: 7x [higher odds]
Endometrial hyperplasia: 19x [higher odds]
[Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder] PMDD: 5x [higher odds]
Gastritis: 6x [higher odds]
Chronic fatigue syndrome: 6x [higher odds]
Autoimmune disease: 5x [higher odds]”
All the more reason to take complaints of pelvic pain from ladies SUPER seriously! Some of these medical issues are dangerous! See her full post (below):
We’re sending so much love and healing to Lili. We can’t imagine how frustrating this all must’ve been for her. Women deserve so much better in the medical world.
Thoughts, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF (below).
[Image via Lili Reinhart/Instagram]
