'It's Not Just in Your Head': The Invisible Battle of Endometriosis (Part 1)
"Pregnancy cures endometriosis." "Pain is just part of being a woman." In this powerful episode of Bottoms Up, Dr. Kerry Winge and Nathaniel DeSantis dismantle these harmful myths while exploring what endometriosis really is - a whole-body inflammatory condition that affects everything from your digestive system to your relationships. For those who've been dismissed, misdiagnosed, or left wondering if their pain is "normal," this conversation offers validation and clarity on diagnosis options including laparoscopic surgery, excision versus ablation treatments, and why traditional approaches often fall short. Discover why endo is so much more than bad periods and how it creates what Dr. Winge calls "the worst kind of team-building exercise" between your uterus and gut. The first installment in our endometriosis series, this episode equips you with the knowledge to advocate for yourself or better support someone you love.
Transcript
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[0:00] Hi, I'm Dr. Kerry Winge, and welcome to the Bottoms Up podcast, where we bring you real talk about real health. Today we're kicking off our pelvic pain series with a deep dive into a condition that affects millions but often goes unseen, endometriosis. If you have ever been dismissed, misdiagnosed, or left wondering if your pain is normal, this conversation is for you. We're pulling back the curtain on what endo really is, why it's so much more than just bad periods, and how you can start advocating for answers and better care. So let's get into it.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[0:41] So first question off the gate, and I will say endometriosis is an interesting one for me. This is a very good topic because my mom has endometriosis and my sister has endometriosis. And both my sister and I are obviously the endometriosis babies, which is, from my understanding, a rarity. So very fortunate with that, but this is something that I have seen impact my family a lot and especially my sister during puberty. So I'm really, really happy that we can be, you know, that we can help people better understand endometriosis. And I think that starts with us kind of explaining at its very core, what is endometriosis?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[1:22] Well, endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition where tissue similar but not identical to the uterine lining grows outside of the uterus. So it can attach to organs like the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, bladder, bowel, and even the diaphragm or the lungs. And the problem with the endometriosis is that it creates inflammation, scarring, and a lot of pain.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[1:48] So I remember in high school when I was first kind of dealing with, not dealing with, but witnessing firsthand the impacts of endometriosis on my sister when she was diagnosed. One thing that she complained about and talked about and still talks about is the severe bloating. And we know, we've talked about this bloating is normal when you're on your period. And I know endometriosis is more than just impacts on your period. But something that that was a big complaint was this severe bloating. I would put in like a whole nother bucket of bloating. Like it's more than just bloating, severe bloating. So what's going on?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[2:23] So I think that what you're referring to is something that we call the endo belly. And it's the name that people use for that painful, intense bloating that actually comes with the endometriosis. So we're not talking like a little like post pasta puff in your lower belly after you eat. This is literally a full on like, why do I look six months pregnant by two o'clock in the afternoon kind of bloating?
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[2:48] And what does that feel like?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[2:50] Well, women usually describe it as a tight, painful, the belly's hard to the touch, and there's pressure cramping, and sometimes you get really nauseated. But the wild thing is, is that it can come and go super fast. So one moment you're fine and the next you're unbuttoning your pants in your car. Absolutely, just really uncomfortable.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[3:11] Okay, but so then I guess... Inside, why is this happening? What is going on?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[3:19] Well, it's a little complicated. There's a few things that are happening at once. So first, the endometriosis that we talked about, it is an inflammatory disease. So the tissue causes the immune system to go into high alert, and it actually releases inflammatory chemicals called cytokines that lead to swelling and the bloating.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[3:42] Which okay cytokines that was the that I remember during COVID that was actually something where if you had severe COVID you had a bad cytokine storm right is that what it was so this is something that also happens with other illnesses if you're sick with COVID or cold something like that that's kind of your body's response to cytokine storm so are you basically saying like someone with endo always kind of, their body always feels like sick in a way. Is that accurate?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[4:12] It does. It does. And if you go ahead and add in that hormonal sensitivity, like the spikes in estrogen that happen right before your period and your body just balloons, that's what estrogen does. It makes everything increase with the blood flow. So think about swelling. Some people just bloat within minutes of eating or just drinking water. But I want everybody to know, so we're talking about bloating, but if this bloating is constant, it's severe, it's paired with vomiting, if you get a fever, sharp pain, I really need you to get checked out. Because in that case, we'd have to rule things out like a bowel obstruction or an ovarian torsion, which is when your ovaries get twisted in your body. But in most cases, endobelly is just a sign of internal inflammation and system dysregulation.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[5:04] So you mentioned that the body can bloat from drinking water. So is endometriosis a gut issue?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[5:10] Yes. So many people with endo also have gut dysbiosis. And that means that the gut bacteria is out of balance. And that leads to gas and constipation or diarrhea or the combination of both of them. It just piles on to the bloating.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[5:27] So it's kind of, from my understanding, the uterus is misbehaving. And the gut's like me too.
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[5:34] Basically. Pretty much, but it's the worst kind of team-building exercise. I would not recommend it.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[5:40] And with inflammation, usually when we think of that, like I think about nerve damage and nerve pain. So what about that with endo?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[5:47] Yeah, then there's the nervous system. So the body's all connected and you can't separate it. So when you have had chronic pelvic pain, those nerves become hypersensitive. So normal digestion might feel way more intense than it should.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[6:03] What about things like connective tissue or fascia in your body? Does that play a role?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[6:08] Great point. Endo can cause scarring and adhesions, which actually those scarring and adhesions can restrict the movement of your organs inside your belly. So just eating a normal meal can feel like a traffic jam inside your gut because things don't slide and glide and move like they're supposed to.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[6:28] Okay. Interesting. So really quick for the audience, the listeners, for the listeners who don't know, could you quickly explain what fascia is?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[6:38] Yes. So if you can think about a piece of saran wrap, that piece of saran wrap encompasses your entire body and all of your internal organs. If you've ever looked at a chicken leg and you've seen the, again, like saran wrap-like substance that goes around the bones that is stretchy and clear, that is fascia. And so that fascia needs to be mobile and slide and glide. And when it doesn't, it rotates and it ends up getting stuck and things start being glued together. And you're talking from the top of your head all the way down to the tips of your toes. You can also think about it like a tube sock. And so if you can pull one of the pieces of yarn out of that tube sock, it's going to affect the tensile structure of the entire sock. That's the best way that I can explain fascia.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[7:38] And so because endo has an impact on this as well, it kind of seems like it's more than just periods. And this is something that is kind of news to me because I really thought it was a period problem. And there's so many things now where I'm hearing about this where I have so many questions about diet and whatnot. But so basically, this is more than just periods. That's kind of the question I'm trying to get to, right?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[8:06] Correct. Correct. Endometriosis can cause painful periods, but it also causes fatigue and pain with sex, bloating that we talked about, as well as bowel and bladder symptoms, infertility, and chronic inflammation as a result, which drives everything. But here's the kicker. It affects the whole body and the whole person.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[8:31] So when I hear that, when I hear whole body, I think of the brain as well, which leads me to believe this is more than just physical then, right?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[8:41] Yeah, endometriosis can impact your entire identity. So teenagers miss school and sports, adults can miss work, they have to cancel plans, and they stop doing things that they love. And it can take a huge toll emotionally, causing depression, anxiety, fear of intimacy because of the pain, and major feelings of isolation.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[9:04] So then something that I'll point out is that firsthand what I've seen is that this impacts your confidence, your mood, and your relationships. And the emotional toll of having endometriosis can be as heavy as the physical one. And the physical one, if you know someone with endo, the physical toll, I mean, I remember my sister having so much pain that she would be crying in the bathroom or yelling and screaming in pain, and it carries over. Everything we're talking about, your confidence, your mood, your relationships, it's really hard. Later on, I think in part two, we'll talk more about ways to address this and maybe make it a little bit better. But the whole point being is that it's more than I think it's portrayed to the public. So it affects everything.
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[9:56] Well, also, Nathaniel, I'm sure that that was hard for you to watch her go through that. So it not only affects her, but it affects the whole family dynamic when you have somebody that you love in intractable pain and the inability to help them. I know that it also affected my husband as well because my daughter has endometriosis. And, you know, as a woman, we understand the pain if we have been through it. It's also hard as a dad or a brother, any male figure, to not be able to help somebody going through that much pain. I think it's really hard for my husband to watch his daughter struggle and suffer.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[10:37] Yeah, it absolutely is. So, and then I guess what everyone's probably wondering, hearing all this, what causes endometriosis?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[10:46] Well, that's the issue. We're getting to it. You know, there is research out there, but the exact cause is still unclear. Research right now is pointing to a mix of genetic, hormonal, immune, and inflammatory factors. So it's multifactorial. As you and I have talked about, it can run in families. But they're thinking that environmental toxins may also contribute.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[11:10] Well, we don't really know what causes it, but we kind of have a way to kind of know what causes it, but how do you know then if you have it?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[11:21] So the first steps can involve some diagnostic testing. So imaging or pictures to see inside the body can actually be viewed through a variety of diagnostic instruments. And those instruments are chosen based on the type of tissue that the doctor would like to see. So in this case, an internal ultrasound, which is a probe that actually goes into the vagina so that you can see what's going on in the pelvis. Or a pelvic MRI can sometimes show the endometrial lesions. Now they can grow on other tissue, so sometimes they do a full body MRI if it's necessary. But you can usually only see those endometrial lesions if a specialist is actually looking for them. But in many cases, these lesions do not show up on the tests, which is why the current gold standard for diagnosis is a laparoscopic surgery with excision. Some surgeons actually choose ablation.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[12:22] Okay, so let's quickly break this into two parts. So we have laparoscopic surgery, correct? It's a surgery. That is for diagnosis. And then you have excision and ablation for treatments. And they're also surgeries. I'm going to have a question about excision and ablation in a second, but let's talk about really quickly the laparoscopic surgery diagnosis. Kind of explain what's going on with that. What does that even look like?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[12:56] So what that means is the surgeon is going to open you up to find out what they can visually see. That's what a lap is. They'll say laparoscopic surgery, but they just shorten, they call it lap. So once they get in there and if they can visually see the lesions, then they'll have a choice whether to excise them, which means to completely cut them out at the root, or go ahead and just do that ablation that kind of burns off the tips. And what we discussed, too, is that excision is the best surgery because you want to get those lesions out of the areas that they have attached to, to the best of the ability, which is why you need to choose a surgeon who specializes in the excision surgery.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[13:47] This is a two-part question, maybe three-part question. First, what is excision? Second, what is ablation? And third, what is the difference between the two of those things?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[13:58] Perfect. Okay. So ablation actually burns the surface of the tissue, where excision removes the lesion at the root, like pulling the weeds versus burning the tips. So logically, excision is going to lead to a better outcome and a lower reoccurrence.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[14:20] Okay. And must you get surgery for this?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[14:23] Not always. So if your symptoms are manageable and there's a lot of things that we can do for them, we're going to discuss all of that in part two. And we will discuss every aspect of it because endometriosis is multifactorial. So, but for many, especially with fertility concerns, or if you have severe pain, surgery at that point in time is going to be the best route.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[14:52] I was completely unaware that these options existed. I don't think this has been discussed with my sister. And, you know, I have a lot of powerful women figures in my life who all happen to have different medical issues. I've talked about on the podcast, my girlfriend, Emily, has really bad migraines. And what I've noticed is it's like doctors don't suggest these things that can help them. Why? Like, why is this not something where my sister's OBGYN is sitting down and being like, if it's this bad that you're yelling in pain in the bathroom, have you considered excision or ablation as a surgery? Why is that not discussed? Is it like a stigma? Is it that people don't believe the pain is as bad as they say it is? What's going on with that? Why is that the case? It seems really unfair, I think is the word that I would use for that.
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[15:43] Yeah, it's very frustrating. There are so many specialties and subspecialties in medicine today. And that's why I feel that it is important to not just pigeonhole. Like if somebody comes for a problem, you know, and they're just talking about their elbow pain, very simply, you need to look at their wrist and you need to look at the shoulder and everything that is attached to it. And if you go and you're having problems and your gynecologist may not specialize in endometriosis, but at that point in time, the gynecologist can refer you to somebody who does. And the reason why we're having these podcasts is to put out this information for people, because I always say that transfer of knowledge is the best gift that you can give someone. And because doctors don't have as much time with their patients these days as they used to, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that they're just not being reimbursed for their time as well from the insurance companies, we could do a whole podcast on the changes that have happened within the medical system.
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[16:51] And it's hard because the majority of all health care providers are in health care because we want to help. A lot of times our hands are tied for so many different reasons. You know, that's why I chose to have a private practice. That's why I chose to see one patient per hour. In that situation, it financially cuts the amount of income because I'm only seeing one patient per hour. You think about a regular physical therapy practice, sometimes they're seeing three to four people per hour. But in this specialty field, this is what I felt a calling to do. So to answer your question in a roundabout way, I'm hoping that people, like your sister included, will listen to this and get information to be able to be their own advocate and say, okay, they'll be able to, you know, tell their doctors, now listen, here's how I'm having, you know, These are my symptoms. This is my pain. What are options for me at this point in time? Where can we go and what can we do? And it's important when you go to the doctor to make sure, you know, you write down your questions because often when you get in there, it's easy when you get into a conversation to get off track. And if you need specific questions answered, then you have to be your own advocate and get the answers to those questions. And if the doctor that you've chosen isn't willing to take the time to do that for you, then you need to choose someone else.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[18:20] I think that's a great summary. It seems like a really systemic problem with our healthcare system. And it's interesting. My company has another client who has a health tech podcast. So they interview people in the health tech industry, usually startups. And the biggest realization of how funky this whole thing is, was prior authorization. They had a whole episode talking with a prior auth startup, which for those listening, it's getting approved for maybe a surgery or a medical device, whatever it might be. And a lot of times, let's say this one that they were doing specifically was for oncology. Let's say you're diagnosed with cancer and you're trying to figure out what it's going to cost you. You have no idea. There's no answer, which is crazy. Because like for me, when I have a new client that comes and it's like, I want a podcast with four episodes a month and this long, this many people, we can give you an exact answer. And I don't understand how these things are any different. This is a tangent on a completely unrelated subject, but it definitely is systemic. Making content like this is so great though, because the internet's opened it up. And I mean, podcasts weren't a thing. I think when my sister was diagnosed with Endo, like these didn't exist. So how awesome is that, that we can help people figure this out and maybe figure out if they need an excision or ablation or laparoscopic surgery to diagnose any issues. So to bring it back in, though, sorry for the rant there.
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[19:49] That's okay.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[19:51] Let's say that I get an excision or ablation done to me. How long does that last? Is this a lifetime? Like, great, I'm good. Don't have to worry about my endo again. Or am I expecting that to come in every year and get this done every five years? What does that look like?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[20:08] So, unfortunately, it isn't a one and done. Good excision surgeries by a skilled surgeon may last up to five to ten years. It depends on the individual. And the skill of the surgeon matters a lot. And then in episode two, obviously, we are going to talk about all of the different treatments that we can use in combination in order to help people. And that's what I'm talking about. It's a combination and everybody is an individual. So what might work for 80% of the population? What if you're the 20%? What if it works for 90% and you're the 10%? Need to have options and figure out what's going to help you. And that's why we're here.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[20:49] I love that. And this is kind of making me think, you know, I mentioned my girlfriend and her migraines. And you know what? Actually, to bring this back to an episode that we have talked about, poop has a scale, right? There's the, I forget what it's called.
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[21:04] It's Bristol.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[21:05] Yeah. Bristol stool. Okay, what about endometriosis? Is there a scale, like a severity scale of how painful or how bad it is?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[21:13] Well, it's actually staged. Endo is staged from one to four. And it just is based on the amount and the depth and the location. But their symptoms may not always match the stage. So someone with stage one might be in worse pain than someone in stage four. And treatments are individualized, just like we talked about, based on the symptoms and the patient's goals and then their quality of life. And I've seen in the clinic, I have a few patients that have stage four endo and they have had ablation surgeries. And then they went and they, you know, got rechecked and it grew back, you know, in a five-year period. But they're not that uncomfortable. So they're choosing not to get surgery at this point in time. I've seen people that on an MRI have multiple herniated discs, but they don't have pain. Leave it alone. Don't have spine surgery if something doesn't hurt you. So it all depends on the person.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[22:14] I tend to always think that surgery should be a last resort for certain things. Obviously, there are things that you can't do. I had a tumor. I had a hemangioma inside my sinus cavities when I was 13. And that definitely was an instance of like, let's go get this out. You know, it's a tumor in my face. Like we should have surgery for that. But certain things, sometimes I think people are quick to jump to surgery as the solution. And on the next part two of this, we'll have a really great discussion because my sister, you know, I'm dropping her name so much, Sarah. Thank you so much, Sarah, for, you know, giving me all this knowledge about endo. She's done really great things to manage her endo without having to go to surgery. Now, obviously that's not going to beat everyone. There are some people where it's so severe that that might be the only option. Like what you're saying, if it's that bad, if it's manageable and you don't need the surgery, then you don't have to do it. But if it's that bad, then I definitely understand surgery, but I'm really excited to next episode zero in on things that people can do to help them with this. But let's talk about right now, though. We'll save that discussion for later. But right now, what is the latest research and science on endometriosis?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[23:29] So right now, researchers are actually exploring the gut immune endometriosis connection that we have talked about. And many people with endo have the gut dysbiosis that we have addressed in our previous podcast, like the imbalances in the microbiome, which drive inflammation. And diets that support gut health can actually help. But also AI-assisted diagnostics are being developed. So there are algorithms that actually spot patterns that are missed by humans. And there's promising biomarkers like the cytokines and the microRNAs and the immune cell signatures are being explored for earlier and non-invasive diagnosis. So these could one day just allow us to diagnose endo without surgery.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[24:17] I am so excited for the future of medicine with AI. And I believe that there will be a day sooner rather than later where I don't necessarily trust a doctor who is not also using AI in tandem because we're people. How are we supposed to remember everything, right? A doctor, you guys are already really smart, Kerry right but you're also a person and there's so many factors and things at play here and it's so exciting to see how AI is going to help with this. I mean that's just an absolutely incredible thing that we're there. I'm excited for the advancements in technology it's going to be incredible. So that's all really cool stuff and really I think great news for people who might have endo especially when it comes to the diet side of things. I might have some unique takes on that that I'll save for part two, but it'll be interesting. But let's say that, I just got diagnosed with endometriosis and I'm kind of feeling lost in this whole thing. Where do I go for help?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[25:20] Well, there's a couple of different places, but I definitely wanted to respond to your excitement about the AI.
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[25:25] I think the AI is extremely exciting as well. But what we have to realize is that, you know, computers, a lot of times they only know the information that we are inputting. So it's important to also have that human connection in the human side. We have to be able to look at our patients and just be able to lay eyes on them, you know, look at the color of their skin, look at the clarity of their eyes, you know, really look inside the nose and the mouth and how their system is functioning, you know, really check their temperature in different areas, you know, of their body. And then there's the whole psychosocial aspect as well. So taking these tools, just like you talked about, the tools that we are having now and the ones that will continue to grow for the future and utilize them in partnership for the best outcome for our patients, it's going to be extremely exciting. But for right now, to answer your question, I think it's important to start with education. So I don't know if anybody's heard of this, but Nancy's Nook is also the name for a prominent Facebook group. It's dedicated to educating individuals about endometriosis. And Nancy's Nook was founded by a nurse, Nancy Peterson, and it now has 214,000 members and growing.
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[26:50] And this group provides science-based education. It provides educational materials, so for diagnosis and treatment options and also patient advocacy and a curated list of vetted endometriosis specialists, just like we talked about, and particularly those surgeons that are skilled in the excision surgeries. But in addition, the group provides evidence-based information and resources to the patients, practitioners, and also their loved ones.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[27:23] That's incredible. You know, a lot of people, for a lot of good reasons, don't like Facebook Meta as a company, Mark Zuckerberg. And a lot of good reasons to like it also, but this is such a great example of the positive benefits of technology. So join the group. This is not paid. This is not a sponsorship. We just want to help people connect to other people who are experiencing the same thing you're going through and provide help and support that, you know, when my mom was first diagnosed, didn't exist. These things did not exist. How crazy is that, that we live in a time where, and this is kind of like becoming the theme of today's episode, like podcast didn't exist for my sister, Facebook didn't exist for my mom. And we have these all now and it's not going away, which is awesome. It's not awesome to have to deal with endometriosis. It's awesome that there are groups and people and technologies that exist to help you.
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[28:14] It's one of those things where, you know, you bring up a good point. You know, a lot of people based on, you know, what their political views are, become closed off to different resources. And I want to challenge people just to open up your mind. If you go and you read a book, this might not be the best analogy, but I think it'll work. If you read a book, you may not like every chapter in that book. It doesn't mean you don't read the book. But if you learn just one or two things from that book, you have learned knowledge, and then you can kind of go and move on from there. You might use the knowledge for yourself. You might use it for somebody else, and it might be something that, you know, ends up being very important in the future, and you just don't know that. So if you just don't love Facebook or you don't love Instagram or you don't love TikTok, it doesn't mean that it can't have some positive value in your life or somebody else's.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[29:13] And unfortunately, it also doesn't mean that it can't have negative side effects, which I'm sure at some point we'll talk about those. But yeah, absolutely. I think looking at the bright side of everything always helps. But that does bring us, though, as much as I'm loving the fun-hearted discussion, the audience does need to get towards the end of this episode. And that brings us to one of our favorite reoccurring segments, which we're getting a ton of positive feedback from. We are now onto the fact or myth segment. So.
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[29:47] So we'll see what everybody's learned.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[29:49] We'll see what everyone's learned. And this is the fun part for everyone where you get to figure out with us. Fact or myth? Pregnancy cures endo.
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[30:00] Myth.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[30:00] Myth. Okay, so that is a common belief though then. If this is a question that we're asking. So a lot of people, are they told that? Are people taught that? Is this like a... What's the story behind it? I don't think I'd ever heard that.
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[30:14] You're not going to get pain from your period when you're pregnant because the majority of all women do not have their period during pregnancy because the baby is growing in the lining of the uterus. That doesn't mean that some women, I mean, some women do, but for the most part, do not have endometriosis pain during pregnancy.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[30:35] Interesting. Okay. So another question, this is not a fact or myth, but are there any, I already know pregnancy is very difficult for people with endo. Like the odds of getting pregnant are very low. Is there a risk of more complications? Do we see that with people who are pregnant who also have endo? Are there more complications with that birth because of the endometriosis?
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[31:00] Good question. I don't know. We'd have to research.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[31:03] We can ask AI later so someone in the audience go ask AI put it in the comments and let us know the answer to that but we'll continue with fact or myth. So fact or myth.
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[31:12] We made it here just fine.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[31:14] Yeah we made it fine so I'm okay I think just a little tumor that's all just a tumor. Back to our myth pain is just part of being a woman no.
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[31:28] Myth pain is part of being human.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[31:30] And Well, obviously, there definitely are some sucky parts of being a woman, but yes, it's not just part of being a woman. Fact or myth? It always shows up on scans.
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[31:41] Myth.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[31:42] Okay. Fact or myth? Excision surgery is more effective than ablation.
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[31:47] I'll let you answer that one.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[31:49] I'm going to go with fact. Based on everything we talked about, excision is better and more effective than ablation.
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[31:56] True.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[31:57] Okay. Fact or myth? you can live a full life with endometriosis.
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[32:03] Fact.
Nathaniel DeSantis:
[32:03] I would definitely agree with that. That is definitely a fact. It does not have to be this limiting thing that ends your life or is some type of permanent mark on your life. You can definitely live a very full life with endo. And next week, we'll be talking about ways to make it better. Okay, so great fact or myth segment there. I think a lot of those were obvious telling you when I was listening, but it's always fun to do that and kind of get a quick summary. But speaking of a quick summary, Kerry, why don't you kind of give us the main takeaways, what we want to know about endometriosis and anything, any other comments or thoughts that you might have as we wrap this episode up.
Dr. Kerry Winge:
[32:39] Sure. I really want our listeners to know that I understand that it can feel overwhelming, but you're not alone. You're not broken. Endometriosis does not define you. And understanding your body is the first step towards reclaiming your strength and your voice. So whether you're living with painful periods, gut struggles, fertility challenges, or emotional exhaustion, I want you to know this. Your symptoms are real, your experience matters, and there's hope. Healing starts with knowledge, community, and a support system that truly sees you. So thank you for sharing your time and trusting us today. You know, your body deserves to be heard, and so do you. Now, in our next episode, we're going to be diving into the tools that you need to build your healing toolkit. We're going to be covering everything from nutrition to movement to the nervous system regulation and to medical options and practical daily strategies that are going to help you not just manage, but thrive with endometriosis. So you're not going to want to miss this. We're going to see you next time on our Bottoms Up podcast.