Alexandra is an aspiring nurse-midwife and Wesleyan University graduate with a bachelor's degree in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. For two years she served as leader of the Wesleyan Doula Project, organizing a cohort of 30 doulas to provide emotional, physical, and informational support for birth, pregnancy loss, and termination. She founded Wesleyan’s Peer Reproductive Support Network for confidential listening and support on campus. Previously, she worked with community health departments in rural Kentucky to increase prenatal care usage and record oral histories. At Endofound she edits and curates The Blossom, our new publication, and is working on a patient support program.
Years spent undiagnosed. Dismissed and dissed by doctors. Ineffective hormonal and surgical treatments. Endo sisters know the healthcare struggle well—and so do endo brothers like Cori Smith. Smith was assigned the female sex at birth…
When a teenager exhibits the classic symptoms of endometriosis like heavy bleeding, painful sex, and gastrointestinal issues, how is she perceived by her peers? Dr. Jhumka Gupta is on a quest to find out. The 43-year-old researcher and assistant…
Above, Licensed Massage Practioner Marty Ryan puts his hands to work. Here, "I'm working with the small bowel," he shares. "This is a common place for adhesion to occur and can create general abdominal bloating and pain after meals." …
Above: Monthly Gift founders LisaMarie Lawrence and her sister, Kimmy Scotti ponder their next move We all remember our recurring middle school nightmares: bleeding through white shorts, or, even worse: starring in a live recreation of the…
Every woman remembers the day she first spotted blood in her underwear à la Judy Blume's cult classic, Are You There God? It's Me Margaret. But for those with endometriosis, the experience was hardly fun or cool. The Blossom…
How far would you go to have surgery for endometriosis?For Michelle Gilmore, that answer meant halfway around the world. The Sydney, Australia-native was so displeased with her medical treatment Down Under that in February, she made arrangements…
You can answer just about any question with, There's an app for that. But until only recently, many with chronic health conditions, like endometriosis, didn't have an exclusive community of patient-peers where they could turn to 24/7 outside…
(Above, Lisa Fazio, bottom row, center, poses with pals during an Endo Warrior-themed photoshoot.) There are an estimated 200 million women with endometriosis worldwide. For the vast majority, the road to diagnosis, on average, can take up…
Above, “What Endo Really Looks Like” by special effects makeup artist Belinda Moody. “I wanted to somehow make people understand that it's not just a really bad period," says Moody, who used fake blood and fake razor…
Shantana Hazel is serving up patient support with an extra helping of sisterly love. Hazel is the founder of SisterGirl, a Bridgeport, Conn.-based endometriosis and gynecological cancer advocacy group, which she founded in 2010. She's had plenty…
The 5th Annual Worldwide Endometriosis March took off across the globe this past Saturday, March 24th, 2018 in over 50 countries. Founded by a family of excision specialists, the Nezhats, the march occurs every last Saturday of Endometriosis…
Girls creator and actor, Lena Dunham, 31; Winnie Chan, 30; and Jennifer Boyd, 37; provided intimate testimonals about the many difficulties of living with endometriosis, and years of going undiagnosed, in a series first shown at the Blossom…
What do dogs, pigs, and sheep have to do with endometriosis in humans? Emy Varughese, 30, is a small animal veterinarian at Banfield Pet Hospital in Springfield, Ohio and, after being diagnosed with endometriosis, she's on a mission to find…
You may remember Resistance Revival Chorus from their rousing 2018 Grammy's performance with Kesha, which resonated like an exclamation point following the Women’s March, but now we’ll also remember the group for supporting…
It’s one thing to see injustice and wants to make a difference. It’s another to lead the charge. Elizabeth Folarin, 33, and Karleen Jones, 37, were just thumbing through a newspaper when inspiration struck for their London-based…
When it comes to endometriosis and the nagging pelvic pain that comes with it, is it ever mind over matter? NYC-based psychiatrist Dr. Seth Berger thinks so, because he claims that his patients who live with the disease, have shown tremendous…
What does clinical gender bias mean? Meghan Cleary found that out firsthand when her uterine fibroid tried to—brace yourself!—birth itself, and she went into a labor of sorts. "It was the last day of my period, and I was having…
Speaking up about being diagnosed with endometriosis isn't an easy task, which is why professional photographer Georgie Wileman is letting her photos speak for themselves. Wileman's latest project, a series of self-portraits depicting her own…
photo credit: The Guardian Update: Hours after this story was published on The Blossom, Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt announced that he would allocate an additional $2.5 million to endometriosis research. "We are determined to…
Movie buffs may not have heard the name Amy Annelle, but they’ve surely heard this endo warrior sing. The 46-year-old folk musician’s haunting cover of Townes Van Zandt’s “Buckskin Stallion Blues” was featured…
After her endometriosis diagnosis and subsequent surgery, Meredith Koloski is paying it forward one downward dog at a time. The 42-year-old Little Silver, NJ-native, and 15-year yoga veteran began endOM Yoga, her by-appointment yoga classes…
Advil does not solve all period cramps! Um, nope! Bye, Felicia! Your heating pad is life, sometimes, for days So, too, is having a dependable cuddle buddy Having lots of tampons/pads at the ready are a MUST …
Ramona Riley turned her dissatisfaction with her doctor's orders into a full-time career of helping to heal women's troubled wombs. Six years ago, Riley was diganosed with adenomyosis, a disease in which endometriosis lesions grow into…
Photo Credit: NBC/The Today Show On Feb. 9, millions watched as Today's Kathie Lee and Hoda Kotb threw Kyle Otte and her groom Jordan Taylor a picture-perfect fairytale wedding. The bride stunned in a dreamy lace wedding gown from Kleinfeld…
You may already love Julianne Hough for her killer moves on Dancing With The Stars, admire her rock-hard abs or even fawn over her adorable Cavalier King Charles spaniels, Lexi and Harley. For us, Julianne is, seriously, our new girlfriend-in-our-head…