When Starlynn Dris’ doctor told her a few years ago that she had endometriosis, Dris held the news close to heart, not even revealing it to family and friends.
“I just felt it was very personal,” she said.
Now that EndoFound’s Team EndoStrong has selected Dris to run in the New York City Marathon, she is opening up a bit about her battle and is using the race as an opportunity to shine a light on the disease.
“I found people on Instagram, YouTube, and other social media who shared their journeys and what they experienced leading up to surgery and after surgery, and it was all really helpful,” Dris said. “If I can share a little bit of what I’m going through, then hopefully it will help somebody else.”
Click Here To Support Starlynn Dris' Marathon Fundraiser
Dris is one of 50 runners from across the U.S. competing for Team EndoStrong on November 2. The team’s goal is to raise $300,000 for EndoFound, roughly $75,000 more than last year. This is the eleventh consecutive year that EndoFound has been a charity partner with the marathon.
Dris, 39, is a nurse living in the San Francisco Bay area. She began experiencing pain with her periods as a teenager.
“Like so many others go through, everyone kind of dismissed it,” Dris said. “They told me that’s how it was supposed to be and to just get used to it.”
In college, Dris’ doctor put her on birth control, which she stayed on for about a decade. It eased her pain, but when she decided to stop taking it during the COVID-19 pandemic, her symptoms roared back.
“I first thought it was just normal pain,” Dris said. “But it became so severe at work one day that I was doubled over. I was still trying to do my job, but the doctors I worked with told me I needed to get to the emergency room.”
Dris said the test findings of her ovaries were consistent with endometriomas and were also suggestive of adenomyosis.
“Knowing what I know now, the signs were definitely there, but even as a nurse, I didn’t know what endometriosis was,” Dris said. “I’d always heard about PCOS [Polycystic Ovary Syndrome], but never about endometriosis.”
Dris went on medication to control her pain, and it continues to be effective today. Despite struggling with consistent fatigue, she works full-time and even ran the San Francisco Half Marathon in July. Dris had planned to have surgery after that event, but that changed when Clare Murphy, Team EndoStrong’s coordinator, informed her that she’d been selected for the team.
“The New York City Marathon means more to me than having surgery right now,” Dris said. “It’s not every day you get picked for it, and to do it for a charity that resonates with you.”
Dris will refocus on surgery sometime after the marathon. Until then, she’s concentrating on making the most of this opportunity—on and off the course.
“If I’m being realistic, I just want to finish, though my ambitious goal would be to do it in under four and a half hours,” Dris said. “As for fundraising, I’ve been able to raise a good amount so far without pushing hard just yet. I have time.”
No matter what time she finishes in or how much money she raises, Dris can already declare victory. Her hope that sharing her story would help others is happening.
“I’ve had people say, ‘I wonder if I have it because I have these symptoms, too,’” Dris said. “I’ve recommended my doctor to some people, and I very much encourage anyone with symptoms to get an appointment and get examined.”
To support Starlynn Dris in the New York City Marathon with a donation, visit https://give.endofound.org/fundraiser/6352503.
