Model And Former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo Speaks Out About Her Struggles With Endometriosis
Olivia Culpo’s list of accomplishments is quite long. She’s Miss Universe 2012, a cellist, a restaurant owner, a fashion designer, an influencer, and a model. She is also getting personal about her struggle with the reproductive disease, endometriosis.
Yesterday, Culpo shared photos on Instagram of her recovering from surgery to remove her endometriosis.
Culpo writes, “Yesterday I had surgery for my endometriosis. Not a very glamorous post but I felt like I needed to share this to create more awareness around this disease. Endometriosis is a condition where tissue from the uterine lining decides to grow in other random parts of your body, causing pain. This can interfere with fertility and overall health and honestly — happiness. To top things off it is excruciatingly painful but nearly impossible to see through an ultrasound.”
Culpo experienced difficulty in getting a diagnosis, which is all too common for this disease — it can take up to 12 years for a woman to be correctly diagnosed.
Culpo writes, “I have been in agony for years around my period and I was misdiagnosed countless times by doctors. ‘Just take Tylenol every day,’ ‘ultrasound looks normal,’ ‘I think you just need to rest more, periods are always uncomfortable for people,’ etc. I know a lot of people out there in the Endo community are familiar with these diagnoses which is why I am so passionate about this. Painful periods are not normal!!!”
Painful, heavy periods can be indicators of a myriad of reproductive health issues besides endometriosis, like PCOS, hormonal imbalances, and negative side effects of the birth control pill.
Culpo ends her post with words of encouragement for other women suffering from endometriosis: “To anyone out there who has endometriosis, I understand the depression, and overall loneliness that can occur with a condition that is so painful yet so hard to be interpreted by other people outside of the body. It’s hard when chronic pain is not validated and you don’t get an answer or understanding. To my Endo warriors, I will continue to spread more awareness around endometriosis so that your symptoms can be validated. You are not alone and you are so strong!!!!”
If you want more information about endometriosis and how it can be treated, read this article.