08/20/2026
A girl should not lose a decade of her life before somebody believes her.
Samantha was diagnosed with endometriosis at 14, about two years after her symptoms began. That was fast compared with what many women and girls experience.
Part of the reason was luck.
Kellie happened to be working around pelvic-floor physical therapy. She recognized connections most parents would have had no reason to see. She asked different questions, trusted what she was seeing and kept pushing for answers.
I think about that all the time.
What if Kellie had taken a different job?
Somewhere there is another 12-year-old dealing with pain, nausea and symptoms her family knows are not normal. Her parents care deeply. They are taking her to appointments. They are trying to figure it out.
They should not need specialized knowledge or the right professional connection to help their daughter get seen.
I have spent nearly three decades in community healthcare, and I know how hard clinicians work. I also know we have to look closely at what patients experience when nobody connects the whole story.
A woman or girl should not have to become an expert at navigating healthcare before healthcare recognizes what is happening to her.
Samantha got her answer sooner because Kellie connected the dots.
The next girl should not need that kind of luck.
I wrote more about the years women lose waiting for an endometriosis diagnosis and what those years look like inside a family.
The Decade Women Lose Before Anyone Believes Them.
Link in bio.
