00:00I'm just praying that all of this wasn't for nothing. I felt like I was screaming and fighting
00:06and yelling and saying, I'm in pain, I'm in pain. And everyone was telling me that's just what it
00:11is. And if someone would have taken me seriously years ago, maybe I wouldn't be where I am now.
00:16It took a long time for me to receive an endometriosis diagnosis. I had been in pain
00:22since I can remember. I actually have switched OBGYNs multiple times because no one was taking
00:27me seriously. And finally, I had a primary care doctor. She's a black woman based in Brooklyn
00:34who looked at me and said, your pain is not normal. Endometriosis is a condition of the female
00:40reproductive system where the lining of the uterus is found in places that it really should not be.
00:47One of the most significant hallmarks is pelvic pain. Unfortunately, not everyone's pain is equal
00:53and the pain of black and brown women can often be overlooked.
00:59I've had a day. I'm a little nervous with my endometriosis, my right ovary. It's harder for
01:05them to get to or to see or for the follicles to grow as big. So really, we're putting a
01:11lot of
01:11faith in my left ovary. So I'm just praying that all of this wasn't for nothing.
01:20Once we got the endometriosis diagnosis, there was questions, yeah, about will I be able to have
01:25children? Can I have children? What does this mean for my future self? What's happening inside of my
01:30body? I commend Courtney so much for listening to what her body told her, for finding the right
01:38doctors who could guide her in the right way. It's just a reminder for everyone to not stop at the
01:44first provider or encounter that does not take your health and your pain seriously.
01:50I want to raise awareness. For endo, I want people to be able to freeze their eggs and take control
01:56of
01:56their reproductive health, even if you don't know if you want to have kids. It's an option. It's a
02:00safety net there. Maybe one day you change your mind. I feel like I've done everything on my end
02:05to set myself up for success. And so now I have to trust in that. I have to trust my
02:09body. I have to
02:10trust the doctors. I have to lean on my support system in my village. And I'm really excited to
02:16be on the other side and to just take full control of my body and my future.
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