I Was Told My Excruciating Periods Were “Normal” For Years—Until I Got This Diagnosis

Their solution was synthetic hormones—aka the birth control pill. However, I was really adamant that I didn’t want to take the pill. I also have epilepsy and, at the time, I was already taking so much medication for that condition. Plus, I’ve always been drawn to more natural solutions in life, so I didn’t love the idea of taking more pharmaceuticals. 

However, the pattern began to repeat itself, and my periods continued to get worse. Since I didn’t want to take contraceptives, my doctor said the only other option was to prescribe me painkillers. So I began taking heavy-duty painkillers for years, which ultimately wreaked havoc on my gut health and digestion. 

Years later, when I was 25, the OB/GYN I’d been seeing said to me: You might have this condition called endometriosis. In order to diagnose it, the doctor said they’d need to do an invasive procedure called a laparoscopy. It’s a keyhole surgery where doctors look for endometrial tissue on the exterior wall of the uterus, and remove any they find. The doctor thought I likely didn’t have it—but if I wanted to double-check, they could move forward.

Lo and behold, I had the procedure, and I was diagnosed with endometriosis. 

After the surgery, I experienced relief for about six months. But then the symptoms came back. Around the same time, I had begun experimenting with taking medical cannabis to help with my seizures. About a year into weaning off my epilepsy medication, I noticed some of my endometriosis pains were improving, as well. 

So, I decided from that point to try to take things into my own hands a bit more, and test out how certain lifestyle interventions might impact my symptoms. I began to lean into acupuncture, herbs, and yoga. In addition to using cannabinoids internally I also began using cannabinoids topically and intra-vaginally. As a result, I started to experience profound relief. 

Now, I’d be lying if I said my symptoms completely vanished and I don’t have endometriosis anymore. But, I will say things have improved dramatically. If I was experiencing pain at a 10 before, I’m now closer to a 4—all thanks to natural interventions including nutrition, stress management, meditation, yoga, TCM, and using cannabis in many forms. I also learned so much about hormonal health, and how much my choices impacted my menstrual cycle. 

A few years ago, I lost two babies as a result of my endometriosis. The first was an ectopic pregnancy. I was rushed to the hospital, and I had to have my fallopian tube removed. I lost the baby, and it was an incredibly challenging thing to go through. And then, shortly after, I had another pregnancy loss. 

At the time, I was in a really dark place. I began to meet other people who were similarly experiencing challenges with their fertility, and I set up a WhatsApp group so we could all connect in one place. I don't think I would be where i am today if it wasn't for this beautiful community.

In my case, I was very fortunate to get pregnant, but I had trouble holding on to the pregnancy. I did look into IVF, but ultimately, that wasn’t the path I took. Last year, I ended up getting pregnant again, via natural conception, and I was convinced I would lose it after everything I’d been through before. But 10 weeks ago, I had my little miracle rainbow baby. I’m so grateful for him—I prayed so much for this little soul.

The message group that I built during my health journey grew and grew, and after launching my company Looni, I began building the rest of the community around this fertility support group.

We now call the group “Cycle Sanity.” and it has space for all aspects of reproductive and hormonal health, with different rooms for chronic conditions, gender inclusivity, period sex and taboo, etc. This community is a great place to share tips and tricks, but it’s also just a place where everyone lifts each other up and supports one another. In addition to building community, at Looni, we’re on a mission to elevate the menstrual cycle and democratize body literacy. We encourage tracking your cycle, understanding the rhythm of your body, and using lifestyle tools to support your overall hormonal health. 

I view the menstrual cycle as a window to the rest of our health. Part of that is understanding periods should not be painful—or come with any awful PMS symptoms, for that matter. Instead, pain can be a sign that something is off in the body, in which case, uncovering the root cause is essential.