For Years I Mistook My Endometriosis Symptoms For PCOS

Bailey Haddad 

May 31・★ 6 min read

Everyone remembers their first period.

I certainly do.

I was 15, and what I thought would be mild discomfort quickly turned into a nightmare from the beginning.

My periods were irregular and excruciating. The cramping and nausea would get so bad that sometimes I threw up.

The pain I felt definitely wasn’t what I was expecting.

I’d alternate between lying in the fetal position on the cold bathroom floor to taking hot showers in an attempt to ease the pain.

I missed work. I missed school. I missed out on social events. I missed out on being a carefree teenager. All due to being in pain.

And if having incredibly painful periods wasn't bad enough, my college years brought with them cystic acne and fluctuating weight.

I caked my face with makeup in an attempt to hide my acne. I began replacing meals with coffee. I was on a never-ending quest to be prettier and thinner. But no matter what I did, my attempts only made matters worse.

Doctors recommended various birth control options, but nothing worked. It seemed like each pill I tried triggered even more nasty symptoms.

I began having massive mood swings, in addition to ‘time of the month’ meltdowns. I was a hormonal mess.

For years, I thought all these symptoms were part of growing up, of being a woman. I had resigned to putting up with them for the rest of my life. 

This was a mistake.

Flash forward 12 years. I was in my late 20’s when I unexpectedly became pregnant. Just as I was coming around to the excitement of having a baby, the pregnancy ended after 10 ½ weeks in an even more unexpected and extremely painful miscarriage.

I was left hurt, lonely, and confused on top of all the devastating feelings of incredible sadness and loss.

I hadn't confided in friends or family about my situation, thinking I’d wait until the second trimester. As a result, I was left to deal with the miscarriage on my own.

Being pregnant made me realize that although it hadn’t been with the right man or in the perfect circumstances, it was still a beautiful experience. I knew that one day I wanted to become pregnant again and start a family. 

In the back of my mind, I began to suspect that my hormonal issues – which I had dismissed as ‘just part of being a woman’ – had a more significant role to play in the loss of my pregnancy.

I didn’t want this episode to define my life or jeopardize my future happiness, and so began my quest to learn more about my hormones and reproductive health. 

I sought help from my gynecologist, hoping for answers. After some blood work and a transvaginal ultrasound, it was confirmed that I had PCOS. 

The doctor also suspected that I had endometriosis, and suggested further testing. 

All the symptoms were there, hiding in plain sight. 

The irregular and excruciating periods, as well as embarrassing hair growth, unsightly acne, PMS symptoms, as well as low moods, anxiety, and disordered eating.

On top of that, I had experienced the one thing that many people dread the most, a pregnancy loss.

It took me a couple of days to process what the doctor told me and what it could mean for my future. But it wasn't long before my 'never give up' mentality kicked in, and I decided to do something about it.

I sought out specialists. I told them my story and explained that I wanted to do anything I could to naturally balance my hormones – no months of trial and error on contraceptive pills, no chemically-manufactured artificial hormones.

Even though I wasn't looking to get pregnant at the time, I wanted to make sure that I could get pregnant when the time was right, and that I could be at my optimal health for my next pregnancy.

The doctors listened but had little useful advice for me. Some didn’t even take me seriously. Given that doctors are trained to solve immediate medical issues, some didn't understand why I was coming to them at that point in time – they told me to come back when I was trying to conceive. One even told me to seek out a fertility specialist if and when I had a few more miscarriages!

As a proactive woman in my late twenties, this didn’t sit right at all. Why would I wait until I was trying to conceive to get my hormones on track?

Why couldn’t I benefit from this now?

Why would I have to risk more miscarriages, pain, and heartbreak before I found a solution?

I decided to take action and take my health into my own hands. I wasn’t looking for fad diets or miracle results. I wanted to learn about my body and whatever I could to naturally improve my health and well-being.

I spent hours upon hours, evenings and weekends researching and learning everything there was to know about hormonal imbalances and the various treatments.

Just when I thought I’d found an answer, I’d come across more research with conflicting information. 

At times I felt like throwing in the towel. 

But I kept at it and slowly began to understand the connection between hormonal imbalances and my symptoms. What I discovered helped me to begin making the right lifestyle changes.

At first, I didn't notice much difference in my body, moods, or monthly cycle. But gradually, during the weeks that followed, there was a noticeable shift. My energy levels began to change for the better and my mood lifted!

All my research and hard work started to pay off.

Within four months, my cycle became monthly. For me, this was a miracle. For the first time in my entire life, I finally had a regular period.

And not just a regular period, but a healthy period – no massive clots and no unmanageable cramping.

So, how did I make positive changes, stay committed, and get results? 

I found the key was in not forcing myself to stay on track. I chose changes that were right for me and implemented them one by one. Making small incremental changes ensured there was no overwhelm and that I stuck with them.  

There was no stress or anxiety. These were manageable lifestyle changes, meaning they were long-term. No quick fixes. 

What’s more, I realized that it was possible to achieve my health goals and actually enjoy the process.

It wasn’t long before those close to me began noticing the improvements, in particular, my energy levels and overall happiness. Of course, they were naturally curious, so little by little I began sharing what I'd learned.

To my surprise, I discovered that the insights I had gained were far from common knowledge.

I felt inspired and empowered to share what I had learned with others, so they too could take their health into their own hands and make informed decisions about their body, diet, and lifestyle (but without having to do endless hours of hard work and research).

I decided to team up with Functional Medicine and holistic health professionals, in order to create step-by-step guides, full of easy-to-understand facts and practical how-to information for people with PCOS.

During this time, I found out that my nausea, vomiting, and unbearable cramps were not actually symptoms of PCOS at all…  but were instead due to endometriosis.

I discovered that it’s not unusual to spend years dealing with excruciating pain. On average, people struggle with endometriosis symptoms for seven years before getting an accurate diagnosis!

I also learned that invasive surgery continues to be the go-to diagnostic method, even though non-invasive diagnostic blood tests have recently been discovered. 

But the most important discovery for me, was that it was no coincidence that the lifestyle changes I made to reverse my PCOS also healed my endometriosis symptoms...

The root causes of PCOS – such as inflammation, estrogen imbalances, and gene variants – are the same things that can trigger and intensify endometriosis.

And although the PCOS guides were a great start (and have helped over 10,000 people find the answers they were searching for!)....

…I knew I was meant to share this life-changing information with people with endometriosis too.

That's when the Ultimate Endo Expert Bundle was born.  

This bundle is made up of four guides, that contain everything you need to know and do to heal your endometriosis symptoms.

This bundle is for anyone who is proactive, prefers a more natural, holistic approach to healing, and is looking to achieve optimal health.

If you have experienced endometriosis symptoms, such as the ones I described in my story – or other symptoms such as bloating, fatigue, painful intercourse or uncomfortable bowel movements, low libido...

 ... this is for you.  

Perhaps you were put on the pill years ago to regulate symptoms, but want to finally get to the root of your issues. If you want to ditch the pill and get in tune with your natural cycle...  

... this is for you.  

Maybe you're interested in exploring your fertility. You may be wondering if you're able to have a baby, or how to go about it in the best way for you. You might not even want to get pregnant right now, but want to know that you can, when you want to.
 
If so... this is for you.

In this bundle, you'll learn how to:

Reclaim a pain-free life: You don’t have to live in pain (I realize that may sound impossible right now). Endometriosis can cause chronic pain, pain during sex, and gastrointestinal discomfort. Making even small lifestyle changes can put you on the path toward reducing pain and ultimately reclaiming a pain-free life.

Reduce bloating and gain confidence: Not only is bloating uncomfortable…bloating caused by endometriosis can cause other people to make inappropriate comments–which can  greatly impact self-esteem. Feel confident and comfortable in your body when you discover what foods and habits can accelerate healing and reduce bloating.

Stabilize your mood: No more mood swings. No more trying to mask feeling down in the dumps for no reason. Get back to being you – ditching the wreck that your hormonal imbalances created.

Drastically increase your energy: Think of all the things you would do, if you could just muster up the energy... When your hormones are out of whack, even simple things seem insurmountable. You'll learn how to increase your energy to an all new level.

Regulate and improve your cycle: Irregular and painful periods can wreak havoc on your life. Not having any periods at all? These guides are for you, too. Eliminate the mystery of 'am I ovulating?' or 'can I ever get pregnant?' for once and for all.

Make informed decisions about your diet and weight: By understanding and recognizing what foods and actions contribute to your endometriosis you'll be in a position of control. You'll learn how to identify which foods make you feel great, which foods make your symptoms worse, and whether or not keto, paleo, or vegan diets are ideal for treating endometriosis.

Receive the support you so desperately need: If you've ever struggled to explain to friends or loved ones, what endometriosis is, you're not alone. You'll learn how to communicate with others about your endometriosis, in a way that they can understand. Once your family and friends finally 'get it', they will be a lot more supportive.

Plus lots more. 

Are you ready to make a positive change and heal your endometriosis naturally?

Learn everything you need to know and do to heal your endometriosis, with the Ultimate Endo Expert Bundle.

Get started now. Your body will love you for it.

Ready to make a change?

Click here to learn how you can heal your endometriosis, naturally.