I began experiencing symptoms of endometriosis in my teens — painful, heavy periods that disrupted my life and left me in pain month after month. I often missed a couple days of work each month and even passed out from the pain a couple of times. For years I was told it was “just part of being a woman.” It took countless appointments, a lot of persistence, and more patience than I had to finally receive a diagnosis.
If that sounds familiar, you are not alone.
This page gathers resources, personal stories, and practical guidance for those living with endometriosis — whether you’re still searching for answers, newly diagnosed, or years into navigating this condition. My hope is that something here offers clarity, comfort, or at least the reassurance that someone else understands what you’re going through.
Blog Articles Related to Endometriosis
Understanding the Link Between Endometriosis and Miscarriage Risk – My Personal Journey
Endometriosis quietly weaves its way into the lives of those it touches, often leaving behind confusion, pain, and unanswered questions. For many—myself included—the path to parenthood is already full of hope and challenge. Endometriosis can add layers of complexity...
What is Endometriosis? A Guide to Understanding the Condition
What is Endometriosis? Endometriosis is like a hidden, uninvited presence in your body—a condition where tissue that should be confined to the uterus finds itself elsewhere. This tissue, which mirrors the lining of the uterus, begins to grow in places it doesn’t...
About Cultivate an Exceptional Life
Cultivate an Exceptional Life is a chronic illness community for women who are done waiting for their hard season to be over before they start really living.
Here you'll find honest stories, practical tools, and hard-won wisdom for building a life you love — alongside your illness, not in spite of waiting for it to get better.
Because an exceptional life doesn't just happen. It has to be cultivated.
Meet Leisa Watkins
Leisa is a chronic illness writer and advocate living with MS, fibromyalgia, Lyme disease, and CFS/ME, and a mom navigating her kids' chronic illness journeys alongside her own.
She writes from lived experience and years of research, sharing practical strategies and compassionate guidance for women building a full life alongside chronic illness.
Not a medical professional. Please consult your healthcare provider for medical advice.