Episodes

Amy speaks with Dr. Naomi Whittaker about: —what NaPro Technology is and how it’s goal is to identify and address the underlying causes of gynecologic issues and infertility —some of the tools that have helped her patients with fertility, such as formal cycle instruction and charting, intentional adhesion prevention during excision surgery, and the use of progesterone. —the difference between NaPro Technology and IUI and IVF. 🎤WHO IS DR. NAOMI WHITTAKER?🎤 Dr. Naomi Whittaker is a board-certified...

Amy and Brittany both follow an individualized diet for endo and chronic illness, which we’ve each been on for over a decade. We talk about the mistakes we made when we changed their way of eating for, such as: —cutting out too many foods at once with no focus on bringing in new foods —waiting too long to learn how to cook —not realizing we needed mental health support for the feelings that came up around diet change. This episode is a continuation of the previous episode on how we changed our p...

Amy and Brittany each changed our diet over 15 years ago due to help manage our symptoms. While at first we abhorred our way of eating and found it tedious and a chore, we now embrace it as something that helps us feel our best, and we’ve learned new habits and ways of thinking that has made following our way of eating much easier. We talk about this shift in the way we see our food choices and how we got there, such as by: —understanding how diet culture played a role in our thinking —identifyi...

Amy speaks with Yesenia Villalta about: —the importance of boundaries and some examples of them in relation to chronic illness —if there’s room for joy among our pain and how to find it —how to redefine what a good life means to us with chronic illness Yesenia and I also chatted in episode 129 about the emotions that can come up with endo. 🎤WHO IS YESENIA VILLALTA?🎤 Yesenia Villalta is a bilingual and bicultural social worker licensed in Virginia and Maryland, USA. She is the founder and owner o...

Today I’m speaking with Kimether Redmon about how: —the healthcare system is getting more and more dysfunctional and confusing —healthcare provider burnout is common —the average 10-12 minute appointment time doesn’t give enough time to meet the patient’s medical needs, which are becoming increasingly more complex. 🎤WHO IS KIMETHER REDMON?🎤 She is an endometriosis patient as well as a Family Nurse Practitioner serving low-income uninsured patients in her area. Before her nursing career, she was ...

Amy speaks with Dr. Abdala Karame about: —if endometriomas can be distinguished from cysts in an ultrasound. —how to treat endometriomas and the evidence available on hormonal suppression and endometrioma recurrence. —if endometriomas always grow or not. 🎤WHO IS DR. ABDALA KARAME?🎤 Dr. Abdala Karame is a gynecologist obstetrician and specialists in assistive reproductive technology as well as an excision surgeon for endometriosis. He did his residency in Mexico after studying at the University “...

Amy speaks with Alysia, who tells us about: —her experience with thoracic endometriosis —the challenges of recovering from 2 strokes brought on by COVID —what has helped her get through the darkest times with her health 🎤WHO IS ALYSIA J. DAGROSA, BCPA, CFSD, CLC?🎤 Born and bred in Brooklyn, NY Alysia grew up in a biracial household. Exposure to the rich cultures of both Southern Italy and St Vincent & the Grenadines has afforded her a unique perspective. After 20 years of suffering with the pain...

Amy and Brittany talk about the challenges of getting good sleep. We chat about: —some reasons why it’s tough to sleep well, from histamine to hormones to pain. —our tips for improving our sleep, from using red lights at night to meditation apps to worry logs for our anxiety. ☀️CONNECT WITH AMY☀️ Instagram @in16yearsofendo Website: www.insixteenyears.com Like my show? Please rate it or leave a review! Support me by buying me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/insixteenyears ⚠️DISCLAIMER⚠️ The informati...

Amy speaks with menopause specialist Jackie Piasta about: —menopause, perimenopause, surgical menopause, and early menopause —how the risks of hormonal replacement therapy were exaggerated by the media after the WHI study and how that’s led to unnecessary fear around HRT —taking testosterone as part of HRT: what symptoms does it help and what data is there on it. 🎤WHO IS JACKIE PIASTA?🎤 Jackie Piasta, WHNP-BC, is a board-certified Women's Health and Gender-related Nurse Practitioner, menopause s...

Amy speaks with Bev about: —ableism and healthism: what they are, and how they affect people with chronic illness and/or disability —the social vs the medical model of disability —equity vs equality and the social determinants of health 🎤WHO IS BEV HERSCOVITCH?🎤 Bev Herscovitch is a writer, communications professional and healthcare and disability activist/advocate living in Toronto, Ontario. She is passionate about sharing insights into how our society perceives and addresses the body, and abou...

Today Amy continues her conversation with Sophie about we want you to know if you are diagnosed with endo. In part 1, we talked about the importance of educating ourselves on endo and the treatment options available. In this episode, we talk about: —how the best improvements to quality of life often come from a full body approach —the importance of finding mental health support —how endometriosis isn’t your fault 🎤WHO IS SOPHIE KINLOCH?🎤 Sophie Kinloch (she/her) is an endometriosis advocate, tea...

Today Amy speaks with Sophie about we want you to know if you are diagnosed with endo. We talk about: —the importance of educating yourself about this disease —how it’s vital to inform yourself of the treatment options available so that you can have more informed consent when you make treatment decisions —how connecting with the endo community can help you feel less isolated 🎤WHO IS SOPHIE KINLOCH?🎤 Sophie Kinloch (she/her) is an endometriosis advocate, teacher and creative based in Northern Ire...

Amy speaks with Lyssette Horne about: —their perspective on the myriad of obstacles endometriosis patients face in receiving adequate care —their personal experience with endometriosis 🎤WHO IS LYSSETTE HORNE?🎤 Lyssette Horne (she/they) is a black, queer, and chronically ill artist, activist, and documentary filmmaker. Lyssette is a fierce advocate for mental health and suicide prevention, harm reduction, and body positivity. She has spoken on panels on the way trauma manifests in BIPOC LGBTQ hom...

Amy and Brittany talk about how low self-worth has impacted their experience with endometriosis. We talk about: —the untrue stories we told ourselves about our appearance and productivity and the negative effect that had on our lives —how society taught us those stories through ableism, ageism, fatphobia, and other systems of oppression —how much our lives have improved now that we understand our inherent worth 📖AMY'S BOOK is available as a paperbook, e-book, and audiobook. See where to find it ...

Today Amy speaks with Dr. Maurice Chung about: —the study he co-authored called “A Pain Desensitization Algorithm for Phenotyping and Treating Chronic Pelvic Pain” —the details of this algorithm for trying to establish a patient’s pain generators to reduce pain —nerve blocks for pelvic pain and the role of the bladder in pelvic pain. 🎤WHO IS DR. MAURICE CHUNG?🎤 Dr. Chung received his medical training from Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, and post- graduate OB/GYN residency training a...

Amy speaks with Lyssette Horne about: —their experience with ovarian torsion, skin, and breast cancer. —some of the tools and practices Lyssette used to cope during these difficult times. —the ways endometriosis and cancer has changed their body, and how they are learning to find acceptance with them. In Part 2, Lyssette shares about their experience with endometriosis and the obstacles in finding care. 🎤WHO IS LYSSETTE HORNE?🎤 Lyssette Horne (she/they) is a black, queer, and chronically ill art...

Listen to 2 chapters from Amy’s audiobook. In this episode: 📖Amy briefly shares what her book “Finding Peace with a Devastating Disease” is about. 📖Amy shares about the challenges of producing her audiobook as a chronically ill and dynamically disabled person. 📖Listen to chapter 2 “It’s Like Being Upset the Sky is Blue” and the prologue “Is Endometriosis a Devastating Disease?” Amy’s book is available as a paperbook, e-book, and audiobook. See where to find it here: https://insixteenyears.com/wh...

Amy speaks with Dr Wendaline VanBuren about: —the 2024 publication called The Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound Consensus on Routine Pelvic Ultrasound for Endometriosis that Dr. VanBuren was a senior author on. —the goal of the consensus, who participated, and the vision for implementation in the future. — the difference between a Routine Pelvic ultrasound, Augmented Pelvic ultrasound, and Advanced endometriosis imaging. 🎤WHO IS DR. WENDALINE VANBUREN?🎤 Dr. VanBuren is a board-certified radi...

Amy speaks with Yesenia Villalta about: —the stories we tell commonly tell ourselves about our bodies and endometriosis —tips for processing the anger we often feel toward this disease —the importance of getting curious about the shame we feel and how to move toward self-acceptance and love. 🎤WHO IS YESENIA VILLALTA?🎤 Yesenia Villalta is a bilingual and bicultural social worker licensed in Virginia and Maryland, USA. She is the founder and owner of Venceremos®, LLC, a holistic healing practice p...

Amy speaks with Dr Jocelyn Fitzgerald about vaginal estrogen. We talk about: —what it is, how it’s different from systemic estrogen, and what options are available. —the safety information and benefits for genital urinary syndrome of menopause which include urinary and vaginal symptoms. —its use specifically for patients with endometriosis. 🎤WHO IS DR. JOCELYN J. FITZGERALD, MD FACOG, URPS?🎤 Jocelyn J. Fitzgerald, MD is an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the division of Urogy...

Amy speaks with an endo warrior from Pakistan. We talk about: —cultural and societal factors that can impact the ability to receive adequate care—what makes her upset about the endometriosis standard of care—what has helped improve her quality of life physically and emotionally 🎤WHO IS THIS ENDO WARRIOR?🎤 She is a 26 years old girl from Pakistan suffering from endometriosis. It took her 7 long years to get a diagnosis, after being dismissed for years and being gaslit by doctors who told her that...

Today Amy speaks with Dr. Ana Sierra about: —how neuronavigation and neuromodulation can help patients in pain —how nerve involvement may play a role in bladder symptoms and leg pain —what nerve sparing surgery is and why is it important 🎤WHO IS DR. ANA SIERRA?🎤 Graduated from the Autonomous University of Querétaro, she began her studies in minimally invasive gynecological surgery at the Hospital Español and the London Clinic at Anahuac University. Dr Sierra is certified in basic and advanced la...

People with endo have a range of pain from none to mild to moderate to severe. Amy and Brittany talk about pain associated with endometriosis, such when and where we can have it. We give a quick and general overview of multiple reasons for endo-associated pain, such as inflammation, sensitization, and lesion location. This episode is a bird's eye overview and not an all exhaustive list of reasons why we can have pain with endo. 🔗RESOURCES🔗 For clickable links to the resources below, go to www.in...

Amy speaks to Dr. Isabel Green about: —common reasons why a patient may have persistent pain post surgery, from an incomplete excision to co-conditions. —the importance of working with our doctor to set patient-centered goals in our treatment. —how for *some* people addressing central sensitization, especially post excision, can be a key to getting out of continued pain; but at the same time, it’s important not to blame all pain on central sensitization and to explore other possible reasons for ...