How Endometriosis Changed My Career and What I Did About It

Can we talk about something that doesn't get nearly enough attention? Endometriosis and career. Because this disease doesn't just take your health — it takes your professional life, your ambitions, your income, and sometimes your entire career path.

I've lived this. I've cried about this. And I refuse to stay quiet about it anymore.

When Endometriosis and Career Plans Collide

Before endometriosis took over my life, I had PLANS. I was focused, driven, and ready to build my career. But endo had other ideas. The pain would hit without warning — not just cramps, but the kind of pain that makes you double over and can't even think straight, let alone work.

I missed so many days. SO MANY. And every time, I'd have to explain — or worse, make up an excuse because I was embarrassed. "I have a stomach bug." "I have a migraine." Because how do you tell your boss that your uterus is trying to destroy you from the inside?

I had to change schools during my education because of my health. I had to adjust my career plans — not because I wasn't capable, but because my body wouldn't let me show up consistently. And in the professional world, showing up is everything. Nobody cares WHY you're absent when the work isn't getting done.

The guilt was overwhelming. I felt like a failure. I watched other people advance while I was at home with a heating pad, recovering from yet another surgery. After 8+ surgeries, the time lost adds up — weeks of recovery each time, follow-up appointments, bad days that turn into bad weeks.

How I Rebuilt My Endometriosis and Career Journey

Here's what I learned through all of it: you have to stop apologizing and start adapting. Endometriosis forced me to get creative with my career, and honestly? Some of those changes ended up being blessings in disguise.

Things that helped me:

• Being honest with my employer — when I finally told the truth about my condition, the right workplaces were accommodating. The wrong ones showed me the door, and that was information I needed.
• Knowing my rights — endometriosis can qualify as a disability under the ADA. Learn what accommodations you're entitled to. Flexible hours, remote work options, medical leave — these aren't favors, they're your RIGHTS.
• Building flexibility into my career — I started looking for work that could adapt to my health instead of the other way around. That shift in thinking changed everything.
• Stopping the comparison game — my career path doesn't look like everyone else's, and that's OKAY. My path includes surgeries and recovery and flares, and I'm still here. That's not failure — that's resilience.

Your Career Is Not Over

If you're reading this and you're struggling at work because of endo, I want you to know something: you are not lazy. You are not unreliable. You are fighting a war inside your body every single day, and the fact that you show up at ALL is incredible.

The working world wasn't built for people with chronic conditions. But we're here anyway, and we're finding ways to make it work. Whether that means asking for accommodations, switching to remote work, starting your own business, or completely changing career paths — there is no wrong answer as long as you're taking care of yourself.

I turned my pain into purpose by creating My Endo Talks. I took the thing that tried to destroy my career and used it to build something meaningful. And you can too — whatever that looks like for you.

Don't let Endometriosis define your professional worth!!! You are capable of amazing things, even on your worst days. If you need support or just want to share your career story, connect with me. We lift each other up in this community.