This woman’s before-and-after pics of her body with endometriosis are going viral
Though it’s an extraordinarily common health condition, many people are unaware just how painful and disruptive endometriosis can be. However, one woman who suffers from the condition is using social media to spread awareness, and her recent endometriosis Instagram post is now going viral.
Endometriosis is a disease that occurs when lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus, and it’s believed to impact around 11% of women. But the uterine condition is still all-too-often shrouded in mystery, and, like many reproductive health issues, often times patients suffer in silence. But 27-year-old Thessy Kouzoukasone is attempting to spread awareness about the condition in the hopes that fellow sufferers will feel less alone.
Kouzoukas, an Australian native with a large social media following, posted the above shot of her body before and after a ruptured cyst last week, and explained just how crippling it is to live with the condition.
In the photo on the left, Kouzoukas shows her stomach three weeks after a ruptured cyst, and on the right, she shows her stomach after starting a medication called Synarel, which she says “stopped all my hormones and sent me into menopause at the age of 27.”
A post shared by Thessy Kouzoukas (@thessy.k) on Jul 10, 2017 at 4:31pm PDT
She says she never intended to share these particular photos, but was inspired by women who reached out to her, explaining that they too suffered from endo. After the photo went viral, Kouzoukas penned an essay for The Huffington Post in which she discussed her experience.
“My objective is to share my personal story, my struggle with the disease, in the hopes that other women who suffer from endometriosis will relate — and to educate both men and women without the disease, on the life-altering effects it has on many women around the world, even the women around you.”
Oversized anything for me that hides my bloated stomach @saboskirt
A post shared by Thessy Kouzoukas (@thessy.k) on Jun 9, 2017 at 5:33pm PDT
Kouzoukas said she began experiencing endometritis as a young teenager when she first got her period. She wrote that it has impacted not just her daily life, but her fertility, and she wishes those around her had known more about the disease back when she began exhibiting symptoms 14 years ago.
We’re confident that Kouzoukas efforts will help lessen the stigma around reproductive diseases, and help so many women suffering through the same, often difficult experience. We wish her the very best as she continues on her journey!
