When endometriosis takes years from your life, connection stops being optional and starts becoming a lifeline.

In this episode of the Endo Warriors, host Callie Greenberg sits down with endometriosis advocate Pam Bove to explore the long-term impact of having pain repeatedly dismissed. Pam shares how being told she was “just sensitive” did more than delay a diagnosis. It created lasting trauma that slowly eroded her trust in her own body and reshaped her confidence, relationships, and sense of identity.

This conversation goes beyond symptoms and into the emotional reality of living with endometriosis and chronic illness. Callie and Pam discuss how medical dismissal can isolate patients from peers and expected life paths, and why community becomes essential when your experience is constantly questioned. They reflect on the grief of missed milestones, the anger that follows delayed diagnosis, and the relief that comes from finally being believed without explanation.

If you have ever felt alone in your pain or wondered whether you are overreacting, this episode offers clarity and validation. Through shared stories and lived experience, Pam and Callie show how personal trauma can turn into collective strength, and why real healing for many endometriosis warriors begins with connection and community.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Endo Warriors Podcast: Endometriosis, Women’s Health, and Chronic Illness

01:10 Why Connection and Community Are Essential for Endometriosis Healing

03:18 Early Endometriosis Symptoms and Being Dismissed as a Teen

07:05 Medical Gaslighting and the Double Standard in Women’s Pain

11:16 How Chronic Pelvic Pain Impacts Social Life and Mental Health

17:40 Birth Control, Blood Clots, and a Life-Threatening Diagnosis

24:10 Finally Being Diagnosed With Endometriosis and Learning It Is Systemic

31:33 When “Normal” MRIs Miss Endometriosis and Delay Treatment

35:10 Turning Medical Trauma Into Advocacy, Purpose, and Change

38:00 Finding Strength Through Endometriosis Community and Shared Experience

Connect with Callie Greenberg:

Visit the Own My Endo website

Follow Endo Warriors on Instagram

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Excision surgery often sits just out of reach in endometriosis care, and Nicole Notar explains why. Insurance barriers, outdated coding, and persistent misconceptions turn a medically necessary procedure into something patients must fight for or fund themselves. Who pays the price when effective care is delayed?

Callie Greenberg talks with Nicole about years of being dismissed with labels like anxiety and IBS before real answers finally came. After exhausting in-network options, Nicole paid out of pocket for excision surgery and discovered widespread disease across multiple organs. That moment confirmed what had long been overlooked and exposed how access to care too often depends on persistence and finances rather than medical need.

Out of that experience, Nicole founded Endo Excision For All, a nonprofit focused on helping patients access excision surgery now while pushing for policy change around insurance, reimbursement, and disability recognition. The episode also breaks down the hidden financial realities of endometriosis care and offers practical guidance for navigating billing and coverage. Real progress will require systems that treat endometriosis as the complex, full-body disease it is.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Endo Warriors Intro: Endometriosis And Women’s Health

00:45 Nicole Notar And The Endo Excision For All Nonprofit

01:38 Endometriosis Misdiagnosis: IBS, Anxiety, And Dismissed Pain

10:18 Choosing Excision Surgery After Insurance Denial

12:06 Excision Surgery Findings: Endometriosis Across Multiple Organs

16:41 Why Excision Surgery Is Expensive: Insurance And Coding Barriers

18:41 Policy Change For Endometriosis: ADA, FMLA, And Disability Access

19:59 Excision Surgery Vs Ablation: What Patients Need To Know

39:48 Surgery Billing Reality: Surprise Costs And Insurance Gaps

50:20 Endometriosis Advocacy: Capitol Hill Day And How To Get Involved

Connect with Callie Greenberg:

Visit the Own My Endo website

Follow Endo Warriors on Instagram

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The reason so many women are dismissed when they report severe period pain has less to do with their bodies and more to do with how medicine was built. Callie Greenberg digs into that reality with OB-GYN and former NIH-funded researcher Dr. Margo Harrison in a conversation about menstrual pain, endometriosis, and why symptoms that disrupt daily life are still treated as normal in women’s health care.

From her experience in academic medicine and clinical practice, Dr. Harrison explains how period suffering became something people expect rather than question. There was one moment from her practice that stayed with her. A patient said that an abortion procedure hurt less than her period. That reaction isn’t shocking to many listeners. Callie connects it to what she hears again and again from the endometriosis community, where normal scans often lead to dismissal instead of answers.

They take a closer look at what’s behind that pattern. Gaps in menstrual education, cultural silence, and limited research leave many patients unsure whether to trust their own experiences. Endometriosis comes into focus as they talk through diagnostic limits, invasive and expensive treatment options, and insurance barriers that make care hard to access.

The episode also offers practical guidance on self-advocacy. Dr. Harrison encourages patients to bring clear information to appointments, including bleeding patterns, pain locations, and how symptoms affect work, school, and relationships. If your period interferes with your life, it isn’t normal. The conversation wraps up by talking about prevention-focused, cycle-based care, and why understanding your menstrual cycle can help you make better decisions about your health long-term.

Episode Breakdown:

00:30 Meet Dr. Margo Harrison: OB-GYN, Planned Parenthood Clinician, And Founder Of Wave By

03:30 The Wake-Up Call: “My Abortion Was Less Painful Than My Period”

05:00 Why Severe Menstrual Pain Gets Dismissed In Women’s Health

09:30 Endometriosis Reality Check: Limited Diagnostics, Treatments, And High Costs

15:30 How To Advocate At The Gynecologist With Clear Data And Symptoms

24:00 Prevention-First Menstrual Pain Relief And Premenstrual NSAIDs

28:30 Wave By Explained: Cycle Regulation, PCOS Support, And Period Pain Options

37:30 Why Menstrual Suffering Was Normalized And What Must Change Next

Connect with Callie Greenberg:

Visit the Own My Endo website

Follow Endo Warriors on Instagram

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm