From Silent Suffering to Systemic Change: My Endometriosis Journey Comes Full Circle

For decades, I carried an invisible weight—a chronic, debilitating condition called endometriosis that dramatically impacted my life. As a young girl, I endured intense pain, month after month, long before I even knew what endometriosis was. I was dismissed, gaslighted, and told it was “normal.” But it wasn’t.

My diagnosis may have taken nearly a decade, but it was only the beginning of what I now call the nightmare chapter of my life living with endometriosis. This disease robbed me of so many carefree years of my youth—years that should have been filled with possibility and freedom, but instead were punctuated by countless hospitalizations, 10 surgeries, and four agonizing bowel obstructions, each requiring nasal gastric tubes. I even experienced a lung collapse (atelectasis) due to endometrial-type tissue on my lung—proof of how invasive this disease can be. But perhaps the deepest pain wasn’t always physical—it was the emotional toll of being misunderstood, judged, and dismissed. I was labeled everything from a hypersensitive only child to a drug-seeking teen, or just a competitive athlete with a nervous stomach—because I didn’t “look sick.” This disease is isolating. It affects our confidence, our mental health, and our careers. In the early days of Wallis for Wellness, I once collapsed to my knees in the middle of a treatment, crawling out of the room in agony—only to later learn I had a bowel obstruction. These moments were humiliating and frustrating as I was ambitious and had career goals but this disease often hijacked my ability to thrive in my career the way I knew I could.

I was desperate for answers, for help, for hope—but instead, I was too often met with skepticism. When the only relief available was pain medication, I took it—only to be judged for that too. This was not how I wanted to live.I now know this experience is far too common in Canada.

🇨🇦 Truth About Endometriosis in Canada

• 1 in 10 women and gender-diverse individuals are affected—~2 million Canadians
• It often takes 5–10 years to receive a diagnosis
• The average age of diagnosis is 27.9, but symptoms usually begin in adolescence
• It costs our system $1.8 billion annually in confirmed surgical cases
• Up to 90% of women with “unexplained infertility” actually have undiagnosed endometriosis
• 80% of women with dysmenorrhea (painful periods) may be affected
• Many suffer in silence, dismissed or misdiagnosed while enduring chronic pain, fatigue, depression, and infertility
• Some women continue to experience pelvic pain, digestive symptoms, bladder discomfort, or fatigue, even in Menopause.

Endometriosis is not “just bad periods.”
It is a complex estrogen-dependent inflammatory neuromuscular disease that can affect multiple systems—gastrointestinal, urological, musculoskeletal, neurological—and deeply impact quality of life.

I lived it. I know the cost.

And now, 40 years later, something extraordinary has happened—a full-circle moment that brought me to tears.

The Breakthrough We’ve Been Waiting For: ENDOSURE™

Historically, the only way to confirm endometriosis was through laparoscopic surgery—an invasive and costly procedure requiring long wait times and surgical risk.

I know this firsthand, as I’ve undergone laparoscopic surgery myself—along with other surgeries to manage the pain and damage caused by endometriosis.

This approach meant that diagnosis often came too late, after years of physical and emotional suffering, and once the disease had already progressed.

But today, that changes.

ENDOSURE™, a Health Canada–Tier 1 diagnostic test, is transforming how we diagnose endometriosis in Canada. The test is:

• ✅ Non-invasive (uses external pads like an ECG)
• ✅ Uses electroviscerography system (EVG) an analytical instrument that collects gastrointestinal myoelectrical activity (GIMA)
• ✅ Highly accurate (99% overall, 98% accuracy in women over 36)
• ✅ Rapid (results in the same visit)
• ✅ All-stage & all-age (detects disease from pre-menarche to post-menopause)

The science behind it is equally groundbreaking. Using electroviscerography (EVG), the test detects abnormal intestinal seizure activity—a measurable fingerprint linked to elevated prostaglandins from endometriosis lesions. This fingerprint, called the GIMA biomarker, enables precise and timely diagnosis with no pain and no downtime.

For women like me—and the millions still searching for answers—this is nothing short of revolutionary.

💜 Honoured to Welcome EndoDiagnosis to the PHAMily

It is with gratitude and joy that I officially welcome EndoDiagnosis—the Canadian team behind ENDOSURE—to the PHAMily as one of our newest PHAM Partners!

Led by Maria Porchellato (CEO) and Carolyn Plican (COO)—two incredible women who share my fierce passion for advocacy and women's health

EndoDiagnosis is leading a critical movement to close the diagnostic gap and transform lives.

Their mission?
To empower women and expedite the path to diagnosis, care, and symptom management.

Their vision aligns beautifully with ours at PHAM (Preventative Health Awareness Movement)—to help Canadians become the CEO of their health, with tools that are proactive, empowering, and rooted in evidence.

Together, we are stronger. Together, we will make history.

A Historic First: The Endosure Mobile Clinic is Coming to Ontario!

And now… I am beyond proud to announce that PHAM will be hosting the very first-ever Endosure Mobile Clinics in Ontario!

This is more than a test.
This is access.
This is dignity.
This is hope in motion.

Through these clinics, we are:

• Providing rapid, non-invasive diagnostic access to women of all ages
• Supporting early-stage identification to prevent years of suffering
• Collaborating with physicians, NPs, pelvic health PTs, midwives, integrative health and fertility clinics
• Advocating for insurance coverage to eliminate financial barriers
• Empowering women to reclaim their health, their voice, and their lives

The Time is Now

For too long, women with endometriosis have been overlooked, dismissed, and left to suffer. But that chapter is ending.

With EndoDiagnosis, ENDOSURE, and PHAM leading the charge, we are writing a new story—one rooted in access, awareness, and action.

To those still searching for answers:
It was never in your head—it was in your gut.
And now, we have the science to prove it.

If you are suffering and believe you may have endometriosis or perhaps you have a family member or friend who is suffering, please share this blog with them and encourage them to reach out to find out details about where we will be hosting these inaugural pop up clinics in Ontario.

Ready to join the movement? Want to be a part of history and be the first to bring the Endosure test to your community or clinic?

📩 Reach out to connect- Email: [email protected] or call 647-577-4757

🧠 Read and learn about this innovative test

🩺 Let’s bring this life-changing diagnostic tool to every woman who needs it.
💜 Let’s change the legacy of endometriosis in Canada—together!