Erin Barnett - Endo Unfiltered: How to take charge of your endometriosis and PCOS

Published in 2022 by Murdoch Books, an imprint of Allen & Unwin

Copyright Erin Barnett 2022

Written by Erin Barnett with Katie Bosher

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10 per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency (Australia) under the Act.

Murdoch Books Australia

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Phone: +61 (0)2 8425 0100

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Murdoch Books UK

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A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978 192261 609 8

eISBN 978 176106 379 4

Cover design by Alissa Dinallo

Text design by Susanne Geppert

Illustrations by Sarah McCoy

Cover photography iStock

Typeset by Midland Typesetters, Australia

Printed and bound in Australia by Griffin Press

Every reasonable effort has been made to trace the owners of copyright materials in this book, but in some instances this has proven impossible. The author(s) and publisher will be glad to receive information leading to more complete acknowledgements in subsequent printings of the book and in the meantime extend their apologies for any omissions.

DISCLAIMER: The content presented in this book is meant for inspiration and informational purposes only. The purchaser of this book understands that the author is not a medical professional, and the information contained within this book is not intended to replace medical advice or to be relied upon to treat, cure or prevent any disease, illness or medical condition. It is understood that you will seek full medical clearance by a licensed physician before making any changes mentioned in this book. The author and publisher claim no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application or interpretation of the material in this book.

We acknowledge that we meet and work on the traditional lands of the Cammeraygal people of the Eora Nation and pay our respects to their elders past, present and future.

To Nanna, my role model and best friend from the beginning. Youre the OG endo sufferer in my life (its kind of your fault that I have it!) and I love you so much.

Youve opened this book.

Im sorry.

Dont get me wrong, this is a bloody great book and theres so much in here that youre going to laugh at or find interesting and helpful. But the fact you went looking for a book like this in the first place means one of three things:

1. You follow me on social media or know me from TV and wanted to check this out (thanks, babe!).
2. Someone you care about is suffering from endometriosis (aka, endo) and/or PCOS and you want to help them. If thats the case, good on you!
3. Or, the most likely option

   Youve got one (or maybe both) of the disorders I just mentioned, and youre here for help, advice and/or comfort. Im so glad we found each other.

If you know me from a TV show or two, you might be thinking, Does Erin really know enough about endo and PCOS to write a whole book? The answer to that question is a hard YES! In fact, Ive been preparing for this book ever since my reproductive organs first twitched into action. Because I like to overdeliver, Ive got endo and PCOS. They dont often go together, but when they do, let me tell you, theyre best freakin buddies.

To date, Ive had 16 surgeries to treat my PCOS and endo. From the age of 14, various parts of my insides have been sliced, stitched, burned, removed and unstuck, again and again. Cysts have burst inside me like New Years fireworks. Ive had an ovary removed. Ive experienced the intensity of medically induced menopause. And, through it all, Ive bled. A lot. From my local supermarket to the South African jungle; if Ive been there, Ive probably bled there (fellow endo warriors know).

Physically, mentally and emotionally, the past six years have been especially relentless, but that was just my life. Sitting down to type out a timeline of all the procedures and treatments Ive had for this book was the first time I was able to really reflect on it all. In some ways, looking at it listed in black and white has helped me see things from an outside perspective. Now that I have, its wild to see that the cycle of surgery, pain, pills, bleeding and more surgery hasnt stopped. When I look at that timeline , I think, Oh, wow! No wonder I feel like an old nanna even though Im only 26. Look at everything my body has been through. All while trying to juggle work, romantic relationships and a social life (and, more recently, a public one).

The truth is, a lot of what Ive been through has really sucked. Some of my experiences were so upsetting they inspired me to study nursing so I could make sure other people dont have to go through the things I did. If youre a fellow sufferer, the reality is that things are probably going to suck for you too, sometimes. In fact, lets hit pause to look at this extremely scientific diagram, which accurately illustrates how life with endo has been for me.

As you can see, calling life with endo a roller coaster is a massive understatement. Its more like a runaway train with a rocket strapped to it. But writing this book is a way for me to turn my negative experiences into stories that can empower sufferers and empathisers, and put them on a better path to dealing with the challenges theyre facing. Being able to do this makes me grateful for the ride Ive been on.

Its not always possible to see endo on a scan, but the pain is beyond real and it is definitely not normal. If youve got endo or PCOS, then through no fault of your own youve got a condition with no known cause and no known cure. Most doctors dont know enough to treat either effectively, so youre bound to hit roadblocks and be frustrated. Youre also likely to feel dismissed and misunderstood a lot of the time because although each of these conditions can cause unbelievable pain, each is also hard to diagnose, measure, predict and treat.

Endo and PCOS wont stay neatly contained within your body, either. No chance. Theyll bleed into every area of your life: school, work, relationships, finances, self-esteem, mental health Theres no part of your life they wont touch, and thats exactly why Im going to come at them from all angles in this book.

Consider me your endo big cyst-er (see what I did there!) as we get raw and real about all of it: surgeries, awkward examinations, bleeding, pain, sex, relationships, money, fertility, career and so much more. Im going to hold your hand through the hard stuff and give you every tip Ive collected during my journey to make your road less bumpy. If theres a young person in your life who is living with endo or PCOS, hand them this book and Ill talk them through it. Fair warning: theres the odd swear word here and there, as well as some real talk about sex, but I guarantee young people hear worse at school. And trust me, if they have endo or PCOS, its nothing they cant handle.