Endo Year Reflections: We Look Back To Move Forward Together

We look back at a year of growth, from mental health and sexual health to surgical decisions and daily strategies that make life with endometriosis more livable. Short formats like Fast Charge and Quick Connect turned big topics into clear, useful takeaways shaped by your questions.

• mental health impacts of chronic illness and tools for burnout, grief and validation
• compassionate guidance on sexual health, pelvic floor tension and consent-centered intimacy
• deep dives on excision, imaging limits, inflammation and surgical menopause choices
• fertility as a spectrum of options aligned with personal values
• pelvic PT, pacing strategies and ADHD-friendly learning formats
• how Fast Charge and Quick Connect center community questions and reduce overwhelm
• technology’s role in endometriosis care and data that actually helps patients
• building momentum in women’s health through relationships, advocacy and shared language

Chapters

• 0:00 Setting Up The Reflection Series
• 1:08 A Year That Felt Like A Dream
• 2:10 Mental Health And Chronic Illness
• 3:22 Sexual Health With Compassion
• 3:48 Mapping The Endometriosis Universe
• 4:59 Fast Charge And Quick Connect
• 6:24 Community, Momentum, And Hope
• 8:15 Invitation To Reflect Together

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

With the Indo Year coming up, it's a perfect time to reflect on all the lessons, growth, and amazing guests we've had on Indobattery. But instead of one big recap, I'm breaking it into quick, bite-sized reflections multiple times a week. Let's revisit what inspired us, learn what we missed, and recharge together in our Endo Year Reflection series. Join me each episode as we look back. Welcome to Indobattery, where I share my journey with endometriosis and chronic illness while learning and growing along the way. This podcast is not a substitute for medical advice, but a supportive space to provide community and valuable information so you never have to face this journey alone. We embrace a range of perspectives that may not always align with our own, believing that open dialogue helps us grow and gain new tools. Join me as I share stories of strength, resilience, and hope. From personal experiences to expert insights. Welcome back to Indobattery. You know, every December, I swear I'm gonna be ready for the end of the year. Like I'm gonna glide into it with all the checks checked, inbox zeroed, and my life color-coded into a beautiful Google Calendar masterpiece. And every December, I find myself eating peppermint bark for breakfast and wondering how it's already the end of the year and the holidays. But this December feels different because this year, this year was a dream. It was the kind of year where I kept having to pinch myself because somehow I kept ending up sitting at the table virtually or in person with people I had admired, respected, and learned from for years. And then suddenly they were here with me on my podcast, talking about things that matter deeply, not just to me, but to our whole community. I've learned, I've laughed, I've cried, sometimes even before I've hit record. I've grown as an advocate, a person, and honestly, someone who views the world through the lens of chronic illness. And I've realized something really important. Using your gifts, your voice, your energy, your time can be incredibly fulfilling and incredibly exhausting. And yet, every single time, I wondered if I was making a difference, or felt tired, or wondered if all my spoons had disappeared again. Somebody, one of you, would send me a message or an episode would land at the right time, or a guest would say something that reminded me why any of this matters. It's like a sweet little nudge. Hey, keep going. You're not done yet. So today, as I sit and look back, I want to give you the gift of reflection in the Endo Year Reflection series. Because, goodness gracious, we have covered a lot this year. Let's start with mental health. We sat down with incredible mental health professionals who helped us unravel the ways chronic illness affects not only our bodies, but our minds. We talked about burnout, grief, trauma responses, the anxiety of medical gaslighting, and the hope that exists when someone finally validates your lived experience. Then we dove deep, like real deep, into sexual health, the experts who brought compassion, clarity, and a whole lot of I wish someone would have told me this sooner. Because let's be honest, talking about sexual health and chronic pain can feel like doing calculus upside down. But the amount of messages I got after those episodes proved just how needed these conversations were. And of course, endometriosis. All things endometriosis, everything from excision surgery and case studies to fertility to pelvic PT and what the heck the immune system is doing to nutrition, eating, advocacy, and how to parent through chronic illness. If endometriosis was a universe, we basically spent a year mapping it like curious little astronauts. We had Dr. Gabi Muad helping us rethink technology in endometriosis care. We had Dr. Iris Karen Orbuck walking us through inflammation like a wise, calm tour guide. We had experts breaking down imaging hormones, surgical menopause, hernias, GI issues, urology issues. If there was a rabbit hole, we jumped into it together. And then, oh my goodness, the relationships, the friendships, the conversations that felt like we were sitting around a warm table with coffee, tea, and maybe a gluten-free cookie because hashtag choices. I still can't believe the caliber of people who said yes to joining me this year. I keep thinking, is this real? Am I really doing this thing? And spoiler, yes, I did, and yes I am. And you have been here with me and doing this with me. Of course, we can't forget the fast charge series that it continues to be a fan favorite, probably because it's like plugging your brain into those battery packs at the airport. You get what you need fast without guilt. But then came Quick Connect. Listen, I was not planning to start another series. I really wasn't. But I get so many questions from you, amazing questions, thoughtful questions, questions that deserve expert answers. And sometimes we've covered them already, and sometimes we definitely haven't. So Quick Connect was born from this idea. If one person has a question, 10 other people have the same questions, but may not feel ready to ask. I didn't think it would have taken off. I thought maybe it would live a quiet life in the corner of a podcast feed, like a tiny succulent that survives on vibes alone. Oh no. It took off. People loved it. People asked for more. People sent questions. People appreciated the shorter, accessible format because let's be honest, life is busy, brains are busy, and some episodes out there in podcast land are basically a medical textbook narrated by Surrey. And if you're like me and have ADHD, spending an hour listening to something technical can be like trying to read IKEA instructions without pictures. So Quick Connect became the surprisingly powerful little space where your voices, your questions, your needs shape the content directly. It reminded me why we do this to connect, to learn, and to feel less alone. Looking back, I'm flabbergasted at the guests in the conversation that I had. I'm still in awe that I get to do this. I still have moments where I think there's no way I'm equipped for this. And then I remember, I'm not doing it alone. I have you, this community, these experts, these voices. I've built relationships I've never seen coming. I've grown friendships I cherished deeply. I've connected with people I never ever imagined I'd cross paths with. This year, more than any other year, I've seen progress building, momentum, awareness growing, not just for endometriosis, but for women's health in general. People are paying attention. Advocates, providers, even people who simply want to understand us better because they finally see we are more than symptoms. We are humans with stories. There's good and there's bad. Nuance is real, but we face it head on together. And as we step into the new year, it feels important to pause and take in everything we've walked through because we move so quickly, we push so hard, we forget to look behind us and say, wow, look at what I survived. Look at what I learned, look at what we've created together. So as part of the Endo-Year Reflection Series, I wanted to give you a gift of reflection, the gift of slowing down, sitting with growth, the challenges, the joy, the exhaustion, the breakthroughs, and the tiny little victories that never make it to a highlight real. So here's to this year, this beautifully messy, unpredictably magical, deeply meaningful year. Here's to the episodes, the guests, the questions, the tears, the laughter, the moments that changed us. And here's to you for listening, for showing up, for being part of this community, for trusting me with your stories, your time, and for letting me live this dream one conversation at a time. Grab your cup of coffee or your cup of tea and settle in. Let's revisit the year together. I've got some backstories for you, some you've heard, some you definitely haven't, and I cannot wait to share them. So come along with me as we go through this until the end of the year, one episode at a time, in little short little micro bursts of a reflection. Until next time, continue advocating for you and for others.