Endo Year Reflections: We Look Back To Move Forward Together

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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

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
With the Indo Year coming up, it's a perfect time

(00:02):
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 multipletimes a week.
Let's revisit what inspired us,learn what we missed, and
recharge together in our EndoYear Reflection series.
Join me each episode as we lookback.

(00:27):
Welcome to Indobattery, where Ishare my journey with
endometriosis and chronicillness while learning and
growing along the way.
This podcast is not a substitutefor medical advice, but a
supportive space to providecommunity and valuable
information so you never have toface this journey alone.
We embrace a range ofperspectives that may not always
align with our own, believingthat open dialogue helps us grow

(00:48):
and gain new tools.
Join me as I share stories ofstrength, resilience, and hope.
From personal experiences toexpert insights.
Welcome back to Indobattery.
You know, every December, Iswear I'm gonna be ready for the

(01:11):
end of the year.
Like I'm gonna glide into itwith all the checks checked,
inbox zeroed, and my lifecolor-coded into a beautiful
Google Calendar masterpiece.
And every December, I findmyself eating peppermint bark
for breakfast and wondering howit's already the end of the year
and the holidays.
But this December feelsdifferent because this year,

(01:34):
this year was a dream.
It was the kind of year where Ikept having to pinch myself
because somehow I kept ending upsitting at the table virtually
or in person with people I hadadmired, respected, and learned
from for years.
And then suddenly they were herewith me on my podcast, talking

(01:57):
about things that matter deeply,not just to me, but to our whole
community.
I've learned, I've laughed, I'vecried, sometimes even before
I've hit record.
I've grown as an advocate, aperson, and honestly, someone
who views the world through thelens of chronic illness.
And I've realized somethingreally important.
Using your gifts, your voice,your energy, your time can be

(02:21):
incredibly fulfilling andincredibly exhausting.
And yet, every single time, Iwondered if I was making a
difference, or felt tired, orwondered if all my spoons had
disappeared again.
Somebody, one of you, would sendme a message or an episode would
land at the right time, or aguest would say something that

(02:43):
reminded me why any of thismatters.
It's like a sweet little nudge.
Hey, keep going.
You're not done yet.
So today, as I sit and lookback, I want to give you the
gift of reflection in the EndoYear Reflection series.
Because, goodness gracious, wehave covered a lot this year.
Let's start with mental health.

(03:04):
We sat down with incrediblemental health professionals who
helped us unravel the wayschronic illness affects not only
our bodies, but our minds.
We talked about burnout, grief,trauma responses, the anxiety of
medical gaslighting, and thehope that exists when someone
finally validates your livedexperience.
Then we dove deep, like realdeep, into sexual health, the

(03:27):
experts who brought compassion,clarity, and a whole lot of I
wish someone would have told methis sooner.
Because let's be honest, talkingabout sexual health and chronic
pain can feel like doingcalculus upside down.
But the amount of messages I gotafter those episodes proved just
how needed these conversationswere.

(03:48):
And of course, endometriosis.
All things endometriosis,everything from excision surgery
and case studies to fertility topelvic PT and what the heck the
immune system is doing tonutrition, eating, advocacy, and
how to parent through chronicillness.
If endometriosis was a universe,we basically spent a year

(04:09):
mapping it like curious littleastronauts.
We had Dr.
Gabi Muad helping us rethinktechnology in endometriosis
care.
We had Dr.
Iris Karen Orbuck walking usthrough inflammation like a
wise, calm tour guide.
We had experts breaking downimaging hormones, surgical
menopause, hernias, GI issues,urology issues.

(04:30):
If there was a rabbit hole, wejumped into it together.
And then, oh my goodness, therelationships, the friendships,
the conversations that felt likewe were sitting around a warm
table with coffee, tea, andmaybe a gluten-free cookie
because hashtag choices.
I still can't believe thecaliber of people who said yes

(04:51):
to joining me this year.
I keep thinking, is this real?
Am I really doing this thing?
And spoiler, yes, I did, and yesI am.
And you have been here with meand doing this with me.
Of course, we can't forget thefast charge series that it
continues to be a fan favorite,probably because it's like

(05:12):
plugging your brain into thosebattery packs at the airport.
You get what you need fastwithout guilt.
But then came Quick Connect.
Listen, I was not planning tostart another series.
I really wasn't.
But I get so many questions fromyou, amazing questions,
thoughtful questions, questionsthat deserve expert answers.

(05:34):
And sometimes we've covered themalready, and sometimes we
definitely haven't.
So Quick Connect was born fromthis idea.
If one person has a question, 10other people have the same
questions, but may not feelready to ask.
I didn't think it would havetaken off.
I thought maybe it would live aquiet life in the corner of a

(05:54):
podcast feed, like a tinysucculent 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, brainsare busy, and some episodes out
there in podcast land arebasically a medical textbook

(06:16):
narrated by Surrey.
And if you're like me and haveADHD, spending an hour listening
to something technical can belike trying to read IKEA
instructions without pictures.
So Quick Connect became thesurprisingly powerful little
space where your voices, yourquestions, your needs shape the
content directly.
It reminded me why we do this toconnect, to learn, and to feel

(06:41):
less alone.
Looking back, I'm flabbergastedat the guests in the
conversation that I had.
I'm still in awe that I get todo this.
I still have moments where Ithink there's no way I'm
equipped for this.
And then I remember, I'm notdoing it alone.
I have you, this community,these experts, these voices.

(07:02):
I've built relationships I'venever seen coming.
I've grown friendships Icherished deeply.
I've connected with people Inever ever imagined I'd cross
paths with.
This year, more than any otheryear, I've seen progress
building, momentum, awarenessgrowing, not just for
endometriosis, but for women'shealth in general.
People are paying attention.

(07:23):
Advocates, providers, evenpeople who simply want to
understand us better becausethey 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 ithead on together.
And as we step into the newyear, it feels important to
pause and take in everythingwe've walked through because we

(07:47):
move so quickly, we push sohard, we forget to look behind
us and say, wow, look at what Isurvived.
Look at what I learned, look atwhat we've created together.
So as part of the Endo-YearReflection Series, I wanted to
give you a gift of reflection,the gift of slowing down,
sitting with growth, thechallenges, the joy, the

(08:10):
exhaustion, the breakthroughs,and the tiny little victories
that never make it to ahighlight real.
So here's to this year, thisbeautifully messy, unpredictably
magical, deeply meaningful year.
Here's to the episodes, theguests, the questions, the
tears, the laughter, the momentsthat changed us.

(08:31):
And here's to you for listening,for showing up, for being part
of this community, for trustingme with your stories, your time,
and for letting me live thisdream one conversation at a
time.
Grab your cup of coffee or yourcup of tea and settle in.
Let's revisit the year together.
I've got some backstories foryou, some you've heard, some you

(08:55):
definitely haven't, and I cannotwait to share them.
So come along with me as we gothrough this until the end of
the year, one episode at a time,in little short little micro
bursts of a reflection.
Until next time, continueadvocating for you and for
others.