How Endometriosis started my journey to help other women

by Season Gorny
(Suffolk County, NY )

Who am I
I am a local girl that grew up in Smithtown, like any girl I enjoyed Long Island life. Swimming in luxurious pools and playing outside with friends, during the warm months. I remember running as fast as I could during a game of tag, making sure no one could catch me. During the colder month you could find me inside with my sisters playing games for hours, while enjoying our favorite hot chocolate. As we all know every girl becomes a woman.

What happened?
Becoming a woman was something that my mom had always made sure I was well informed about. She had given me books to read and had the “period talk” many times with me. Even as a young girl I was excited about one day becoming a woman, but no amount of excitement prepared me for the journey I was about to be on.

On the day of womanhood, I was the young age of 9 and been in the nurses office 3 times throughout the day. Complaining of horrible stomach pains, each time the nurse advised me to lay down and rest for a little. After having no relief from the pain they called my mom to come and pick me up, telling her that I probably just needed to “use the bathroom”

NO….. it wasn’t just needing to “use the bathroom”.

I was officially a part of the Womens Club. I remember my mom and her friend celebrating with me by making me my first couple of tea and having pizza. At the time I thought the pain that I was experiencing was just a part of transitioning into a woman (kind of like the Hulk).

Ouch!!!
Each month my period would come like clockwork and it always brought along its friend….. CRAMPS!!! These killer cramps would often end up making me missing a day or two of school. Midol had become my best friend during these times, until it stopped working. I thought that the cramps were just a normal part of the process, it was something that made us women strong.

However, as I got older more and more symptoms started to show. Months were now filled with bloating, nausea, headaches, changes in bowel habits (ewww) and the cramps were worst and lasting longer. Midol, Advil, Tylenol nothing was helping them.

The next chapter….
Fast forward through my teenage years, I was still experiencing horrible periods. I started asking my doctors what was going on, everyone of them responded with “its just bad cramps” or “its normal” . However there was always something in the back of my mind that I knew it was much more than that. I continued to search for a doctor who would listen or could tell me what was going on.

At the age of 33, yes almost 24 years later, a doctor mentioned Endometriosis. WHAT?? ENDO WHO??? was my reaction. I had my first officially diagnostic surgery in 2013, where they “burned” off the endometriosis. I wish I could say that it was a success, but the relief only lasted 6 months. I found myself on the search again, what could possible be wrong now.

I finally found an Endometriosis Specialist, who was helping women. I scheduled my consultation and was excited to finally meet someone who might be able to really help. I learned that excision (actually cutting away) surgery is the best option for helping endometriosis symptoms, while it is not a cure, it drastically changed my life. While surgery was the first step for my journey, making lifestyle changes was the next.

Becoming a Womens Health Coach
The more I started learning to listen to my body, the more I began researching natural ways to help it through nutrition and lifestyle adjustments. I made adjustments to the foods I was consuming, adding in the ones that could help with inflammation and avoiding foods that were triggers. As well as learning the benefits of physical activity and stress management.

The more I learned about my body, the more I wanted to help other women who were going through what I was and the more I wanted everyone to understand that Endometriosis is a whole body disease, not just bad cramps. I enrolled in IIN program for Health Coaching and graduated in 2016.

After completing IIN program I continued my education with IWHC classes such as Functional Nutrition for Chronic Pelvic Pain, Masterclass Hormone Balance, Masterclass Chronic Pelvic Pain and Yeast, Masterclass Endometriosis.

What can I do as a Women’s Health Coach -
As a Women’s Health Coach, I will not only use my education and skills, but my own journey to help you through yours. With individualized 1 on 1 coaching, together we will work to find the right balance of foods, physical activity and relaxation, to feel more energized, balanced and complete in your body. I am dedicated to being your number 1 cheerleader, helping take the struggle out of change and together easing into a new lifestyle.

I created Season Winter, to help support other women on their journey. I am dedicated to making Endometriosis a diagnosis that doesn't take 7 years to get correctly diagnosed