Lexi Young.Photo:Disney/Richard Middlesworth
Disney/Richard Middlesworth
The BachelorcontestantLexi Youngis bravely opening up about her journey with endometriosis.
During a one-on-one date with this season’s bachelorJoey Graziadeiin Malta on Monday’s episode, Young, 30, took the opportunity to share more about her diagnosis, a topic she’s been vocal about on social media.
According toJohns Hopkins Medicine, endometriosis is a condition in which endometrial tissue grows outside the uterus. It affects up to 10% of women between the ages of 15 and 44.
In aTikTok videopreceding the episode, she elaborated, expressing her frustration with unsuccessful treatments, including medication and birth control pills prescribed at a young age.
Joey Graziadei and Lexi Young.Disney/John Fleenor
Disney/John Fleenor
“After college, I moved out to San Francisco, and my symptoms escalated,” she disclosed. “I reached a point where I would faint at work due to the intensity of the pain. It became impossible to fulfill my job duties, and I found myself attending multiple doctor appointments weekly in search of answers.”
Young’s journey took another turn as she recounted being diagnosed with unfamiliar conditions and being dismissed, only to be told her pain was psychological and rooted in anxiety and depression.
“All of this made me feel invalidated and led me to doubt the reality of my pain,” she added.
After relocating to New York City to be closer to her family, theBachelorcontestant faced a worsening of her symptoms. “I was rushed to the emergency room multiple times while working at the GAP headquarters in NY. I was losing a lot of blood. I had really bad abdominal distention,” she recounted.
Just when she was about to lose hope, she met with a doctor at New York University who changed her life.
“This surgeon truly changed my life, and I am so grateful. She listened to me and validated that my pain is 100% real, and she had a strong hunch that I had endo,” Young explained. “Endometriosis cannot be diagnosed through an MRI, x-ray, CT scan or any lab tests. It has to be diagnosed through a laparoscopic surgery. These surgeries are usually quite expensive and are primarily diagnostic.”
After undergoing an MRI that revealed thickening of uterine ligaments, she proceeded with surgery to remove the root of the endometriosis.
The reality star added, “It was the most emotional, validating day I’ve ever had. When the doctor walked into the room, she told me that I had stage IV deep infiltrating endometriosis all over my pelvic cavity, and it had even spread to other organs. I finally felt like my pain was validated. I have been suffering for over a decade, turned away from doctors and finally had the answer to what was going on with my body.”
Lexi Young and Joey Graziadei.Disney/John Fleenor
Despite the surgery, Young revealed that she still experiences flares every week. She is also learning to navigate how endometriosis will affect her future, including her plans to have children.
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Young wrote, “Tonight’s episode has been hard to watch back after everything I have been through, but it has also allowed me to reflect on just how far I’ve come. I knew that if I could help even one woman out there suffering from endometriosis or infertility, it would make me feel like in some small way that my pain and suffering was worth it.”
source: people.com
