The American opened up on her struggle with endometriosis and the stigma that came with it and how she defied all odds to shine on the Olympic stage.
Olympic 200m bronze medallist Brittany Brown has opened up on her struggle with endometriosis and fighting hard to claim a medal at the Paris Olympic Games.
As per the World Health Organisation, endometriosis is a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus and can cause severe pain in the pelvis and make it harder to get pregnant.
In an interview with Refinery29, Brown disclosed that she started experiencing pain during her period about 10 years ago but she never sought medical attention until last year. She disclosed how she manages to fight against the stigma around people with endo and doing what she loves.
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The American explained that she has experienced a lot of backlash as she started her Olympic career, noting that when she started her career as a professional runner, she did not have all the ‘right things.’ Brown added that when she would do intense workouts, she would feel sharp pains that would force her to tear up.
“I wasn’t signed to a shoe contract in my first year of running professional track, which is what a lot of people consider to be the standard for being a professional runner. But I was still able to reach for my dreams,” Brown noted.
“I wasn’t actually diagnosed until early 2023, but I knew something was wrong a lot earlier. I think it was my second year of college. I was doing a super intense workout, and I was on my period, and afterwards it was just an unbelievable amount of pain. Like, I was in the bathroom crying and shaking and actually throwing up,” she added.
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Brown explained that she had great teammates who would come through for her during the tough times. After a series of struggles, she decided to seek medical attention.
“I started to see doctors, and I got the same answers that so many women get, ‘Oh, just go on birth control — just stop your period’ or ‘Oh, just have a baby,” or “just have a hysterectomy.’ I called my mom crying after that one. Right. Like, no big deal, just have major surgery to remove your uterus even though we can’t tell you what’s wrong,” she revealed.
The 29-year-old noted that those words broke her since she wanted to become a parent at some point in her life. She added that getting kids to cure endo doesn’t work the way people assume.
After a long time of searching, she disclosed that she found a group of endo warriors and has been able to get great doctors. From the group, Brown explained that she has learnt the art of standing up for herself and listening to her body.
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“There is so much to navigate, and still a lot of doctors don’t know a lot about endo. The more I learned, the more you realize how much you have to be your own advocate,” she added.
“I have joined an endo group chat, and it has been so amazing to have this community of women who share their experiences on medical issues, like which doctors are good, and which treatments have been effective.”