Send us a text with a question or thought on this episode ( We cannot replay from this link)
As the year wraps up, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the powerful conversations that shaped The Endo Battery in 2024. In this special Endo Year Reflections series, I’m revisiting moments that educated, inspired, and empowered us in our fight against endometriosis and chronic illness.
In this episode, I reflect on key insights from Dana Bowling and Shannon Cohn, two incredible advocates driving change for endometriosis care. Dana’s powerful metaphor of climbing the “endo mountain” captures the strength required to push forward, even when the journey feels impossible. She also dives into the critical importance of accurate legislative language and shares actionable ways to get involved in advocacy—no legal expertise required.
Shannon reminds us that while the U.S. lags in addressing endometriosis, advocates like her are breaking through barriers and cutting through red tape to make real progress. Her relentless drive proves that advocacy is the force behind every step toward better care, awareness, and funding for endometriosis.
Whether you’re living with endometriosis or supporting someone who is, this episode offers hope, empowerment, and practical ways to create change. Tune in to recharge, reflect, and refocus as we head into the new year.
Website endobattery.com
Speaker 1
0:02
Welcome
to
EndoBattery
,
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
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
.
I'm
your
host
,
alana
,
and
this
is
IndoBattery
charging
our
lives
when
endometriosis
drains
us
.
Welcome
back
to
IndoBattery
.
Grab
your
cup
of
coffee
or
your
cup
of
tea
and
join
me
at
the
table
.
As
we
approach
the
end
of
the
year
,
life
gets
crazy
Holiday
chaos
,
wrapping
things
up
and
just
trying
to
keep
it
all
together
.
But
that
shouldn't
stop
you
from
taking
little
moments
to
recharge
.
That's
why
,
for
the
month
of
December
,
I'm
bringing
you
a
special
series
called
IndoYear
Reflections
.
These
mini
episodes
will
take
a
look
back
at
the
incredible
guests
and
insights
that
have
joined
us
this
year
.
Each
reflection
is
a
chance
to
revisit
the
moments
that
inspired
,
educated
and
empowered
us
and
to
carry
these
lessons
into
the
new
year
.
In
this
episode
,
I
reflect
on
the
power
of
advocacy
in
creating
change
at
a
governmental
level
.
After
sitting
down
with
my
guests
Dana
Bolling
and
Shannon
Cohen
,
I
left
feeling
both
empowered
and
powered
up
.
Their
insights
into
how
advocacy
,
legislation
and
awareness
can
shape
the
future
of
endometriosis
care
were
game-changing
.
Let's
dive
in
.
Speaker 1
1:41
As
I
reflect
back
on
episode
71
,
my
conversation
with
Dana
Bolling
still
resonates
deeply
.
Something
Dana
shared
during
our
time
together
stuck
with
me
in
a
way
I
can't
shake
.
She
compared
living
with
this
disease
to
climbing
a
proverbial
endo-mountain
,
if
you
will
,
a
climb
that's
relentless
,
exhausting
and
sometimes
feels
insurmountable
.
What
really
hit
home
was
Dana's
perspective
on
why
we
keep
climbing
.
Yes
,
it's
hard
,
so
hard
,
but
stopping
isn't
an
option
if
we
want
to
build
a
future
with
a
better
quality
of
life
.
That
imagery
of
the
mountains
stayed
with
me
because
it
captures
the
reality
so
many
of
us
live
,
the
strength
it
takes
to
keep
moving
,
and
even
when
every
step
feels
like
it's
too
much
.
I
know
I'm
not
explaining
this
as
beautifully
as
she
did
,
so
I'll
let
Dana's
words
speak
for
themselves
.
Speaker 2
2:34
You
know
.
You
do
the
best
you
can
with
what
you
know
,
and
your
resources
at
the
time
and
it's
,
you
know
,
you
can't
criticize
yourself
because
you
didn't
know
better
before
you
knew
better
.
You
know
,
once
you
do
better
then
you
try
to
do
better
.
But
it's
,
you
know
,
a
constant
climbing
the
mountain
right
and
you
find
one
little
peak
where
you
can
look
out
and
be
like
okay
,
great
,
I
finally
have
a
diagnosis
.
Speaker 2
2:51
And
then
you
keep
climbing
that
mountain
until
you
get
to
the
excision
plateau
and
you
look
out
and
see
the
view
and
it
looks
rosy
and
then
you
keep
climbing
again
.
Speaker 1
3:08
you
know
to
deal
with
all
of
the
other
hurdles
and
the
mental
struggle
with
that
is
not
to
be
dismissed
.
It
gets
hard
,
it
takes
a
toll
,
it's
taxing
.
Another
powerful
takeaway
from
my
conversation
with
Dana
was
the
importance
of
getting
the
definition
of
endometriosis
right
,
not
just
for
understanding
the
disease
but
for
shaping
the
way
it's
addressed
in
legislation
.
As
a
practicing
attorney
,
Dana
had
the
unique
ability
to
dive
deeply
into
the
bills
in
her
state
that
dictate
how
endometriosis
care
and
funding
are
presented
and
approached
.
What
she
found
was
shocking
Language
that
was
harmful
,
misleading
and
exclusive
to
so
many
in
our
community
.
It's
a
stark
reminder
that
the
smallest
words
in
the
bills
,
words
we
might
overlook
,
can
have
an
enormous
implication
for
how
care
is
provided
,
who
receives
support
and
how
funding
is
allocated
.
Dana's
insights
made
it
clear
why
we
must
advocate
for
precise
,
inclusive
language
in
these
critical
documents
,
Because
when
the
wording
is
wrong
,
the
care
we
fight
so
hard
for
is
jeopardized
.
But
I'll
let
Dana
explain
it
in
her
own
words
.
Her
passion
and
expertise
say
it
all
.
Speaker 2
4:11
So
the
two
primary
bills
that
I
focus
my
efforts
on
are
related
to
,
again
,
an
awareness
campaign
and
a
screening
program
and
they
are
couched
as
being
menstrual
health
bills
that
is
sort
of
the
phrase
.
They're
using
overall
menstrual
health
screening
program
and
awareness
program
,
and
so
they've
lumped
PCOS
and
endometriosis
in
together
on
those
bills
and
I
understand
they're
primarily
women's
issues
,
but
the
bills
had
a
lot
of
language
that
excluded
folks
who
suffer
from
extra
pelvic
endo
,
which
is
something
I've
had
it
on
the
bladder
,
the
bowels
,
the
gallbladder
,
the
appendix
,
you
have
it
all
over
the
place
.
So
I'm
intimately
familiar
with
a
lot
of
the
extra
pelvic
endometriosis
issues
that
arise
with
a
lot
of
our
folks
and
none
of
that
was
recognized
in
the
legislation
.
They
were
targeting
women
of
reproductive
age
.
I'm
drawing
a
blank
right
now
.
I
don't
have
the
bill
of
brain
fog
.
Speaker 2
4:59
I'm
drawing
a
blank
in
the
language
they
use
,
because
it's
different
in
each
bill
,
the
little
phrases
are
just
a
tiny
bit
different
,
but
essentially
women
of
reproductive
age
,
15
to
44
.
So
it
completely
ignored
pre-pubescent
girls
and
folks
who
don't
identify
as
female
post-menopausal
women
.
You
know
,
a
lot
of
us
fall
outside
of
that
range
.
We're
not
menstruating
individuals
between
15
and
44
.
And
so
huge
categories
of
endometriosis
sufferers
were
going
to
be
missed
by
these
pieces
of
legislation
,
and
that
was
concerning
to
me
.
They
also
specifically
explained
endometriosis
essentially
,
as
you
know
,
again
being
a
menstrual
disease
,
retrograde
menstruation
being
the
cause
,
and
that
the
cause
,
the
reason
we
all
feel
pain
is
because
these
lesions
bleed
every
month
and
cause
pain
.
So
it's
just
full
of
chock
,
full
of
misinformation
,
and
so
I
went
to
work
trying
to
change
it
and
we've
been
successful
in
getting
some
small
changes
made
.
The
big
changes
have
yet
to
be
completed
.
Speaker 3
5:53
And
.
Speaker 2
5:53
I
don't
know
if
they
will
be
at
this
point
.
Unfortunately
,
these
pieces
of
legislation
specifically
delegated
authority
for
implementing
this
awareness
campaign
and
the
screening
program
to
our
state
department
of
health
,
and
one
of
them
actually
contained
an
instruction
to
obtain
information
from
EFA
Endometriosis
Foundation
of
America
in
order
to
create
those
programs
.
And
while
I
applaud
the
concept
of
seeking
help
from
nonprofits
in
the
community
,
I
don't
think
we
need
to
be
having
retrograde
menstruation
folks
writing
our
legislation
,
because
that's
what's
going
to
our
doctors
in
the
state
,
that's
what's
determining
who's
going
to
be
identified
by
that
awareness
campaign
and
screening
program
,
and
so
when
you've
got
a
12-year-old
who's
having
issues
and
belly
aches
,
she's
not
going
to
be
captured
by
that
program
.
Speaker 2
6:37
And
when
you've
got
the
45-year-old
who
had
a
hysterectomy
years
ago
but
is
still
having
problems
,
she's
not
going
to
be
captured
by
those
programs
,
Right
?
She's
not
included
.
Or
if
you
have
transgendered
individuals
,
they're
not
going
to
be
captured
by
those
programs
.
So
we're
leaving
out
huge
categories
of
folks
and
completely
ignoring
a
lot
of
the
Just
the
fact
that
many
of
us
are
identified
because
we
present
with
other
symptoms
first
,
Not
necessarily
period
symptoms
,
but
you
know
,
irritable
bowel
.
We've
all
gotten
an
irritable
bowel
diagnosis
of
some
.
Speaker 3
7:07
The
.
Speaker 2
7:08
UTIs
.
Speaker 3
7:08
Yes
,
exactly
so
many
other
things
.
Speaker 2
7:12
Having
legislation
just
perpetuate
those
stereotypes
,
those
myths
,
the
misinformation
.
It's
mind-boggling
to
me
.
I
don't
want
to
see
it
here
in
the
state
misinformation
.
Speaker 1
7:21
It's
mind-boggling
to
me
.
I
don't
want
to
see
it
here
in
my
state
Now
.
If
you're
wondering
how
you
can
help
be
part
of
this
change
,
but
the
idea
of
getting
involved
at
a
legislative
level
feels
overwhelming
,
or
maybe
you're
breaking
out
in
hives
just
thinking
about
it
,
don't
worry
,
dana
had
advice
for
that
too
.
She
reminds
us
that
you
don't
need
to
be
a
legal
expert
to
make
a
difference
,
but
it's
crucial
for
all
of
us
to
know
what
laws
and
measures
are
in
place
in
our
state
,
because
these
laws
can
profoundly
impact
how
you
and
so
many
others
receive
care
.
Being
informed
is
the
first
step
and
from
there
,
even
small
actions
like
reaching
out
to
your
representative
or
raising
awareness
in
your
community
can
ripple
out
into
meaningful
change
.
Dana's
perspective
was
empowering
and
showed
that
advocacy
doesn't
have
to
feel
so
intimidating
.
She
shares
how
you
can
get
involved
in
a
way
that
feels
manageable
and
impactful
.
Speaker 2
8:13
And
I
understand
it's
really
scary
to
go
in
front
of
a
legislative
committee
and
testify
.
It's
intimidating
,
it's
scary
.
They
don't
make
it
friendly
and
warm
and
welcoming
.
You
know
it
isn't
a
warm
,
fuzzy
thing
to
do
and
I
understand
a
lot
of
folks
aren't
going
to
want
to
do
that
.
But
something
we
can
all
do
is
write
to
the
legislators
,
send
them
emails
,
make
phone
calls
to
their
offices
so
if
there's
something
pending
in
your
state
,
you
can
let
them
know
how
you'd
like
them
to
vote
.
You
can
specifically
ask
them
please
vote
no
on
this
,
Please
vote
yes
on
this
.
And
that's
important
and
that's
something
you
can
do
.
Your
friends
and
family
members
can
do
for
you
.
And
that's
easy
yeah
,
Easy
to
do
.
Speaker 1
8:47
As
you
can
tell
,
advocacy
was
a
hot
topic
for
me
to
cover
this
year
,
not
only
because
it's
such
a
passion
of
mine
,
but
also
because
it's
necessary
to
give
us
the
hope
for
better
care
.
This
was
emphasized
when
I
had
the
honor
of
sitting
down
with
the
Below
the
Belt
and
Indowet
director
,
shannon
Cohen
,
in
episode
74
.
One
of
the
most
profound
takeaways
for
me
was
Shannon's
emphasis
on
the
power
of
advocates
around
the
world
.
Despite
the
barriers
,
despite
the
challenges
and
often
against
all
odds
,
these
advocates
are
truly
making
a
difference
.
Shannon's
perspective
really
reminded
me
how
mighty
and
unstoppable
this
community
is
when
we
come
together
for
a
common
goal
.
Speaker 1
9:25
What
struck
me
most
,
though
,
was
how
Shannon
highlighted
the
United
States'
slow
progress
when
it
comes
to
addressing
endometriosis
and
related
issues
.
It's
sobering
to
hear
that
,
as
a
so-called
first
world
country
,
the
US
is
lagging
behind
in
implementing
real
change
,
and
why
?
Because
of
all
of
the
red
tape
,
the
bureaucracy
and
the
frustratingly
slow
moving
system
that
seem
to
prioritize
politics
over
people
.
For
me
,
this
episode
confirmed
something
I
felt
for
a
long
time
that
while
the
system
may
be
slow
,
the
advocates
working
within
and
outside
of
it
are
a
powerful
force
.
They
are
the
fuel
for
change
,
the
reason
momentum
continues
and
the
hope
that
keeps
us
all
moving
forward
.
So
if
you're
feeling
discouraged
or
wondering
if
your
efforts
matter
,
let
this
episode
be
a
reminder
they
do
.
You
do
.
Change
is
happening
and
it's
because
of
advocates
like
you
.
Take
a
lesson
to
episode
74
with
Shannon
Cohen
.
It
is
happening
and
it's
because
of
advocates
like
you
.
Take
a
lesson
to
episode
74
with
Shannon
Cohen
.
Speaker 3
10:28
It's
inspiring
,
it's
eye-opening
,
and
I
promise
you'll
walk
away
feeling
energized
to
keep
pushing
for
progress
.
I
think
things
are
changing
and
I
think
a
lot
of
basically
enough
is
enough
,
I
mean
,
and
I
think
that's
happening
everywhere
around
the
world
and
I
have
to
say
the
US
is
behind
the
curve
on
a
lot
of
it
.
I
mean
,
we're
doing
our
,
not
for
lack
of
trying
by
our
advocates
,
it's
just
the
system
is
so
complex
.
It's
just
very
complicated
in
this
country
right
now
,
but
places
like
Australia
and
France
and
Denmark
and
the
UK
,
they're
really
making
a
lot
of
strides
in
putting
together
national
action
plans
and
getting
movement
on
policy
and
in
education
.
I
think
it's
really
incredible
,
you
know
,
and
we
can
all
learn
from
one
another
.
We
are
absolutely
working
hard
in
the
US
and
there
are
just
tremendous
barriers
to
change
.
It
doesn't
mean
they're
insurmountable
and
we
are
getting
past
them
,
you
know
.
Speaker 3
11:27
And
the
beautiful
thing
is
right
now
,
I
think
we're
reaching
like
a
critical
,
like
a
swell
,
you
know
where
these
issues
quote
unquote
women's
health
conditions
are
getting
a
lot
of
attention
and
this
is
something
that
really
applies
to
endometriosis
and
to
all
of
us
,
and
it's
something
that
we
can
be
a
part
of
and
to
make
sure
that
,
you
know
,
with
policy
and
research
funding
,
the
endometriosis
is
included
.
That's
something
I
work
on
every
day
,
you
know
,
behind
the
scenes
,
and
so
many
others
do
too
,
to
just
make
sure
that
endometriosis
is
included
in
all
of
these
things
,
because
it
deserves
to
be
there
.
I
mean
,
it's
flown
under
the
radar
long
enough
and
,
as
Heather
Radone
says
,
it's
like
the
wicked
stepchild
of
gynecology
.
It's
been
that
long
enough
.
And
because
it's
been
relegated
there
,
but
it
doesn't
not
because
of
any
valid
reason
.
Speaker 3
12:20
It
needs
to
be
out
,
people
need
to
be
talking
about
it
,
it
needs
to
have
priority
and
it
deserves
a
transformative
amount
of
research
funding
and
research
funding
that
propels
the
studies
forward
that
actually
make
a
difference
in
people's
lives
.
Speaker 1
12:34
Thank
you
for
joining
me
for
this
special
episode
of
IndoYear
Reflections
.
As
we've
seen
through
the
wisdom
of
Dana
and
Shannon
,
advocacy
is
a
powerful
tool
,
whether
it's
shaping
legislation
,
raising
awareness
or
simply
educating
those
around
us
.
We
all
have
a
role
to
play
in
driving
change
.
These
conversations
reminded
me
that
every
step
,
no
matter
how
small
,
can
help
us
climb
that
Indo
mountain
.
It's
not
an
easy
journey
,
but
together
we
can
keep
moving
forward
,
advocating
for
a
future
where
everyone
has
access
to
the
care
and
understanding
they
deserve
.
As
you
go
about
your
week
,
I
encourage
you
to
think
about
how
you
can
make
a
difference
,
whether
it's
learning
about
your
state's
laws
,
having
a
conversation
or
just
sharing
your
story
.
Little
actions
can
spark
big
changes
.
Thank
you
for
being
part
of
this
community
,
for
showing
up
and
for
listening
.
If
these
episodes
that
we
reflected
back
on
resonated
with
you
,
I'd
love
for
you
to
share
it
with
someone
who
might
find
it
helpful
.
Don't
forget
to
subscribe
and
tune
in
for
our
next
Indo-Euro
Reflections
.
Until
then
,
continue
advocating
for
you
and
for
those
that
you
love
.