When I signed up for my second endometriosis surgery in April 2026, my biggest hope was simply to get my life back.
My symptoms had become increasingly confusing. Even though I’d been living with an endometriosis diagnosis for years, it was difficult to connect many of them directly to the disease. Choosing surgery felt like a leap of faith, but I was willing to take that risk.
Blog: My Endometriosis & Adenomyosis Surgery in Thailand
Now that it’s been three months since the operation, I wanted to share an honest update on where things stand.
The good news first
Many of my symptoms improved almost immediately after surgery.
The constant abdominal bloating is gone, along with the overwhelming fatigue and my daily need for naps. Pelvic pain, including pain during intercourse and the pain I used to feel from vibrations – such as riding in a car or on a scooter – has also disappeared.
My periods have changed as well. The bleeding is still heavy and I still need pain medication, but they now last around 4–5 days instead of 6–7.
Not everything is back to normal
The biggest remaining issue is still a strange gag reflex that I’ve been living with for almost a year.
Despite seeing a neurologist, hematologist, gastroenterologist, gynecologist and several general practitioners, no clear explanation has been found. I’ve had blood tests, MRI scans, ultrasounds, and numerous other examinations. Everything has come back normal.
The symptoms have clearly improved since surgery. The gag reflex no longer gets triggered as easily, and it no longer happens while I’m completely at rest. There have even been days when I’ve genuinely felt healthy.
However, intense training is still difficult. Other activities that put stress on my nervous system (like crying😅) can occasionally trigger the symptoms as well.
Looking at the timeline, it seems reasonable to assume that my endometriosis is connected to these symptoms in some way. I still feel that this particular symptom isn’t widely recognized as being related to endometriosis, so for now I’m left relying on my own observations and the experiences of other patients. At least so far, no one has been able to tell me exactly why it’s happening or how to treat it.
Moving forward
Maybe my nervous system simply needs more time to recover. Maybe the cause is something entirely different. Honestly, I don’t know yet.
Mentally, it’s incredibly frustrating not being able to train at full intensity when my motivation is there and my body otherwise feels capable. Still, compared to where I was this spring, things are undeniably better. That’s what I’m choosing to focus on.
If this year has taught me anything, it’s that recovery is rarely a straight line. Sometimes the biggest improvements only become visible when you stop looking at today and instead look back at where you started.
