Victoria’s Story

For more than 14 years, endometriosis shaped every part of my life—and if you’re reading this, there’s a chance it has shaped yours, too. I endured countless surgeries, both laser and excision, in an attempt to remove the disease and hold onto some sense of normalcy. Alongside endometriosis, I also live with interstitial cystitis (IC), a painful bladder condition that layered even more chronic pain onto my daily life. It was exhausting. It was isolating.

And so often, it felt invisible—not just to the world, but even to those who loved me most.

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Endometriosis did not simply cause discomfort; it consumed my body. It pulled at my ovaries, destroyed my fallopian tubes, and spread like a web, binding my organs together. The pain was relentless and overwhelming. the kind of pain you learn to hide because explaining it feels impossible. While I was the one living inside the pain, my husband and family lived beside it, watching me suffer, feeling helpless, and carrying their own heartbreak as they stood by me through each surgery, setback, and sleepless night.

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After years of fighting, and at just 28 years old, I made the heartbreaking decision to have a hysterectomy. While it brought relief, it also carried profound loss and grief for the body I once had and for the life endometriosis altered forever. It was a decision no woman should have to make so young, yet one so many of us are forced to consider.

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It wasn’t until after the birth of my daughter that something truly shifted in me. Holding her, I realized I could no longer stay silent. I thought of the years I lost, the pain I normalized, and the times I wasn’t believed and I knew I had to speak up. Not just for her, but for you. For every woman who has been dismissed, misunderstood, or told that this pain is “just part of being a woman.”

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Swing for Hope exists for all of us; for awareness, for earlier diagnosis, and for the reminder that no one should have to walk this journey alone. My hope is that by sharing my story, you feel seen, supported, and validated. Your pain is real. Your experience matters. And together, we can change the future for women living with endometriosis.

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Forever hopeful,
Victoria