Keri Wiginton

I turned 40 this year, and my period started when I was 12. Like a lot of warriors, my symptoms were rough from the beginning. You might wonder what it's...

I've written about menstrual-related hypersomnia. That's when I sleep a lot more than usual before my period starts. But I actually get pre-menstrual insomnia way more often. I usually struggle to...

My urogynecologist set me up with a new pelvic floor therapist recently. This one is supposed to help with my bladder pain, or interstitial cystitis. My doc said it's clear...

Your brain controls your menstrual cycle. Specifically, the hypothalamus tells your pituitary gland when it's time to have a period. Certain things, such as stress, can affect those signals. That's...

I rarely take naps. But I get very sleepy the few days before my period. And it’s not just regular endo fatigue. It’s "fall asleep in the middle of the...

A doctor once told me that people with endometriosis often have more gastrointestinal problems than gynecologic ones. That’s definitely the case with me. And changing my diet has been the...

I had a third laparoscopy earlier this year. But this time, I saw an excision and endometriosis specialist. He told me to give my body three months to heal before...

I was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis(IC) about a decade ago. That's the medical term for bladder inflammation. My symptoms eventually lessened on their own, despite the lack of a treatment...

Endometriosis is a complex disease. And the only way to see what’s really going on is with a laparoscopy. That’s when a doctor makes a small incision in your belly...

Some of my right-sided pain started getting a lot worse about six years ago, especially with exercise. Sex started to hurt again, too. I was sure these issues were related...

It can be really hard to find a specialist. That’s because endometriosis falls under the umbrella of gynecology. But to treat it well, OB-GYNs need advanced surgical training. Usually that’s...

I recently had my third surgery for endometriosis. But it was my first with an excision specialist, and one who works with a research hospital that has an actual "center...

I've always had pretty good skin, at least when it comes to my face. But in my 30s, I started getting lots of pre-period bumps on my chin, jawline, and...

I'm part of a few Facebook groups that focus on endometriosis. One is called, "Extrapelvic Not Rare Endo Support and Education Group." I follow this one because researchers are way...

I've had pretty serious lower right-side pain for more than 20 years. It comes and goes throughout my menstrual cycle, peaking at ovulation and before my period. I don't know...

Like a lot of people with endometriosis, I have allergies. But the symptoms to my actual allergies — cats and dust mites — are pretty mild. Sometimes my eyes will...

I recently wrote about how antidepressants helped my PMDD. I tried three kinds, including some SSRIs. But I settled on duloxetine. That's a selective serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, or SNRI. It's...

Endometriosis has caused lots of problems for me over the past 25 years: backaches, period pain, impossible sex, migraines, diarrhea, repeat UTIs. I'll stop there, but you get the picture...

I've had premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD, since I was a teenager. Like everything else about my endometriosis and my period, it's gotten worse in my 30s. Once my symptoms...

I finally scheduled a visit with an excision specialist. I'll have to make a 5-1/2 hour drive to get there, so he's already booked me for 3 days. The dates...