Endo Black Spotlight: Crystal Latimer
By Troy Wynne
Crystal (she/her) first noticed unusually severe period pain in 2016 and like many others, her pain was ignored. Despite being written off as “normal” by her first doctor, Crystal was lucky to have a mother who advocated on her behalf, informed by her own battle with endometriosis. Crystal and her mother then sought out a female doctor, in hopes of being treated with more urgency and attentiveness, but unfortunately, was not believed again.
Fast forward to 2019, Crystal experienced a terrifying ordeal of heavy bleeding for two weeks, with large clotting and severe pain that did not stop. Arriving at the ER, she was given a high concentration of birth control medication to halt the bleeding. The birth control did manage to stop the bleeding but came with a host of other side effects, including blurred vision, rapid heart rate, and muscle weakness.
Her pain did not stop there and continued to get worse. In 2021, Crystal saw a Black female doctor who finally performed laparoscopic surgery, which confirmed the presence of endometriosis. However, no excision or ablation was performed after it was found on her bowels, blood vessels, and appendix. Crystal was told the surgery was too risky and could result in her death, which was a devastating revelation.
An endometriosis specialist was recommended to her by a friend who put together a team of surgeons to work on removing the endometriosis. Crystal opted for a hysterectomy, hoping it would provide relief after so many years of battling with pain. Crystal continues to battle with pain to this day and hopes that with Pelvic Floor Therapy and improved medical care, she can finally be released from this seemingly never-ending battle with pain.
Crystal’s story of not being believed by several doctors is unfortunately, not uncommon. This is why learning how to advocate for your health is incredibly important, as well as removing the stigma surrounding the conversation of painful periods. May 28th is Menstrual Health Day, which seeks to destigmatize menstruation. Celebrate Menstrual Health Day with Endo Black, Inc. by learning more about endometriosis here and donate directly here:
A special thank you to Crystal for sharing her story at the Endo Black Conference in March 2024.