Undiagnosed Endometriosis, Miscarriage, and IVF: A Story of Medical Gaslighting | EP05

Before listening, please note that this episode includes discussion of pregnancy loss and child loss. These topics can be deeply personal, so take care of yourself as you listen and feel free to pause, skip, or come back when it feels right for you.

Endometriosis does not always show up as pelvic pain. For many women, it looks like years of unexplained symptoms, quiet self-doubt, and being told everything is fine when it clearly is not. When Rachael Cohen shared her story in a viral post about missed diagnoses, infertility, and ultimately pursuing excision surgery, it resonated because it named what so many experience but struggle to explain.

In this episode, Callie Greenberg sits with Rachael to talk through nearly a decade of chronic gastrointestinal pain, pregnancy loss, IVF, and the long road to an endometriosis diagnosis. They reflect on how often women are asked to normalize extreme discomfort, trust reassurance over instinct, and keep going without answers. What happens when your body keeps asking for help and the system keeps missing the point?

The conversation also explores advocacy and the moment when waiting is no longer an option. Rachael shares what it took to push forward toward excision surgery, and why being believed mattered as much as the diagnosis itself. It highlights what it means to keep advocating for yourself when certainty feels out of reach.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Content Note: Pregnancy Loss and Child Loss

02:51 Viral Instagram Story and Sharing an Endometriosis Diagnosis

04:45 Chronic GI Pain for a Decade and Missed Endometriosis Symptoms

09:21 Miscarriage, Triploidy, and the Shock of No Heartbeat

11:09 Partial Molar Pregnancy and HCG Monitoring Fear

17:05 IVF After Loss and Chemical Pregnancy Confusion

20:17 Endometriosis With GI Symptoms and the “Silent Endometriosis” Myth

27:10 Excision Surgery Planning and Why Endometriosis Specialists Matter

30:23 Emergency Room Admission and Excision Surgery Confirmation

38:03 IVF Isolation, Endometriosis Grief, and Finding Community

53:15 “What If Someone Had Believed Me”: Endometriosis Advocacy and Next Steps

Connect with Rachael Cohen:

Follow Rachael on Instagram

Connect with Callie Greenberg:

Visit the Own My Endo website

Follow Endo Warriors on Instagram

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm