then having these conversations of, ‘Hey, this is something that you might have experienced’ because that would have made my diagnosis journey a lot easier,” Foxx says.
Fortunately, she was eventually able to find a surgeon who performed her endometriosis surgery. “I got surgery in 2018, as surgery is the gold standard of treatment for endometriosis. I had laparoscopic excision surgery to remove the endometrial tissue from my body, which has immensely changed my life. I no longer live in debilitating pain. And from then on, I’ve just maintained a healthy way of life,” Foxx shares.
Although she delayed sharing her diagnosis with her dad due to shame and not being 100% sure she had endometriosis, her father was completely supportive. “He was holding my hand right as I went off to surgery. Both my parents and my entire family have been instrumental in my healing,” Foxx adds.
Today, she is grateful to no longer be in pain, however, she realizes that not everyone is as privileged as she is, so she decided to share her story in hopes that it will help others.
“..Not everyone has access to a doctor as amazing as her. After I healed, I reached out to the Endometriosis Foundation of America and said I wanted to share my story. I tried to get more information on endometriosis out into the world because I wanted to make someone else’s diagnosis journey more manageable than mine,” Foxx says.
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She also hopes her story will help other Black women who don’t feel heard by healthcare professionals find the tools to advocate for themselves.
“I did not feel like I was being taken seriously, like I was being believed. When you’re in so much pain, you know something’s wrong. You look fine from the outside when you have an invisible illness. You couldn’t tell that I was sick. So, I had to advocate for myself,” Foxx adds. “As a woman of color, it’s harder to have our voices heard and to be believed when talking about something wrong that’s going on in our bodies or the world, too.”
She most recently partnered with Sollis Health for their new “Warriors” campaign, which aims to pave a new path in body diversity and reverse the shame, stigma, and silencing felt by 60% of people living with chronic illness, according to the CDC.
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“My advocacy work is some of my most important work. I feel like I’ve been given this incredibly privileged, blessed life. It’s my duty to