Introduction -

I've had a very successful career as a pro figure athlete. For the past 3 1/2 years I dealt with a condition the medical community doesn't quite know a lot about: endometriosis. Although the cause of mine was known and very specific to "mechanical dysfunction" caused by a prior cervical cone biopsy surgery, the treatment only delayed the inevitable hysterectomy. Despite dealing with DAILY excruciating pain that my trainer nor I understood we worked our asses off and I kept winning shows or placing top 3. Depo Lupron monthly injections kept me pain free during contest season, but in the off season when my estrogen levels rose back to normal there was no relief.

But by the end of 2010 it all came to a head. I couldn't train anymore, the pain was so bad. There's no way I could hold a normal 40 hour a week job. Pain scale of 9 or 10 for 4 to 6 hours every day. Pain scale of 3 to 5 the rest of the day. Ultrasounds didn't show everything, but on July 13, 2011 during my hysterectomy surgery I had an abscess growing out of my uterus and left ovary that were stuck together with my colon wrapped around the mass. My right ovary was fine, and I got to keep it. My doctor did a great job untangling the mess and removing the broken parts. I knew the worst was over and I thank God for my second chance at health.

Looking ahead though, I had lost a lot of muscle and gained a good amount of fat from my inactivity. I look like my before pictures from the Body for Life Challenge back in 1999. I know that I know what to do. I did it before. But it's a scarey view looking up the mountain to where I need to go. It's a place that took me 8 years to reach and 3 years to maintain since I first starting working out in 1999.