The Bachelor Contestant Lexi Young Opens Up About Endometriosis Diagnosis: ‘My Pain Was Validated’

Bachelor contestant Lexi Young bravely talks about her journey with endometriosis.

During a one-on-one date with this season’s Bachelor Joey Graziadei in Malta on Monday’s episode, Young, 30, took the opportunity to share more about her diagnosis, a topic she’s been vocal about on social media.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, endometriosis is a condition in which endometrial tissue grows outside the uterus. It affects up to 10% of women aged 15 to 44.

Young revealed to Graziadei how her journey with endometriosis began at a young age, punctuated by painful periods that lasted through high school and college.

In a TikTok video preceding the episode, she elaborated, expressing her frustration with failed treatments, including medication and birth control pills prescribed at a young age.

Joey Graziadei and Lexi Young.

Disney/John Fleenor

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“After college, I moved to San Francisco, and my symptoms escalated,” she revealed. “I reached the point where I would pass out at work due to the intensity of the pain. It became impossible to fulfill my job duties and I found myself seeing multiple doctors a week in search of answers.”

Young’s journey took another turn as she shared that she was diagnosed with unknown conditions and fired, only to be told that her pain was psychological and rooted in anxiety and depression.

“All of this made me feel invalid and made me doubt the reality of my pain,” she added.

After moving to New York City to be closer to her family, Bachelor the contestant faced worsening symptoms. “While I was working at the GAP headquarters in New York, I was taken to the emergency room several times. I was losing a lot of blood. I had really bad bloating in my stomach,” she said.

Just when she had lost hope, she met a doctor at New York University who changed her life.

“This surgeon really changed my life and I am very grateful to him. She listened to me and confirmed that my pain was 100% real, and she had a strong hunch that I had endo,” explained Young. “Endometriosis cannot be diagnosed with an MRI, X-ray, CT scan, or any lab test. It must be diagnosed by laparoscopic surgery. These operations are usually quite expensive and are primarily diagnostic.”

After undergoing magnetic resonance imaging, which revealed thickening of the uterine ligaments, she underwent surgery to remove the root of the endometriosis.

The reality star added: “It was the most emotional day I’ve ever had. When the doctor entered the room, she told me that I had stage IV deep infiltrating endometriosis throughout the pelvic cavity, and it had even spread to other organs. I finally felt my pain validated. I suffered for over a decade, turned away from doctors and finally got an answer to what was going on with my body.”

Lexi Young and Joey Graziadei.

Disney/John Fleenor

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Despite the surgery, Young revealed that she still has seizures every week. She is also learning to navigate how endometriosis will affect her future, including her plans to have children.

After Monday’s episode, she took to Instagram to express her gratitude for the opportunity to share her story on TV, hoping to inspire other women and let them know they are not alone in their endometriosis journey.

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Young wrote: “Tonight’s episode was hard to watch after everything I’ve been through, but it also allowed me to reflect on how far I’ve come. I knew that if I could help even one woman suffering from endometriosis or infertility, it would to feel in some small way that my pain and suffering was worth it.”

“I want to thank each and every one of you for the messages and support I have received,” she added. “I can’t put into words how much it means to me to be given the opportunity to share my story on this platform, but I am beyond grateful for the support of my family and friends, as well as the kindness and understanding shown to me by Joey, the producers and @bachelorabc for allowed endometriosis, an invisible disease, to finally be seen.”

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Source: HIS Education