JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Tam Carter says any day she can sit or stand without pain is a blessing.
While she looks perfectly healthy from the outside, every month she lives in discomfort for days.
“People think you're supposed to have painful cycles, that's normal but it's not normal,” Carter said.
At just 19 years old, her doctor told her she has Endometriosis.
A chronic illness that impacts 190 million women around the world.
“I'm debilitated, I can't leave home the first few days of my cycle,” Carter added.
Dr. Chandra Adams, an OB GYN with Memorial Hospital, calls it the inside out disease.
The tissue that’s supposed to be on the inside of the uterus, ends up on the outside, implanting itself on other organs within the body.
“It's very likely to be underdiagnosed because women tend to associate their menstrual cycles with having pain,” Adams, Memorial Hospital OB GYN explained.
Even after surgery, she says Endometriosis makes it hard to live a normal life, adding she’s lost jobs simply because her symptoms forced her to call out sick every month.
“It affects having to hold a job and financially. When you’re calling out then it's unacceptable,” said Carter.
Although it’s been a difficult journey, Carter is using her diagnosis to "Shine a Light on Endo," educating others about the chronic illness.
“And living with it for so long, not that I'm managing it perfectly at all, but I'm taking that and trying to use it positively,” she mentioned.
Saying it’s her purpose to encourage others to speak up about their period symptoms, even if it’s uncomfortable.