On the latest episode of General Hospital star Maurice Benard’s podcast, Young and the Restless’ Lily Brooks O’Briant went in depth about her endometriosis diagnosis and doctors’ initial response.
The Struggle Is Real
Opposite Benard during the latest episode of State of Mind, O’Briant opened up about her battle with endometriosis, which she revealed, “affects one in 10 women, which is an insanely high number, when you think about it. But not enough people know about it.”
The young actress delved into her experience getting diagnosed, which she said began at 16 years old when she developed debilitating pain during menstrual cycles that wound up affecting her work. “Some women compare it; women who have had birth, who have gone into labor,” she revealed. “I could be at an audition or I could be at school or hanging out with friends and then, all of a sudden, I would be in the worst pain of my life.”
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Despite several doctors visits, O’Briant’s experience was like many others’ at first. “My gynecologist told me this was normal, put me on birth control, that didn’t help,” she said. “I felt like no one was listening to me. I felt like I was going crazy,” she continued, noting that her first endo specialist told her the pain was “a mental thing.”
Not Alone Anymore
O’Briant went on to talk about her official diagnosis, thanks to Bindi Irwin’s surgeon, and her surgery that followed, which led to the actress spreading awareness for the disease. “There’s such a stigma around talking about your periods and talking about period cramps or whatever, but it’s so important for women to know that if you’re in that level of pain, you’ll know that it’s not normal.”
O’Briant isn’t the only soap star to reveal an endometriosis diagnosis. GH’s Kirsten Storms (Maxie) and Kate Mansi (Kristina) have both been open about their struggle with the disease over the years. On the fictional side, GH’s Molly (Kristen Vaganos) was given an endometriosis diagnosis in 2023 when the character was struggling to get pregnant.
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