Surviving the Unexpected: Navigating Public Flare-Ups of Endometriosis

You're running errands, grabbing coffee, maybe even doing something fun and suddenly…BAM!!!

It hits you. That slow-building, nauseating pelvic pain. The cramp that turns into a stab. The bloating that feels like a balloon in your stomach. The full-body fatigue that makes your legs feel like concrete.

You’re not home. You’re not near your bed. You don’t have your heating pad. You’re not OK, but you've been programed to pretend you are.

Welcome to the secret hell of an endometriosis flare in public.

The panic sets in...

It’s not just pain. It’s the panic of knowing there’s nowhere safe to break down.

It’s trying to hold your body still while it feels like it’s betraying you in front of strangers.

It’s whispering, “Please not here, please not now,” while trying to finish a conversation, a checkout line, or a commute without falling apart.

No one sees it. No one knows. But you’re fighting a war inside your own body, and it takes everything to get to a safe place just to catch your breath.

I have learned to keep a couple of things on hand.... let's call it my "Endo Go-Bag"

As an Endometriosis fight and Endometriosis Coach, I have created an "Endo Go-Bag" that comes with me whenever I'm not home. It's not cute or aesthetic. It’s my Endo Go-Bag. It lives in my purse, in my car, or both.

1. Portable Heating Patch

Therma Care, Rael, or any stick-on heat patch. I’ve applied these in public bathrooms. Zero shame. They don’t fix the pain, but they take the edge off enough to function.

2. Meds

Pain reliever. Antispasmodic. CBD. Whatever works for you. Carry it. I don’t wait until I “really need it” I take it when the whisper starts, not when it’s screaming.

3. Electrolyte packet or small water bottle

Dehydration makes everything worse. Electrolytes can calm your nervous system and help with dizziness or nausea that comes with flares.

4. Anti-nausea support

Peppermint oil roller. Ginger chews. Dramamine. Vomiting in your car is not the vibe. Prepare for that nausea wave that sometimes hits without warning.

5. Pads or liners

Even if you’re not on your period. Endo bleeding is unpredictable, and spotting mid-flare isn’t uncommon. Stay prepared.

6. Extra underwear or leggings (leave them in your car)

Don’t laugh. Flare + bloat + random bleeding? You’ll thank me later.

7. Mental script or grounding technique

When pain hits in public, panic is right behind it. Have a phrase ready: “I’ve survived this before. I can get through the next 10 minutes.” Or a simple breath pattern: in for 4, hold for 4, out for 6. Ground yourself while your body freaks out.

Real Talk: I know it feels like we shouldn’t Have to Be This Prepared to Leave the House

But we do.

Living with endometriosis means being your own backup plan. It means planning your day around your pain without letting it steal every piece of joy. It means knowing your limits and giving yourself permission to leave early, cancel, or rest without guilt.

I’m not here to tell you to “just push through.” I’m here to say: you’re not weak for needing a plan. You’re smart as hell for having one.

You’re Not Alone in This

I see you...every woman who’s had to fake a smile while her insides screamed. Every one of you who’s clutched her stomach in a Target bathroom or cried in your car before driving home.

You’re not broken. You’re living with a complex, misunderstood disease and doing the best you can.

As an Endo Coach, I help women stop pretending they’re fine and start building real strategies for living life even when flares hit out of nowhere.

You deserve tools. You deserve compassion. You deserve to leave the house without fear.

Until there’s a cure, let’s make sure you’re not navigating this sh*tstorm alone!!!