Mae Whitman spoke to People magazine about her battle with endometriosis, which is when uterine tissue grows outside the uterus. It’s incredibly painful and the pain can begin long before menses. Mae said that when she started her journey with it, no one had any answers for her. She recalled filming a scene on One Fine Day in 1996, she would have been seven, that required a great deal of running. Mae got so sick that she couldn’t do it. She was left scared and alone, thinking she was staring down a life of pain. For years, doctors told her it was just “period related” in that familiar “deal with it” way women often hear from the medical profession. Mae reached out to her friend Lena Dunham and was finally able to start managing her symptoms. Now she’s hoping to help others avoid the suffering she went through.
Mae Whitman is hoping to help others by sharing her journey with endometriosis.
As she grew older, Whitman — who is currently gearing up for the fourth season of NBC’s Good Girls — says she “tried everything” in order to get answers, but was unable to find a solution.
“I tried birth control and all the things that they said and my cramps were not normal,” says Whitman. “I went to so many doctors over the years. And I would just say, ‘What is it?’ First they would say period pain is normal. And I was like, ‘Okay, I’m barfing into the toilet seven times every single time.’ And then they would say, ‘Well, you should go on birth control because it could be this weird thing called endometriosis, that we don’t really know a lot about and the only thing you can do to fix it, is this really complicated surgery, and even then you usually have to come in like 10 times to get that to work.’ And I was like, ‘But what is it?’ ”
“I remember I kept going, and I just would leave these appointments just crying hysterically in my car, because I felt so gaslit,” she adds. “I didn’t understand what it was.”
“I had a particularly bad time where I ended up having to go to the emergency room,” Whitman recalls. “I thought I was dying, and I have a really, really high tolerance for pain. I couldn’t do a job on The Handmaid’s Tale because I was so sick. I had to give up a guest role, which I really wanted to do. I’d be laying half in and out of the shower, and an hour late for my call time, and barfing. And finally, I had to go to the hospital.”
“I still didn’t know what it was or how to treat it, so finally, I reached out to Lena Dunham, because I knew that she’d had issues with this as well,” she adds. “And she recommended me to Dr. Iris Orbuch and I remember the first thing they do, is they hand you a big book of all of these testimonials and letters that these people wrote. And I just immediately burst into tears, just reading the letters, because it was the first time I’d ever felt like someone said, ‘This is what I have. This is what it is, is what it feels like, and there is a way out.'”
After getting the answers she’d been longing for, Whitman says she was able to find a manage her symptoms.
I don’t give Lena credit for much, but I do think she is an important advocate for endometriosis health, and I appreciate her not backing down even when people accused of using her condition for sympathy. Dr. Orbauch is based in Los Angles and New York City but hopefully endometriosis clinics are appearing in major cities and beyond. I felt it when Mae said the first thing they did was hand her a huge book of testimonials. It cannot be overstated how important it is to let people know they are not alone. I love that Mae’s paying it forward now that she’s finally gotten answers.
I’m curious to know which role in Handmaids Tale Mae had to pass on. She’s good in all her roles. The whole point of her role in Arrested Development (her?) was that she was entirely forgettable and by embodying that, Mae became absolutely unforgettable. She perfectly blends into her cast dynamic. I have a whole new appreciation for her talent on screen after learning this. I’m glad Mae is feeling better. I wish her and anyone else battling this beast much luck. Hopefully the medical community will catch up with women’s health so we can all – equally – live more comfortable lives in the near future.
Photo credit: Instagram
Mae Whitman is one of the finest actors of her generation. I hope we get to see more of her soon.
I LOVED her on Parenthood, and she’s excellent on Good Girls.
It is astounding how often doctors dismiss reproductive pain and issues,with birth control being the answer for everything. I have a similar condition and it took years before finding a doctor that I felt actually listened to me. And even then connecting with other women on Instagram was a key part of managing symptoms.
It feels like all the majority of Dr’s know how to do is say lose weight and take some birth control.
Exactly! As if the underlying condition doesn’t impact ones’ ability to lose weight. It’s maddening!
Women are routinely precepted as exaggerating and hysterical. My own husband (empathic guy and he’s a doctor) didn’t believe me that a canula can hurt me so much. I was about to have a c-section and was crying that I won’t be able to hold my baby because I couldn’t move my hand! After first IV almost finished it turned out that my hand doubled in size because canula pierced my vein!
Another one – he (and first doctor I visited) also didn’t get that I felt horrible for a week because I didn’t look like it. I was still caring for my child because someone had to. I has inflammation of a sinus that is located so deep in the skull that I started having vision disturbances. But sure, I didn’t have a runny nose, or red eyes, I just said that I felt horrible.
It’s not funny to me when someone jokes about man’s flu because it has a reason – women just suck it up because nobody listens anyway. And all “female-related” issues are the worst, they love to tell us that other women go through it just fine and nobody is willing to investigate.
Thank you Hecate
As someone who suffers from endometriosis, I’m always happy to hear other people speaking out about it because it somehow feels taboo to talk about.
For me, some months I’m ok and others I’m not but I remember one month being in the office at work, when my period came on. I could feel the pain building but it was tolerable and then very quickly, I was doubled over in pain, sitting on the office floor and taking my strongest painkillers, before asking to go home and feeling concerned about how I was going to get there. I work in a hospital and the thoughts in my mind were ones of fear of being admitted and having to tell everyone it was just my period and this happens sometimes. It really shouldn’t be embarrassing to talk about, especially in a health care setting but somehow periods feel like ‘womens issues’ and therefore a weakness.
Totally hear you. I took birth control pills for endo and it helped, and this post and comments have educated me on how that is not a solution for everyone.
My endometriosis diagnosis didn’t come until I was in my 40s. I was led to believe the heavy bleeding, cramps, vomiting and anemia was just the way it goes. Coming of age in the 1980’s sucked when it came to women’s health! It wasn’t until I had the craziest and worst symptom of abdominal bloating so bad that when my niece brushed against me I winced in pain that I finally sought treatment. Stage 4 endometriosis with my uterus so matted down the physician performing the diagnostic laparoscopic procedure said she couldn’t move it. Truly a miserable, crippling condition. Two best things in my life have been an iud and the approach of menopause!
Another ‘endo-warrior’ here. It’s just awful and I won’t go into my crippling (quite literally) story. I’m just glad more people are speaking out about it. I was also in my 40’s when finally diagnosed. I have two children and was told by my surgeon it is a miracle I was even able to conceive. So for that I am grateful every single day.
I went to emerg for endometriosis once. I was bleeding and vomiting and sobbing and writhing on the floor, so my roommate thought I was legit dying. She called her mom in the middle of the night and rushed me to ER. Later, he brother visited and laughed that was the only person there because of her period. I laughed too, because I’d never read an article like this one. So glad this might keep another girl from being ashamed of “wasting” medical practioners’ time.
I know the scene she’s talking about in One Fine Day, and I feel bad knowing that pain on her face was real, not acting :/
If you’ve read Mary Trump’s book about DJT and the whole Trump family, you may be reminded that DJT’s mother suffered terribly from endometriosis for decades, while DJT’s father minimized and applied “positive thinking” towards her suffering right in front of the kids. In spite of all the Trumps’ money and privilege, so little was known about endometriosis back then. Women were told to suck it up. Belittling a woman and minimizing her pain and suffering in front of her young children of both genders causes ripple effects for at least a generation.
“Bleeding from her wherever…”
Sorry to bring up the T-family but this piece just reminded me of that mistreatment.
I wish that doctors as soon as they hear pain during the menstrual cycle would run tests to say what is causing pain. I have pcos and was diagnosed early as a teen because I told my doctor that I was a virgin but my period was 3 months late and one sonogram later I got answers and advise on how to manage it, no fuss whatsoever. So why is it so difficult to take women seriously when they are concerned for their health? Light cramping during a period may be normal, but heavy cramping, heavy bleeding and vomiting? I find it incredible that women still have to wait years and years before receiving a diagnosis about their reproductive health.
How do you manage it, Lauren? I have Endo and was diagnosed with PCOS this year. It is completely out of control and I keep growing large cysts that have to be surgically removed.
I’m so very sorry to hear that. My main problem was me being over weight and some hormonal issues. Honestly just the pill and weight loss. With age my irregular cycle settled down on it’s own and my losing weight has helped greatly with my overall well being. I stopped taking the pill a few years ago, but I’ve noticed that I’m not in excruciating pain like before when it gets to that period of the month. Most cycles I don’t even have to take ibuprofen, just deal with a lot of bloating and some pms symptoms. I hope that you can find something that helps you, pcos is not fun, but coupled with endo I can’t even imagine who hard that is on you.
I’m really glad to hear that weight loss has helped with your symptoms! I just started on a low carb diet with the hope that weight loss helps.
Virtual hugs dear. Good luck!
I had great relief from endo/pcos symptoms on a low carb diet. I hope it works for you too!
In my family particularly on my father’s side if you are a woman who doesn’t procreate you will get endometriosis. My sister started to get it but after her first birth it went away. That left me (I can’t have children) and my aunt who is a lesbian with terrible cases of endometriosis. Luckily my aunt’s employer knew about endometriosis and she was diagnosed. Then my aunt had me go to her doctor where I was diagnosed and treated. I was then referred to another doctor who performed what was supposed to be a one hour operation to laser away the endometriosis that had spread throughout my lower organs and intestines however the surgery went on for six hours. I felt like I had been run over with a truck afterwards. I was then put into a false state of menopause for six months with hormone pills and the endometriosis never came back. My periods were still strong but if I took an Advil or two at the beginning it was under control. My niece is 24 now and starting to get signs of endometriosis but I’m glad that we can identify it for her and her doctor and avoid all the misdiagnosing I hear about when it comes to this ailment.
Iris Orbuch is a celebrity doctor who is NOT accessible to everyone, as she doesn’t take insurance. She also drops patients after surgery if they dare to give negative feedback. She asks her patients to sign NDAs.
Dr. Sinerva and Dr. Orbuch also give a LOT of money to the RNC and Trump’s campaigns (talk about irony since the GOP sucks at women’s rights). So I would NOT suggest these two or promote them.
I had a hysterectomy at 37 because of twenty years of terrible monthly pain and incredibly heavy periods. Obviously not the solution for everyone including a woman as young as Mae, but I’ve never regretted it.
I throw up every time I get my period and get numbness between my legs that makes it difficult to walk. I have a fever and chills. It lasts about 24 hours. I’ve seen so many specialists but the options I have been given are: painkillers or surgery. But the surgery is still very new. The pill and other supplements help some but not enough. I saw Olivia Culpo had it with good results. I really hope medicine has more research dedicated to this.
I am so grateful for my female ob/gyn. She was a godsend when my daughter (14 at the time) had escalating symptoms that were unmanageable on OTC pain meds, then oral contraceptives. She was missing school and in so much pain; it escalated to starting a full week before her period and lasting 1-2weeks after. She had her first pelvic endoscopic laparotomy at 15 and had 13 endometrial implants- one could not be cauterized bc it was on her ureter. About five years ago she got an IUD during a subsequent endo lap, and just had it replaced with her most recent surgery. She’s not even 23 yet, poor thing. She also gets ruptured ovarian cysts like her ma, and like me, has been in the ER with them. I don’t tolerate male MDs who even try to minimize this.