Isabella wears many hats—nurse, student, and founder of "Let’s Talk, Period." She’s turned her battle with endometriosis into a podcast, giving others the support and information she wished she had.

 

Name: Isabella Gosling

Pronouns: she / her

Day job: Registered Nurse

Location: Toowoomba QLD

 

Tell us a bit about your work…

I’m a Registered Nurse and Founder of Let’s Talk, Period., the go-to podcast and community for Endo, Adeno, PCOS and everything in between!

 

So the juggle is real…!

I try my best to prioritise and focus on what’s most important. Some weeks, I get lots of LTP things done, while other weeks, it’s hardly anything because I’ve come off the night shift or have an assignment for my master's due. I’m also trying not to be as hard on myself and give myself grace for not being able to get it all done, but it is tricky at times!

 

What inspired the "Let’s Talk, Period." podcast?

Let’s Talk, Period. came from my personal experience of feeling overwhelmed, confused and alone when it came to managing endometriosis and adenomyosis. There was not much info when I was diagnosed in 2015. I wanted to make sure other people wouldn’t feel the same way and wanted information to be accessible, easy to understand, yet reliable and evidence-based.

 

Can you share your own menstruation experience?

I remember getting my first period in year 7. It was heavy from the get-go, I would need to change pads regularly, have a pad and tampon in place for overflow, and need to sleep on a towel. I used to worry about having sleepovers at other people’s houses in case I leaked onto their sheets.

From about 14 years old, I remember I would get really bad ovulation pain, then back pain the week before my period, and bad cramping during my period. I went to the GP at 16 after it not getting any better, and feeling nauseous and like I was going to pass out.

Describe your journey to being diagnosed with endometriosis.

It was long, but I’m on the shorter side of the time frame it takes to get a diagnosis. I had symptoms from 14 and was diagnosed a few weeks before turning 21.

One of the challenges I faced was getting into a gynaecologist to begin with. I’d been to my GP from 16 years old and couldn’t get a referral for a gynaecologist until I was 18-19 years old. From there, it took four gynaecologists to discover what was wrong. One didn’t operate, and one did operate and said I had no Endo but pelvic inflammatory disease. Another wanted me to switch pills for three more months. When I saw the fourth gynaecologist who diagnosed me, I was so relieved. It was bittersweet, but at least I knew what was wrong, and there was a reason for what was happening to me.

 

How does your endometriosis impact your nursing?

My Endo and Adeno currently don’t impact me physically very often, and I’m so thankful for that. However, they’ve made me more compassionate for others living with chronic pain and chronic illness. I always advocate for my patients, especially when they’ve got a background with chronic pain, as they can have a much more complex relationship with pain and pain management in a hospital setting.

 

Is it challenging to be a public advocate for endometriosis while managing your condition?

One of the biggest challenges is that people tend to forget that LTP is run by just one person, and I don’t have a team behind me. I also receive a lot of personal questions, which can be challenging to process and navigate, especially because the content can be quite heavy. In that regard, I try to take some time away or direct people to the resources I’ve created, episodes, other health professionals, and helplines.

 

What’s your advice for managing pelvic pain?

My top pain management strategy for me was to see a pelvic physiotherapist. They helped me so much and helped ease the chronic pelvic pain that I was living with daily. Now I don’t get pain all the time, and it’s maybe only once or twice a month, and my go-to is a tens machine and a heat pack / hot water bottle.

My advice is to find what works best for you. Endo affects everyone differently, so what helps you to relieve pain might be different. It is important to figure out what works best and keep that on hand for when you need it!

 

What’s your advice for someone who suspects they have endo but hasn’t been diagnosed yet?

Download an app that helps you track your period, cycle and symptoms. There are so many out there now, and it doesn’t need to be super fancy; you could even just put it in your notes app. Take note of what’s happening so you can go to the GP with evidence of what’s been happening and ask for a referral to a gynaecologist specialising in pelvic pain and endometriosis. If you’re not confident or satisfied with them, see someone else! It’s your body, and you’re entitled to find out what’s going on, even if it takes seeing four different doctors.

And for those newly diagnosed with endometriosis…

Be gentle and kind to yourself. It’s overwhelming and a lot to come to terms with; you'll experience so many emotions from that relief, including sadness, grief, and anger. Lean on your support network and take your time.

 

What common misconceptions about pelvic and menstrual conditions do you encounter, and how do you address them?

I think one of the biggest ones still to this day is that getting pregnant will cure endometriosis. It’s frustrating because we know there’s no cure for Endo, yet it’s still being shared by people who generally mean well, including some health professionals! We need to do better. When I hear this misconception, I call it out and correct it because it’s misleading.

 

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Gynae: Find someone who listens to you and takes your concerns seriously. They should be informed by evidence-based practices and an endometriosis specialist who is AGES accredited and will use excision surgery if performing a laparoscopy.
• Natural therapist: An osteopath! I’ve found them helpful for my lower back pain that’s associated with my adenomyosis. There are some incredible osteo’s who work in the women’s health space, such as Pivot Osteo (Brisbane), Freya Health (Sunshine Coast), Fundamental Health (Canberra)
• Educational Resources: Let’s Talk, Period. Podcast (obviously, I’m a little biased) because it’s full of reputable, reliable, easy-to-understand information and strategies, personal stories and conversations with health professionals for all things Endo, Adeno, PCOS and everything in between.
• Chronic Disease Management Plan: If you live in Australia, can access Medicare and have a chronic illness, chat to your GO about accessing this plan. It gives you access to rebatable allied health sessions (such as exercise physiologist, pelvic physiotherapist, dietitian, etc), so you can save a little bit of money!
• Follow on Insta:

1. @ppeptalk - share info and strategies for pelvic pain and info about their school talks to raise awareness for pelvic pain and Endo
2. @pearexercisephysiology - share videos of stretches and movement to help with Endo and pelvic pain
3. @the.pelvichealth.doc - Dr Jess shares educational info around endometriosis and pelvic pain, especially the science behind chronic pain

 

MY CYCLE

• My period in 3-words: Missing in action (I don’t get a period currently due to my treatment plan with my gynae)
• Period self-care means: Listening to your body!
• My self-care toolkit: TENS, heat pack, rest, stretching and some chocolate (haha)
• Contraception of choice: IUD
• On day 1, you can find me: Resting with my heat pack
• Best period hacks: Period undies, such a great invention that I wish I had at school. Scarlet Period Bikini Brief is an absolute must for comfort and protection.