Lily Brooks O'Briant (Lucy Romalotti) took to social media to share that she recently underwent surgery to remove 21 adhesions caused by endometriosis, a condition that the young actress said had left her with "debilitating pain, nausea, migraines & more over the past 3 1/2 years."
Endometriosis is a condition in which cells similar to the lining of the uterus, or endometrium, grow outside the uterus. Some medical experts believe that more than six million women in the United States have endometriosis.
"I know I am INCREDIBLY lucky to be diagnosed so young. Most women live with insane pain for 10+ years before being diagnosed & many are told they are overreacting or that it's all in their head," O'Briant continued in her posts on Instagram.
O'Briant explained that she initially did not know that there was a name for what she had been experiencing -- and that "a few doctors" told her that she might have food allergies. Another, according to O'Briant, suggested that she needed to start taking antidepressants. It wasn't until Bindi Irwin, the daughter of the late conservationist Steve Irwin, shared her endometriosis journey and diagnosis that a lightbulb went off for O'Briant.
The two women met in person last May. O'Briant called Irwin "very kind" and said that Irwin "strongly encouraged [her] to find answers."
After consulting several doctors, O'Briant eventually found a team of doctors who specialized in endometriosis.
"For those who are reading this & quietly dealing with pain & no answers, know that your pain is real & Keep searching for answers," O'Briant wrote. "Don't be gaslit or brushed off -- I was by a few doctors who told us I had an eating disorder or allergies or it was just something I had to endure for the rest of my life -- it is NOT NORMAL !"
O'Briant first aired on The Young and the Restless in February 2023. Prior to that, O'Briant was a series regular on the Netflix comedy The Big Show Show, starring opposite WWE heavyweight fighter Paul Wight. She has also appeared in Amazon Prime's The Tick and the made-for-TV movie Crash & Burn. More recently, she played the title role of Ella in the 2022 Apple+ series Life by Ella.
O'Briant urges those seeking more information to visit www.endofund.org.
What you like to share a get well message for Lily Brooks O'Briant? Have you or someone you know had a similar experience with endometriosis? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
