This Photographer's Series on Endometriosis Shows How Many Scars the Disease Can Leave Behind

"I have to admit, it took a lot for me to post these photos. Each one of these scars represents years of pain, sorrow, deep hurt, chaos, confusion, insecurity, fear, and doubt. They are constant physical reminders of my journey — the good and the bad. I sometimes think my brain has done a good job trying to protect itself by blocking out the emotional trauma these scars represent.

"But here they are, and I'm sharing them with you because even though I've had excision surgery with one of the best surgeons in the world, that 10-15 percent chance of this disease coming back haunts me. And some days, it paralyzes me. Any twinge my body feels sends me back to a really dark place. My heart hurts for those who haven't been as lucky as I am to have figured out a way to have excision surgery since it isn't covered by most insurance plans. My heart hurts for those who have so many more scars than me, and will continue to add new ones until things change."

"This photo shows the scars from my excision surgeries with the years in which they occurred. In these surgeries I've had endometrial tissue removed, cysts removed, scar tissue that covered and bound my organs together removed, and more. Endometriosis is so misunderstood that treatments for pain that have been recommended to me have been: wait it out, mountains of pain pills (read: opioid epidemic), birth control, surgery, hysterectomy, and my all-time favourite, 'You could try to have a kid and see if it will get better.' (Having a child is not and should never be suggested as a treatment to pain.)"

"When women say that I do not know what suffering is — could you still say that to me now? In total I have had over 10 surgeries due to endometriosis, and not a single one of them was excision. I had adenomyosis, and still have interstitial cystitis.

"At my worst, I bled for 1 year and 9 months STRAIGHT, HEAVY, NO STOP. (That cost thousands of dollars in tampons alone). I've had more periods than most do in 4 lifetimes combined. Do not tell me, that men do not know what suffering from endometriosis is like. I've been there. I am there."

"My endometriosis journey officially began in July of 2014, the day I went to the emergency room for what I thought to be appendicitis. Appendicitis quickly turned into a cyst on my ovary, which after careful review became a suspected tumor. When blood work was ordered and came back with cancer markers reaching triple what were considered normal, I was sent to an oncologist a day later, and that is the first time someone finally said it with actual faith; The words 'I believe you have endometriosis.'

"I had heard that many times, but he said it with such conviction that I couldn't help but feel relieved that someone was FINALLY taking this pain I constantly felt seriously, and that I would finally receive a diagnosis that proved the pain I felt was real. Justification for all of the hospital visits. Proof that it wasn't all just in my head. He scheduled me for surgery a week later, preparing me for multiple possible outcomes. The most likely outcome, he said, would be the discovery of endometriosis. This would be treated by excision, ablation, and the extraction of whatever was inside my ovary with the hopes of saving the ovary itself if possible."

"With this series I want to try and show the reality that so many women with endometriosis live through, in the hope of raising some much-needed awareness. We need to be heard, we need to be seen."

"We are dating and connecting our scars from endometriosis related surgeries, to show years of mistreatment and the failings of our healthcare systems," Georgie wrote in her Instagram caption. "Excision surgery is currently the best treatment for this disease, an operation that isn't covered on most insurance plans or healthcare services around the world. This isn't good enough."