Courtney Ford Instagram – 3/3 Two years ago, I happened upon an article from Glamour.com in which Mae Whitman shared her experience with endometriosis, and mentioned her doctor by name. I immediately sent @mistergarf a rambling paragraph of anxious over-sharing, to which she responded with so much enthusiasm for her doctor, that it gave me the energy to pick up the phone and call the office. Floating out of my body, I forced my mouth to make words: “Hello. My name is Courtney Ford. I was in the process of scheduling my 2nd endometriosis surgery when my doctor suddenly retired. She was diagnosed with ALS. She was the only doctor I ever trusted. I’m scared and don’t know what to do. Can you help me?” They could. Dr. Iris Orbuch is a whip-smart rockstar surgeon with fierce protector energy. Mother of Dragons, Slayer of Endo, Taker of No Shit. While I’m eternally grateful to my original fairy goddoctor, the late Dr. Kent, @dririsorbuch arrived in my life ready to kick some serious ass. Upon my first examination, she pressed down on my abdomen while feeling internally, and said, “Yup. Your endo is definitely back. All your organs are pulling to the left.” “Are you sure? Maybe I’m just imagining it’s back.” “You’re in stabbing pain. Your organs are pulling to the left, your face is swollen, you have alternating pain and numbness down your left leg and you said it feels like you’re sitting on a pine cone. It’s back.” “Are you sure you can get it?” I asked. “I’m sure I can get it,” she said, her kind eyes confident, and full of fire. “And I’m going to cut it out”. Rockstar. Dr. Orbuch is the Director of the Advanced Gynecologic Laparoscopy Center in Los Angeles, and is one of the very few physicians in the country that is trained to perform advanced Excision of Endometriosis. Again, rockstar. When I was being put under for my excision, I was too terrified to count backwards from 10. My anxiety Hulk-ed out at the last minute, and I flailed around for Dr. Orbuch’s hand. “I’ve got you,” she said. “I love you,” I cried. I woke up hours later feeling slightly embarrassed yet absolutely euphoric. She was right. The endo had been everywhere. And she had cut it out. Badass.