Hi, my name is Anusha Gandhi (she/her).

Writing my bio has always been a challenge, because so much of my life has been shaped by chronic illness. Pain has a way of taking centre stage, crowding out memories of who I once was. But I am learning to look at the bigger picture — to accept where I am today, to celebrate the little things, and to remind myself that I am a work in progress.

My story with endometriosis began at 14. Within my first year of menstruation, I was hospitalized for pain so severe I would blackout, and was prescribed birth control, which I remained on for 15 years. It wasn’t until I began exploring the idea of becoming a mother that I was referred to a fertility clinic — and finally, officially diagnosed with endometriosis.

Since then, I’ve undergone one ablation and two excision surgeries, removing disease from my ovaries, bladder, colon, and diaphragm. For me, menstruation meant debilitating cramps, heavy bleeding, and period-related bowel flares. For nearly 20 years, I thought my digestive issues were simply tied to endometriosis. But mere months before my first excision, I was rushed to the hospital by ambulance, believing I had the flu. That day, I was diagnosed with severe ulcerative colitis. I was immediately placed on a biologic (Entyvio), and later learned I also live with other conditions, including pancreatitis and the ongoing possibility of primary sclerosing cholangitis.

My last excision in 2020 brought its own challenges. I developed a prolapse, lost nerve function in my rectosigmoid (meaning I can no longer pass a bowel movement on my own), and eventually required a sacral neurostimulator — a permanent device implanted in my back. The image to the right is taken from that surgery, and the wedding picture - 4 months after that operation.

It has been a long road of surgeries, setbacks, and recovery. And yet, alongside the hospital stays and medical charts, there have been moments of love, joy, and deep resilience.

Through it all, I’ve built a set of tools to help me recover, to bounce back faster each time, and to carve out a meaningful life despite chronic illness. Those are the tools I want to share with you.