For a Long Time, I Thought the Pain Was Normal: Why I'm Walking the 2026 End Endo 5K

By Arika Dallas, Marketing Coordinator

 For a long time, I thought the pain was normal.

It all started in May 2025 when I began experiencing muscle spasms in my lower left abdomen that were so strong, they were visible to other people through my clothes. After many ultrasounds and appointments, a September 2025 MRI showed suspected endometriomas on my ovary, suspected fibroids, and suspected endometriosis in many places, some that is possibly DIE.

Finally, after many different doctors and tests, I was recently diagnosed with Stage IV endometriosis (a chronic disease that can severely affect the reproductive organs and can spread to other parts of the body, causing serious pain, fatigue, and other complications), as well as adenomyosis, frozen pelvis, and an obliterated cul-de-sac. It's been a long road of doctors, tests, and treatment decisions, and this coming spring I'll be having surgery to help manage my very severe case.

Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women (and even some men); it’s as common as asthma and diabetes, yet it is often dismissed. Even the 1 in 10 statistic is lacking due to underdiagnosis. It’s expected that 1 in 7 suffers from this condition. It meets all 7 hallmarks of cancer, but is not yet categorized as such. It’s under-researched, underfunded, and very commonly misunderstood.

Almost everything I know about endometriosis now, I learned in the last year. One of the most useful resources I found was Jen Moore’s book, Endometriosis: Understand Your Symptoms, Get the Right Treatment, Reclaim Your Life. Jen fought for her own diagnosis for 22 years, and she wrote the book she wished she’d had. It’s the clearest explanation I’ve found of a disease I knew nothing about until it was mine. If you or someone you love is somewhere in this, start there. Purchase the book here.

So this September, my husband Angelo and I are participating in the 2026 End Endo 5K to help raise money and awareness for the Endometriosis Foundation of America. The more people who know what this disease actually is, the shorter that road gets for the next person who’s told their pain is “normal.”

Now, the backstory on our team name. “Butthole lightning” is a common name for a symptom of endometriosis where a sudden, sharp, electric-shock sensation is shooting up the rectum, often stopping you in your tracks. It’s often caused by rectovaginal endometriosis or deep lesions in the cul-de-sac (the pouch between the uterus and rectum). I have this! It’s an awkward name at first, but a very real symptom.

The best part of the 2026 End Endo 5K: it’s virtual, and you can join from anywhere, so we decided to spread the word and try to gather a team of anyone who would like to join us! You can register online, join our team (Team Butthole Lightning⚡️), and complete a 5K (walking, running, biking, swimming, however you want) anytime September 14-20.

We’re so grateful for anyone who wants to walk alongside us, even from miles away. Even if you can’t donate or register for the race, we encourage you to get on your feet with us! Exercise is medicine.

I never thought I’d be writing about butthole lightning on the company blog, and the fact that I can is a pretty good summary of why I like working here.

Join our team here: https://give.endofound.org/teambuttholelightning