Tracy Lewis of Denver shared her remarkable endometriosis story in an interview with EndoFound in February and again before a riveted audience in March at EndoFound’s annual Patient Symposium in New York City.
Tracy experienced endometriosis symptoms for the first time at age 50 after having ablation surgery to stop her periods during perimenopause. The symptoms, including debilitating pain, continued for nine years until late 2023, when an endometriosis specialist diagnosed her with adenomyosis and stage IV endometriosis during surgery. Tracy said the specialist told her it appeared the gynecologist who’d done the ablation didn’t ablate the uterus—only the cervix. This meant Tracy was still having periods, but they weren’t leaving her body, causing the disease to materialize and spread.
The surgery was successful, and Tracy is back to her old self. While she credits many people for her recovery, her son, Stryker Lewis, is at the top of the list. Stryker, 24, is a Denver native now living in Manhattan. He was a young teenager when Tracy’s pain started, and he’s always been by her side. He even shared the stage with her at the symposium earlier this year.
“For the last several years, Stryker has been with me and has seen the issues I’ve had,” Tracy said in February. “We’d go to the gym and he’d see me in pain, or he’d see me sitting on the sofa with heating pads trying to get over this. He’s been very emotionally attached to what I’ve been through.”
Click Here To Support Stryker's Marathon Fundraiser
Stryker will be running next month for Team EndoStrong in the New York City Marathon. This is EndoFound’s tenth year as a charity partner with the marathon and second year as a bronze-level foundation, as classified by New York Road Runners. The race is on Nov. 3. EndoFound’s goal is for the team of 50 runners to raise $250,000.
“My mom’s so excited I’m doing this, and our goals with it are very much aligned—we just want to get the word out there,” Stryker said. “A lot of people don’t know about endometriosis, and that’s unfortunate when you see how many people it affects and how often it’s misdiagnosed. I’ve seen the toll it can take, and that’s not okay. It’s a drain on every aspect of your life when you have it, and nobody should have to go through that.”
Stryker watched his mom suffer daily.
“There were so many times when we’d go out for dinner or some kind of celebration and she’d have to go home early or not be able to go with us in the first place,” he said. “The pain she was in was awful, and to see that torment someone, especially for as long as it did, is beyond description.”
Stryker was young and, like his mom, didn’t know what was causing her pain, but he did what he could for her.
“A lot of it was just seeing where I could help in the moment,” he said. “A lot of times it was as minor as getting her a heating pad or making dinner. Whatever she needed.”
Now that Stryker knows the source of his mom’s pain, he’s excited to help other women who have the disease. Though he’s never run a full marathon, he’s competed in and completed two Half Ironman competitions, the most recent in 2021. A Half Ironman consists of swimming 1.2 miles, biking 56 miles, and running 13.1 miles.
“I’m behind on my training now because of work, but I’ll be okay,” he said. “For me, it’s mind over matter. I’ve been aiming for a 3:15 finish, and I don’t know if that’s realistic now, but we’ll see.”
As long as his effort raises awareness, he considers what he’s doing a success. He’d also like to educate people in his position—children, spouses, friends, parents, siblings, or anyone else tied to someone with endometriosis—on how critical their support is.
“Empathize and sympathize, but also go that extra mile when they’re reeling,” he said. “What can you do to help take their mind off the pain? When my mom asked for a heating pad, I’d also bring her some tea or cookies or just sit and spend some time with her. Those may seem like minor things, but those small things can add up and really make a difference.”
Catch Stryker's interview with Diana Falzone on EndoTV!
Subscribe & Follow For More Content Like This!!
To contribute to Stryker Lewis’ cause, visit https://give.endofound.org/fundraiser/5808522.
