“I Thought I Was Going Crazy”: Lily Brooks O’Briant Tells About Her Silent Struggle

General Hospital (GH) star Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos) recently welcomed actress Lily Brooks O’Briant on his State of Mind podcast. Candidly, she opened up about her personal fight against endometriosis.

Getting Personal About Her Struggle

Fans know O’Briant from her roles on The Big Show Show and Life by Ella, and Maurice chatted with her about her career for a bit. However, they then started talking about her fight with endometriosis. If you don’t know, it’s a debilitating disease affecting one in ten women.

O’Briant shared how it started off with painful and lengthy periods, which began when she was just 16. Initially dismissing it as “normal” due to the stigma surrounding menstrual health, her pain escalated to the point where she couldn’t get out of bed for days.

Lily told Maurice Benard that she was misdiagnosed with an eating disorder and a pain disorder, and was told by doctors that her agony was “mostly like a mental thing.” She described agonizing, hour-long bursts of pain that could strike anywhere.

Sometimes on set she felt terrible. During a particularly severe episode on the set of Life by Ella, she had to curl into a ball between takes, telling production to only call her when the “cameras were rolling.”

Bindi Irwin’s Experience Helped

Bindi Irwin is an advocate for those who struggle with Endometriosis, and that was the saving grace for Lily. She related how she came across an Instagram post by Bindi after her endometriosis surgery. Straight away, Lily Brooks O’Briant recognized all of the symptoms.

So, she and her mom looked for endometriosis specialists. Sometimes, it was frustrating because there were long waiting lists and a lack of understanding from many medical professionals.

Eventually, they found a surgeon in “New York” recommended by Bindi, who was the first to believe Lily’s pain was real. The diagnosis of endometriosis needed exploratory surgery. The young actress worried about the surgery because she wondered what else it could be. “What if they don’t find anything?” she recalled, concerned about being accused of “faking it.”

The Surgery Confirmed Her Disease

Well, Lily Brooks O’Briant needn’t have worried because the surgeon discovered an incredible 22 endometrial lesions throughout her body, She explained, “They found it on my intestines, on my bowels, on both ovaries, and my uterus. It was everywhere. So they removed it all.”

Successful removal provided almost immediate relief. O’Briant emphasized the importance of early diagnosis, urging women to trust their bodies and advocate for themselves, even when doctors are dismissive.

She also felt grateful because her mom never stopped helping her search for answers. These days, she tries to do the sort of advocacy that Bindi does, and she hopes to inspire other women to get the answers they need for their health.