Emma’s battle with stage four endometriosis.
Meet Emma. A chronic illness warrior, whose life has been flipped upside-down by her health (a few times). First was in her early 20's when her recurring thrush would NOT go away. Then, it was four years ago after being diagnosed with stage four endo.
Through the battle, was a shining light: creating her biz Vee Underwear based on her health journey with thrush. Breathable, bamboo pieces that help keep your bits healthy.
We were so inspired by her story, that we hadddd to interview her. The below is in her own words.
So without further a-do, let us allow Emma's story to take the floor:
Meet Emma.
Hello Yours Only community! I’m Emma, Vee’s Founder. I’m originally a Noosa girl but have resided in Melbourne for 10 years now. I’m definitely a Melburnian at heart. Vee Underwear is my passion and takes up the majority of my time. The natural nature of having a small business that stems from a personal passion means it integrates into all facets of your life. I love our brand, our team, our vision, and our plans—it takes up 80% of my time. Beyond this, I like to lead a healthy lifestyle and spend quality time with my husband, family, and friends.
While I’ve been extremely blessed to not experience skin dramas, I’ve had my fair share of female health battles. The first challenge I faced in my early 20s was recurring thrush, which led me to found Vee Underwear—bamboo underwear for everyday wear, with femme care. Then came the biggest battle of all: I was diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis around four years ago, an ongoing daily struggle.
Dealing with ongoing thrush.
After battling recurring thrush for many years, I finally demanded a better solution than Canesten from my GP. It was only then, years later, that they suggested looking into environmental factors, such as the types of body care products I was using and the fabrics I was wearing, particularly when it came to underwear.
I discovered that I was only wearing synthetic underwear, which was not breathable and likely contributed to my recurring thrush. When I tried to find breathable underwear made from natural fibres, I found it nearly impossible to find a product that was both comfortable and fashionable. I couldn’t believe that there were zero intimate underwear brands championing female health. It didn’t make sense to me.
After this experience, I became fiercely passionate about shaking up the very outdated intimate industry and creating an underwear brand that champions female health.
Being diagnosed with endometriosis.
It was a long road. On average, it takes six years for someone to be diagnosed with endometriosis, and I was right on that stat. It took two laparoscopic surgeries, many specialists, and a heck of a lot of money to finally be diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis and get the treatment I needed—wild.
Honestly, endo impacts you every day, not just during a flare-up. To manage it and attempt to minimise flare-ups, you're constantly making decisions about what to eat, drink, put on your skin, and how to move your body. Once you're in a flare-up, it’s a bit of a waiting game — there's no quick-fix remedy. Therefore, it’s a constant juggling act and game of dodge-a-flare-up, which is a daily stress.
For me, a flare-up looks like a 10/10 swollen and extremely tender-to-touch belly, bed-ridden cramping, and chest pain. This can last anywhere between 1-5 days for me.
Emma's advice for going through an endo flare-up.
Work out what triggers you and what supports you, and stick to it. It’s really just about getting to know your body and becoming as in tune with it as possible to help avoid and manage flare-ups. It’s such a different experience from person to person.
Because our condition is invisible, it can be really hard for people to understand what you’re going through and thus empathise with you and support you. The more we can help people understand, the more we can feel supported by those around us.
Suspect you might have endo, but not sure? Vee has written a handy step-by-step guide to help support you through the process of finding out if you have endometriosis, as the journey can be daunting and confusing. See here.
The benefits of breathable underwear.
This is my favourite thing to talk about. Synthetic fabrics like nylon, polyester, and spandex are commonly used in underwear manufacturing due to their stretchability and affordability (they’re cheap, cheap, cheap). However, these materials are not breathable and can trap heat and moisture against the skin, creating an ideal warm and damp environment for bacteria and yeast to grow, increasing your risk of general skin irritation and infections such as yeast infections, urinary tract infections, and bacterial vaginosis.
Breathable underwear + sensitive skin
If you have sensitive skin or are prone to vaginal infections, opting for underwear made from natural, breathable materials is crucial. While cotton underwear is a good option for breathability, bamboo is actually three times more breathable and four times more absorbent than cotton. And unlike cotton, bamboo naturally has antibacterial and antifungal properties, making it the best undie antidote to recurring vaginal infections.
