Meet Team Pennsylvania State Representative, Beth Kovacs

RISING STARS IN ENDOMETRIOSIS ACTIVISM SERIES

We are excited to introduce Beth Kovacs, a dedicated Endometriosis Activist from Pennsylvania. Beth is now on board to travel to the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Philadelphia as State Representative for Endo Advocacy Day 2020. (Philadelphia Chapter President, Tiffany Letosky, will be in New York hosting the Long Island EndoMarch, but will be involved as well with this initiative!). You can learn more about Beth below and be sure to check out her Instagram page or visit her company on Facebook, AGK Vinyl Designs.

RECRUITING FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVES

If you would like to travel to your State Capitol to meet with elected officials as part of next year’s Endo Advocacy Day (Friday, March 27, 2020), just click here to schedule a phone appointment with one of our EndoMarch team members so that you can learn more. In the interim, you can click here to keep track of how many State Representatives we have on board already.

ABOUT BETH KOVACS

I was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1980. I am a full-time Domestic Diva, married to Ken Kovacs, and blessed with a 13-year-old daughter - Autumn Grace Kovacs.  Current occupation, Endometriosis Advocate and Business Owner (AGK Vinyl Designs), Facebook Business Page: AGK Vinyl Designs.  

My Endometriosis journey started after my daughter was born in 2006. Three weeks out of every month I was in constant pain and that continued for the next 10 years.  I think it is important to note that when my endometriosis symptoms started, my pain was never in my uterus. It was always in my lower back, hips, thighs and breasts, along with extreme fatigue.

Endometriosis is not a cookie-cutter disease and because of my symptoms not being considered “period related”, not one doctor ever considered Endometriosis as a diagnosis. Every doctor / OBGYN said they were not concerned because my pain was not consistent. (Meaning it went away each month even though it always returned the next month).

It took roughly 10 years for an official diagnoses.  In April of 2016, I developed Hydronephrosis of the left Kidney. I lost 22% left kidney function and developed organ damage. My left Ureter had stopped working and it had to be cut and re-implanted into another part of my bladder.  During this process I turned to Facebook and joined many endometriosis groups. It’s like I had finally found my people. All of these women, their stories were just like mine! I had every symptom that these other Endo Warriors were having.  I knew I had Endometriosis, not because of any of my doctors, but because of these amazing women.  

In 2016 I had a total of 6 surgeries in a 10 month time period. Not one MRI, CT scan, or ultrasound detected Endometriosis. Every doctor thought I had kidney stones or cancer. One surgery included a planned pregnancy that I devastatingly lost to a miscarriage. During my re-implantation procedure it was highly recommended to have a tubal ligation to prevent me from ever conceiving again. It was during this open surgery that my doctors /OBGYN found out I had endometriosis wrapped around my internal organs. It took 9 months to fully recover from that surgery.  

Since 2016 I started to support other women who have endometriosis. I give out bracelets, chap stick, key chains, and informational packets. I have gone against the medical field’s advice and seek out as many holistic practices [as I can] to help alleviate as much endo pain as possible.  I have done a few fundraisers for The Endometriosis Foundation of America. I have connected with Jojo Higgs and gave her my story to be published in Silvia Young’s second book in 2020.  And now I am so honored to be picked by the Worldwide EndoMarch to represent the State of Pennsylvania at our State Capital in March 2020.    

My endometriosis symptoms have escalated this year.  It has been harder for me to work outside of the home because of extreme nausea and dizzy spells, so I started an at-home business called AGK Vinyl Designs. I create custom shirts / sweatshirts /mugs/ bottles, glasses, blankets, hats, bags, etc.….all in the comfort of my home. Facebook Business Page: AGK Vinyl Designs This allows me the opportunity to give myself the self-care that I need during a flare up and the flexibility to also be a present mom and wife.  My goal is to get our disease classified as an autoimmune disease, to find a noninvasive diagnostic test to find out that we have Endo, and to get the medical field to stop pushing drugs on us that only worsen our disease and cause us more problems in the long run, and instead offer us holistic practices that we can afford.