Dolly Parton's All-Too-Relatable Endometriosis Struggles Resonated With Women Everywhere

Dolly Parton's optimism through her endometriosis diagnosis continued to help others in her shoes decades later. Endometriosis is an often painful condition in which tissue grows outside of the uterus. Although it's unclear when she officially received the diagnosis, Parton notably had to cancel a 1982 tour due to reported abdominal pain and bleeding, which are both symptoms of endometriosis that you shouldn't ignore. And her experience made her more relatable to other women. 

In her 30s, Parton underwent a partial hysterectomy, which is one of the treatments that are available for endometriosis. Speaking to Today in 1987, the "Jolene" hitmaker shared that although she was incredibly fond of children, she couldn't physically get pregnant. As always, Parton chose to remain optimistic, and said, "I try to look at things in a way that I can put them in a proper place because somebody has to be out there doing something to entertain other people's children." 

Decades later, the Grammy winner's words continued resonating with other women in her shoes. On Reddit, many people were happy that someone with Parton's influence had chosen to speak about being content while being unable to conceive naturally. One Reddit user, who had struggled with infertility treatment for years, felt determined to follow in Parton's footsteps and lead a full life without kids. "Seeing her come back up from a dark place being [infertility-childfree] is really inspiring for me," the user admitted.

Speaking to Interview Magazine in July 1984, Dolly Parton said that, although she initially missed not having children, she had accepted her reality after realizing that she had experienced motherhood while raising her younger siblings and their children, who referred to her as "Aunt Grannie." The beloved singer didn't just become a ray of light to the children in her family, though. 

During Parton's November 2020 appearance on "The Oprah Conversation," she admitted that she firmly believed she would not have had her legendary career had she had children. She said, "I didn't have children because I believed that God didn't mean for me to have kids so everybody's kids could be mine, so I could do things like Imagination Library, because if I hadn't had the freedom to work, I wouldn't have done all the things I've done." 

In one Reddit thread discussing hysterectomies, one user wrote that, when their students asked why they didn't have any children, they gave a similar reply to Parton's, saying they had found their kids in their students and could devote all their energy to them. Meanwhile, in another Reddit thread, someone wrote that, although they had been a fan of the "9 to 5" hitmaker for years, they had never wondered whether she had kids, adding, "She's a whole and complete person without being a mom." Ultimately, they hoped to see themselves in the same light that they saw Parton in. Several other celebrities who have been diagnosed with endometriosis have inspired people in similar ways by openly discussing their experiences.