When Endometriosis Makes My Body Unrecognizable, Perfume Helps Me Reclaim It

Screenshot Welcome to Note to Self, Refinery29’s fragrance series exploring perfume beyond the bottle. Through intimate stories and scent memories, we’re unpacking the emotions, experiences, and identities behind the fragrances we wear — and why they can become such a deeply meaningful part of who we are. Some mornings, it feels like my body has been awake for hours before I have. By the time I catch up, it’s already made a series of executive decisions. I’ll stand in front of my closet wondering why nothing feels right, only to realize it’s not the clothes, but the body wearing them. Yesterday’s jeans suddenly feel optimistic; the dress I’d planned to wear belongs to a version of myself who didn’t show up today. After changing twice, I accept the outfit was never the problem.  Overnight, there’s a heaviness that wasn’t there before. Bloating has appeared from nowhere, and the kind of fatigue sleep barely touches. That’s the strange