We’re all about making periods easier with our eco-friendly period cups, but we also want to talk about the stuff that doesn’t get enough love—like endometriosis. Endo is a silent condition, and we talked with Kellie Johnson, someone who’s been dealing with stage 4 endo and channelled that pain into starting a business called Kosi. Kosi’s behind the world’s first 360° wearable heat pack (patented!), and it blew up so hard on Shark Tank Australia that it sparked a bidding war, landing Kellie a partnership with Jane Lu, the founder of fashion sensation Showpo. Kellie’s story is raw, and she’s giving us insight for anyone navigating endo or wondering if they might have it.
Endo 101 with Kellie
So, what’s endometriosis? “It’s when tissue like your uterus lining grows where it shouldn’t, causing a lot of pain and scarring,” Kellie explains. For her, stage 4 means it’s “deep infiltrating—like roots, really hard to get rid of.” It’s spread to her bowel, bladder, even sticking her bladder to her ovary, plus she’s got an endometrioma—a “chocolate cyst” that bleeds and scars. Endo’s got stages (1 to 4) based on spread and depth, but Kellie warns, “Pain and stage don’t always match. I’ve got severe pain with stage 4, but some people don’t even know they’ve got it ‘til they can’t get pregnant.” It hit her fertility hard too: “It took us four years and five miscarriages to have our baby, Lola.”
The Diagnosis Grind
Kellie’s been hurting since her first period at 12—“I was throwing up from the pain”—but didn’t get diagnosed ‘til 24. “It takes years, and there’s so much misinformation,” she says, noting how some doctors dismiss it. “I was told I didn’t have a health problem, just depression.” Endo often needs surgery to confirm, though Kellie’s endometrioma was severe enough, it showed up on a scan. Her advice? “Keep a diary of symptoms—pain before your period, mid-cycle flares, weird stuff like sweating or bowel issues. And don’t be afraid to get second opinions. If something feels off, see three or four doctors if you need to.”
Living with Endo
Endometriosis is known as one of the most painful and silent conditions. For Kellie, flares hit hard—sometimes during ovulation or bowel movements since her endo’s on her bowel. “I’d get convinced I was gonna die, the pain was so bad,” she shares. She tried a low FODMAP diet to ease bowel flares, cutting out stuff like garlic and gluten to starve out pesky gut bacteria. But there’s no cure, and surgery isn’t a fix—it came back for her in a year. Costs add up too: “I’m already into six figures,” she says, between surgeries and IVF.
Kosi: Born from Pain, Backed by Sharks (caused a bidding war!)
Kellie was always “the heat pack girl at every workplace ever,” but they never stayed put or covered enough to fully relieve the pain. So, during her IVF journey after a miscarriage, she started sewing. “My first samples were terrible— rice would be spilling out on the floor and my puppy would be following trying to eat the rice,” she laughs. But Kosi’s 360° wearable heat pack was a game-changer: “It was like a switch for my cramps.” It wraps your torso, giving hands-free relief. After launching, it went viral on TikTok, then nabbed Jane Lu on Shark Tank. “Jane gets what women go through,” Kellie says. Now, Kosi’s helping endo warriors everywhere.
Kellie’s Big Tip
“Lean on the endo community,” Kellie urges. “It can feel isolating, but online groups are there—they’ve got so much knowledge.” It also pays to be prepared - if you're in a situation where you think you might have endo, curate a list of questions to ask your doctors. The endo community will help you with this.
Let’s keep talking about this stuff—no one should suffer in silence.
