Lena Dunham has long been an advocate for those who, like her, suffer from endometriosis.
She's publicly shared her health struggles, fears and triumphs for years and in 2018 revealed that she'd undergone a hysterectomy at 31 in her battle with the painful condition.
On April 3, she revealed a photo of her latest tattoo — a large new inking on the back of her neck that she got, she explained, to help herself better mentally cope with her health issues: the word "sick" spelled out in yellow rope.
"Sometimes the thing you're most scared of being called is the best thing you can call yourself," the "Girls" creator captioned a photo of the tattoo. "thank you @havenstudiobk for labeling me… and to my sisters in this dizzying but starry slog- i am lasso'd to you!"
Lena's always a lightning rod, and the post sparked support from some and criticism from others. "Oy. I mean. Yay. ❤️," actress and 'Better Things" creator Pamela Adlon commented. Actress Kat Dennings commented, "Reclaim dat!" One of Lena's non-famous followers also summed up the sentiments of many with the comment, "Yes. This is everything."
Many of Lena's followers, however, took issue with her approach to owning her health. One, who listed her own myriad issues, told Lena, "I have always been a fan, but I don't know about this… I am not what happened to me. I am what I become. Move on, Lena. Move. On."
"Looking good BUT we dont need labels, do we?" wondered another. Yet another commented, "Not sure, to each his own and all that but I wonder if stamping it on means mentally never believing things can be different…idk."