No matter how much pain you’re in, go for the laughs. That pretty much sums up Brandi La Perle’s take on life.
The St. Albert raised comedienne was the first runner up in the So You Think You’re Funny competition held at the Comedy Factory on Thursday, Nov. 13.
“My only goal was to go and have fun and make the best of a difficult competition,” said La Perle.
She jumped into comedy a year go and as the underdog was competing against eight others including veteran standup comic Justin Littlechild.
“I felt like I’d won even though I was a runner up. By the time the awards were handed out, I felt satisfied I’d raised awareness for my cause and my team.”
In her “corporate clean” five-minute routine, La Perle tossed out pearls of wisdom about growing up in a Catholic family, her dislike of turkey and her pet subject – endometriosis. In fact, her big comedy push is to increase awareness of endometriosis.
La Perle, along with about another one million Canadian women, suffers from endometriosis. It occurs when tissue similar to that which lines the uterus grows outside the uterus – usually in the abdomen, fallopian tubes, vagina, rectum and lining of the pelvic cavity.
These misplaced growths react to the menstrual cycle. Each month the tissue builds up, breaks down and is discarded. But the endometrial growths have no way of leaving the body causing internal bleeding, pain, infertility, scar tissue and bowel problems.
La Perle was diagnosed with endometriosis at 30 and underwent numerous hormone therapies and procedures to no effect. She describes its debilitating symptoms.
“The pain can be worse than childbirth, the exhaustion similar to that of some cancers, infertility and there is significant impact of every facet of mental, emotional, physical, sexual and spiritual well being.”
Working in the legal field by day, La Perle would sometimes remain bedridden for days needing assistance to conduct basic functions.
At a time when her health was degrading rapidly, a friend came over to visit. Knowing her love of performance, he suggested trying standup and called a booking agent he knew.
“I had so much fun, and as much as I felt awful, I felt like doing it again. I knew I had to do it again.”
Today La Perle uses laughter to enlighten people about endometriosis, a topic rarely discussed. Like the time she had bowel issues that precipitated a rectal prolapse (part of the rectum protrudes out of the anus) while on stage doing a standup routine.
“I finished my act. When people pay hundreds of dollars, you don’t run away and cry.”
Immediately after her routine, the venue manager drove her to a hospital.
“I stood waiting for 15 minutes. When a doctor arrived he used his finger and put it back.”
La Perle acknowledges that some people may find the sticky situations she’s encountered as “gross.”
“I give people permission to laugh and since I started I’ve heard a tremendous number of people have gone through it.”
Her first runner up trophy looks like a microphone on a black pedestal.
“I keep it on my nightstand. It’s something to wake up to every morning and remember what I am fighting for.”
