Endometriosis is a long-term condition which can cause tissue from the uterus to grow in different places, including the reproductive system and bowels. It can commonly be dismissed as just bad period pain, but it is so much more than that. It cripples, it aches and (most importantly) it is increasingly difficult to diagnose…
From the age of 14, I have regularly suffered from debilitating period cramps which leave me feeling exhausted and sometimes unable to move. It was not until aged 20 that I realised that something else may be happening. It took three visits to my GP until the possibility of endometriosis was even considered. My doctor decided that the best course of action would be to double back my contraceptive pill, a common first line of defence. After months of doing this and still no relief, I was left feeling scared and alone. I felt like I was not being heard by a health service that is supposed to listen.
It was not until I was taken to A&E with pain, bleeding and sickness that I realised something needed to be done. I was taken for a scan which showed no endometrial issue growing on my fallopian tubes and as far as the doctors were concerned it wasn’t there, so they couldn’t explain my pain. Yet, the pain continued and so did the bleeding. Once again, I was back at the doctors, crying and pleading for help. I was then told that an ultrasound does not always pick-up images of endometriosis, especially if it is growing on the bowel. Unsurprisingly, my mind was flustered and scared – all I wanted to know was what was happening with my body. I left the GP with the following answer ‘let’s say its suspected endometriosis, but we cannot be sure.’ I am currently waiting for a referral for specialist care to see what is happening, which I was told can take up to eight months to receive a single appointment!
After these various visits, scans and appointments, I decided to google endometriosis to inform myself and see if any other people were feeling the way I was. To my surprise, there were thousands of women out there who not only felt the same pain and fear but who had also been trying to get a diagnosis. I came across multiple stories of women frequently in and out of hospital with similar symptoms but no explanation. It comforted me knowing that I wasn’t alone with my fears and experience. Perhaps most shockingly I learned that it takes approximately eight years from the start of symptoms to receive a diagnosis of endometriosis.
Despite the uncertainty the future holds, I am reassured that I am not fighting this fight alone. There are so many women who keep voicing their pain and the pain others feel. If you leave this article thinking you may be affected by similar symptoms, I have one piece of advice: speak up. Tell your family, tell you friends and tell your doctor. No matter how many times it needs to be said, keep persevering for the answers!
Endometriosis can leave you with severe pain, sickness and anxiety, but you’re not alone. The fight for diagnosis and recognition is only just beginning.
https://www.endometriosis-uk.org has lots of advice and stories from others who have been affected.