18/03/2025
I am a woman who suffers from Endometriosis🎗️
I’ve been seeing my GP since I was 14 with ‘painful and heavy periods’. I was put on contraception to ‘manage’ it and only now am I on the waiting list for keyhole surgery to get it ‘officially’ diagnosed.
Many women still go undiagnosed because surgeons don’t fully understand Endometriosis so the anxiety of waiting and going through surgery and the possibility of them not finding anything is exhausting.
Most days I feel/ look pregnant from the inflammation, the pain spreads to my bowels and bladder also causing nausea.
Almost every night, I rely on a hot water bottle to sleep, as pain keeps me awake without it.
I’ve had to sacrifice things I love, like food because it can make me so unwell.
Social events can feel lonely (especially in your 20s) when you have to put your health first. Alcohol causes inflammation so I often skip drinking and when I do drink I suffer.
I often feel like a burden when I have to cancel plans or explain my pain, hoping people around me understand.
I still take contraception to mask the symptoms, as it’s the only way to reduce the pain, I hate relying on it, especially knowing the long-term effects it has/will have on me but I feel like I don’t have a choice.
A few years ago, I tried to come off it but my periods were so painful that it felt like I was giving birth. I passed out from the pain and nearly ended up in hospital.
I hope that one day, women’s health will be taken more seriously. We need better awareness, better treatment and a healthcare system that listens.
If you’re suffering, please know you’re not alone. And if you know someone who is, take the time to understand and be supportive❤️🩹
