My Endo Journey

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month. I'm sure you know someone suffering from it. It's no surprise considering it affects 1 in 9 girls, women and those assigned female at birth. So, I thought I'd share my journey – my long, confusing journey.

When I was 25, I was diagnosed with Endometriosis. Actually, no – I was first told that they had found lesions within my pelvis. I instantly cried, thinking it was cancer. Who says lesions and walks away?! And this was at a prominent Sydney hospital too. Thankfully, a doctor in training came back to me to clarify that it was Endometriosis and not the big C. I was told to make an appointment with a surgeon to get it removed and I'd feel better.

I was actually in hospital in the first place because I had terrible pain in my lower abdomen. It was so painful this time that I couldn't get out of the bathroom and I kept vomiting. When I finally got to the doctor, I passed out from the pain. In hospital they did a few tests and decided to remove my appendix. While they were removing it, they say my abdomen was full of Endometriosis. I am told that appendicitis can be closely linked to Endometriosis, so the pain could be related... or maybe not. Who knows?

On to the surgeon I went. To be honest, I had no clue what was going on. I had done no research and I was just putting my faith in the doctor to remove the bad things and make me feel better. Six months after the surgery, my period pain was back.

It is very difficult to get back in to see these surgeons so I knew I needed to arm myself with all the information I could. I read and I read and I read, and reached out to a fantastic support group, EndoActive, who share free resources, including experts across multiple disciplines talking about the condition and how to manage the pain. I quickly realised that surgery is only one course of action and I should have been speaking with a team of dieticians, physiotherapists, therapists – you name it. It opened my eyes to a whole world of knowledge that I had no idea about.

I was relieved because so many of my symptoms made sense, but it also made me angry. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, you get a pamphlet, you get an action plan, they explain what it is, how to manage it. Why not for endo? Why aren't women's issues treated the same as other health issues? I have my opinions on this but it will take a lot longer to unpack than this article, so don't get me started.

It is an ongoing battle still to this day. Stress is a big trigger for me and some days are a lot harder than others, but at least now I am aware of how to manage it.

I am not an expert, but please hear me; painful period pain is not normal. It's not something that women just 'go through'. Seek help. The right help. Do your own research and ALWAYS ask for a second opinion.

"Endometriosis is a common and debilitating condition, and the earlier it is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat." – Read more in this article by Dr Victoria Beyer, of Bulli Medical Practice