06/05/2026
It’s often said that, on average, it takes years to be diagnosed with endometriosis.
For me, it was different.
I had always experienced heavy and painful periods, I thought that was normal. I had my daughter naturally at 28, and after that, my symptoms became significantly worse. Along with the pain and heavy bleeding, other symptoms started to appear, but I ignored them and just carried on for far too long.
I lived with chronic fatigue, it felt like having the flu every month, completely drained from head to toe. My whole body ached; my arms and legs felt like they weighed a ton.
I experienced pins and needles in the tops of my arms, and sharp, excruciating pain in my abdomen, hips, and lower back.
My body often felt stiff, like it was seizing up, especially in my hips and legs.
I also had constant bowel changes, swinging between constipation and diarrhoea. I experienced hot sweats, mood swings, and was passing large, jelly-like blood clots every single month.
Still, I pushed through, with a busy life, relying on painkillers just to get through.
When I finally went to my GP for the first time, he listened, and referred me for an internal ultrasound.
The scan revealed large endometrioma cysts on both ovaries. I was then referred to a gynaecologist and underwent my first diagnostic laparoscopy.
During that surgery, I was given my first diagnoses - stage 4 endometriosis. The gynaecologist drained and removed the cysts, untangled my fallopian tubes, and removed lesions and adhesions. A Mirena coil was also fitted, and I was prescribed mefenamic acid and tranexamic acid for pain relief going forward.
It was only after my diagnosis and surgery that I began to understand how much I had been ignoring what my body was trying to tell me, and how much I had neglected my own reproductive and overall health.
After this first laparoscopic surgery it wasn’t the end of procedures, treatments and operations. There was more ahead that I didn’t realise at the time.
If any of this resonates with you, be kind to yourself. Trust what your body is telling you. Dealing with endometriosis can be tough ❤️💕
