Name: Sam
Age: 26
What she gets up to: Medical receptionist who loves kickboxing and wine
First diagnosed with Endometriosis: October 2023
Hi Sam, thanks for talking to us today about your experience with Endometriosis. We wanted to talk to you to get a more personal insight into what it’s actually like both mentally and physically to have Endometriosis.
So, what was the diagnosis process like for you?
Honestly awful it took me to end up in the emergency department on IV pain medication for someone to be like okay this isn’t a normal period. Between the ages of 18 and 26, I saw about 8 different GPs (all women) say to me this is just a “bad” period. I would leave the office every time so upset because I felt like that couldn’t be right there was something definitely wrong with me. My friends aren’t experiencing what I’m experiencing.
What was your period experience like before being diagnosed?
I remember the year it first got bad I was in year 11 I was in the fetal position on the couch crying and my little sister was so worried. I could see it on her face she was worried this was how her period would be. She’d help me into the bath and constantly boil the kettle to keep the water super warm because we’d run out of hot water and just sit with me for hours and try to distract me from the pain. I’d have months that were better than others but those first two days of my cycle I was hunched over, on the verge of passing out and could feel the cramps radiating down my thighs numbing them. It was something I feared every month. You are experiencing a cramp it just simply won’t end. A thought I’d always be thinking before I was due is “Can I hide the pain and function like a normal person or will I be stuck in bed “
How are you managing it now?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a cure, my amazing gynaecologist finally made me feel validated. Has been trying different birth controls while I wait for the laparoscopy. The birth control seems to help with the pain. However, now I’m dealing with side effects from birth control. I am still trying to find the right one for me.
What have been the biggest things you’ve learnt during this experience?
It’s so important to talk about it and know the signs. If your period is stopping you from functioning don’t just accept it.
Do you have any more tips, tricks and or words of advice for people who may be experiencing Endometriosis?
Heat packs and find a good gynaecologist who really listens to you.