I had symptoms at the early age of 5 years old, undiagnosed stomach aches and fatigue all the time. I had my first period at 12 years old and I was bleeding through roughly 4/5 pads a day and in my mind that was normal (because young girls aren’t taught any better), jump to age 13 and I was in hospital for 6 days with and another undiagnosed stomach ache, the doctors did all the tests: appendicitis, IBS, gluten allergy etc but nothing, six days later I was sent home with no solution to my pain. Every time I got my period I would get it for about 9 days at a time and I would go through almost a whole pack of tampons (while wearing pads at the same time). I would miss school, social events, work, just because my cramps were unbearable, I was popping hard painkillers like they were lollies and I couldn’t go a day without them. When I was 15 (2020) I went to see a gynaecologist and she straight away booked me in for a laparoscopic surgery to see if I had Endometriosis, needless to say, I did (stage 3), she removed what she could and put in an IUD in while I was under anaesthesia. That IUD caused me to bleed continuously for 6 months straight while I still was having cramps. I tried everything, seeing a gastroenterology expert (who just told me I had IBS without even examining me), acupuncture, pelvic physio, TENS machine, meditation, marijuana, and I even travelled to see a pain specialist. I was missing out on so much in my life and I was so depressed that on multiple nights I considered committing suicide. I have been in pain for as long as I can remember, having symptoms such as fatigue, body aches, cramps, vomiting, and so two years after my surgery when I was 17 (2022) I went back to my gynaecologist and she booked me in for another surgery, gave me botox in my uterus and replaced my IUD with a different brand. When I woke up afterwards, the first thing I asked the nurse was “did she find anything?” the nurse said no and I started crying in her arms. To this day I am still in pain, but it’s gotten to the point where I say to myself “this is your life, you just have to deal with it”. I’m still taking hard painkillers everyday, along with CBD oil. This disease has ruined the way I view life and the way I view myself, it has made me gain weight, lose relationships, put pressure on my family and friends and somehow there is still no cure, however I just started at my first year of university and I’m now studying to be a nurse. We shouldn’t give in to this disease that stop us from living our lives, despite how much it hurts.
From the age 5
