I’m 26 years-old, and I want to remove my womb. A total hysterectomy is a major operation which involves the surgical removal of the womb and cervix – in some cases the fallopian tubes, ovaries, lymph glands and part of the vagina can be removed – but it’s the only way I can imagine my life without excruciating pain.
I was diagnosed with endometriosis at the age of 21, a long ten years after my symptoms first started. Endometriosis is a chronic condition which causes cells similar to those in the lining of the womb to grow in other parts of the body. My periods were awful with a mix of symptoms, from excruciating pain to heavy bleeding resulting in anaemia. For a decade I was dismissed, misdiagnosed and heard multiple hurtful comments from doctors – who told me my symptoms “were all in my head,” that “everyone gets bad periods” and that “I just wanted time off from school”. Doctors were often more concerned about my mental health, and I was referred for psychological investigations rather than investigations as to why I was so unwell – and what was causing my excruciating periods. I was put on all of the contraceptive pills available, strong painkillers and antidepressants – all of which didn’t help.
At the age of 21, I collapsed with sepsis. The life-threatening infection was the result of an infected endometrioma (a type of cyst that indicates severe endometriosis) that had gone untreated for years – which was finally found after I was sent for an MRI scan and a subsequent biopsy. It was me that pushed for the MRI scan, since the doctors kept dismissing that it could be endometriosis. But I was so unwell, and I needed answers.
Over that week, I went from almost losing my life to receiving a life-changing diagnosis of endometriosis. My life turned upside down. I knew all along there was something wrong, and I finally had a diagnosis. From there, I was referred to a specialist centre for endometriosis patients – but unfortunately due to long waiting lists on the NHS, my family decided to self-fund private surgery to cut out the disease from my bladder, bowel and pelvic nerves – as well as a 25cm endometrioma.
Courtesy of Emily Griffiths
By the time I was 23, I received an additional diagnosis of adenomyosis (a condition where the lining of the womb starts growing into the muscle in the wall of the womb – it can cause excruciating period pain and heavy bleeding). Because of this, I was given a monthly injection to chemically induce menopause, which stopped my periods to alleviate the symptoms. This has severely impacted my life, as navigating the menopause in my twenties came with a multitude of symptoms such as hot flushes, insomnia and bone density issues – which has been confirmed via a bone density scan.
Both of these conditions have put my life on hold, having serious implications on my day-to-day life – with chronic daily pain going beyond periods. At age 26, endometriosis and adenomyosis have left me housebound with no quality of life due to the debilitating pain and other life-altering symptoms.
