Woman reveals endometriosis left her suicidal because she couldn’t face the pain anymore while another sufferer says she’s been forced to use a wheelchair as they hit out at perception that it’s ‘just a bad period’
- Women from across the UK have been discussing the trauma of endometriosis
- One anonymous woman told BBC she had ‘tried to kill herself more than once’
- She felt ‘not living is so much better than the idea of continuing to live in pain’
- Another said she has been left using a wheelchair because she is unable to walk
A British woman has revealed how her battle with endometriosis left her feeling suicidal because the thought of ‘not living was so much better than the idea of living in pain.’
Unnamed sufferers from across the UK spoke to the BBC about the trauma of the condition, which impacts one in 10 women and causes debilitating pain, very heavy periods and infertility.
The highly painful condition happens when tissue that usually forms in the womb’s lining each month appears elsewhere — such as the pelvic area and stomach, the chest, spine and even the brain. And just like the lining of the womb, this endometrial tissue, fed by oestrogen, swells and bleeds each month.
However, there is nowhere for this blood to go, so it can cause inflammation that leads to a build-up of scar tissue that typically gets worse over time.
In a short film shared online, one person suffering from the condition revealed: ‘I’ve tried to kill myself more than once. Not living is so much better than the idea of continuing to live in this pain.’
A British woman has revealed how her battle with endometriosis left her feeling suicidal because the thought of ‘not living was so much better than the idea of living in pain’
Another said she has been left using a wheelchair because she is now unable to walk due to the painful condition.
She revealed: ‘I now require the use of a wheelchair to get around. If I’m not in a wheelchair, I need help by someone at the side of me to help me walk around.’
Meanwhile a third explained: ‘It is just constantly an uphill struggle to get people to take the condition seriously and not just think that is it a bad period and think that you are over-exaggerating.’
Another person who appeared in the film shared a clip as she keeled over in pain, saying: ‘I may not be dying, but it has killed my soul. I’m in excruciating stabbing pains in my right ovary.’
The comments come as a recent report by MPs found an average wait for a diagnosis of endometriosis was eight years, with wait times not improving for more than a decade.
The report said endometriosis care across the UK needs urgent improvement and diagnosis times need to be cut in half.
Another woman suffering from the painful condition revealed she has been left unable to walk and uses a wheelchair to move around
Nadine Dorries, minister for women’s health, said awareness was increasing but there was still a long way to go.
Meanwhile Conservative MP Sir David Amess, who chaired the inquiry, said: ‘It is not acceptable that endometriosis and its potentially debilitating and damaging symptoms are often ignored or not taken seriously – or downplayed as linked to the menstrual cycle and periods.’
Women suffering from endometriosis find themselves in monthly agony, not just during a period but also during ovulation, when their bodies prepare to release an egg.
WHAT IS ENDOMETRIOSIS?
Endometriosis occurs when cells in the lining of the womb are found elsewhere in the body.
Each month, these cells react in the same way as those in the womb; building up, breaking down and bleeding. Yet, the blood has no way to escape the body.
Symptoms include pain, heavy periods and fatigue, as well as a higher risk of infertility, and bowel and bladder problems.
Its cause is unknown but may be genetic, related to problems with the immune system or exposure to chemicals.
Treatment focuses on pain relief and improving quality of life, which may include surgery or hormone treatment.
Source: Endometriosis UK
As the symptoms follow the cycle of the period, endometriosis is often mistaken for heavy or painful periods and can go undiagnosed for years, causing often excruciating pain that builds up over a woman’s reproductive life — and improves only with menopause. The charity Endometriosis UK says it affects at least 1.5 million women in Britain.
Other symptoms vary depending on where the endometrial tissue grows: in the pelvis it can cause heavy, painful periods and pain during sex; around the reproductive organs, it can cause fertility issues.
Mild cases can be treated with anti-inflammatory painkillers, such as ibuprofen, as well as the Pill or coil, which help suppress the oestrogen that can promote tissue growth.
A third woman who appeared in the film shared a video clip keeling over in bed as she said she was suffering from extreme stabbing pain to her ovary
But many women end up having keyhole surgery, under general anaesthetic, to remove the endometrial tissue, where the deposits are cut out or lasered in a technique called ablation.
If this doesn’t work, some women opt for a hysterectomy (womb removal) or oophorectomy (ovary removal).
But it can come back — recurring in about 13 per cent of women with severe endometriosis within three years.
Some will have more surgeries, with mixed results.
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