For those who don’t want to read this, here’s a summary – Endometriosis is an awful, incurable disease. Please help us raise money for this amazing charity to help support networks, raise awareness and hopefully one day find a cure.

When Laura and I first met over 5 years ago, I was struck by how funny, intelligent and full of life she seemed. What I didn’t know, and only became more apparent over the years, was also how in pain she was. A pain that would come without warning, also making her achey, nauseous and fatigued.

The advice from doctors was always the same. “Try a different pill”, “This is just what it’s like for some women”, “Maybe it’s psychological” and so forth. I could see how much this wore Laura down, and she just gave up asking for help.

And then, about 2 years ago, things got worse. The pain was near constant, and much, much worse. we hit breaking point and booked a private consultation with a gynaecologist. This was the first time I heard the word “endometriosis”. They recommended laparoscopic surgery, the only way to definitively confirm endometriosis.

After another 2 years of pushing, Laura finally had the laparoscopy. She was diagnosed with ’moderate to severe’ endometriosis, attached to her ureter and bowel. Laura’s now on the list awaiting further surgery to try and remove as much of it as possible and prevent it from getting any worse.

For those who don’t know, Endometriosis is an incurable disease, where cells found in the womb cause growths elsewhere in the body. These can lead to painful periods, chronic pain outside of periods, infertility or even bowel or kidney problems. It affects at least 1 in 10 women and those assigned female at birth. This is as many as diabetes, but the average diagnosis can take 8 years (for example, Laura’s took 12 years!)

Endometriosis UK are a charity who were setup to combat this disease, and have been amazing since the diagnosis. They’ve provided articles on Endo to help me understand the condition, offered support groups and advice to Laura and been a real help throughout the whole process post-diagnosis. 

So to that end, I'm aiming to complete the Great North Run in aid of this great cause so that Endometriosis UK can continue to support those affected by Endometriosis through national support groups, information provision and their helpline as well as continue to campaign for change, fairer treatment and eventually a cure.