Hello there, thanks for visiting this page :)

There are two reasons I've decided to fall 15,000ft from the sky:

1. I want to help Endometriosis UK in their pursuit to improve the lives of women and trans men suffering from endometriosis and adenomyosis. 

2. I've played too much Fortnite during lockdown and want to know what it really feels like to exit the bus (a bit inside, sorry).

Since I started my period at age 11 I've lived with extreme pain and sickness. Between age 11 and 13 I didn't tell anyone how much pain I was in because I was convinced I was dying and didn't want to upset my parents. At age 13, after eventually confiding in my Mum, a doctor put me on the contraceptive pill to 'make my cycle more manageable'. It didn't help.

Over the course of 20 years the pain got worse and was accompanied by nausea, fainting, weight loss, depression and the odd suicidal thought. Doctors told me to do yoga, drink green tea, and try probiotics. In terms of anxiety, the constant medical gaslighting pushed me over the edge in October 2020. I wouldn't take 'try paracetamol' as an answer and finally had an MRI. The results revealed I had stage 4 endometriosis on my pelvis, bowel, uterus, ovaries and bladder. I was also diagnosed with adenomyosis.

These are incurable conditions (adenomyoisis can only be 'cured' with a hysterectomy) where cells present in the uterus are found other places in the body. This rogue tissue swells and shreds every month, breaking down organ lining and cells it shouldn't. In my case, it had been going on so long my organs had fused to extensive scar tissue and were now being pulled to the left of my body. It has also presented me with severe fertility issues.

Enough sob story. I've found great doctors, I've had excision surgery to remove the cells and tissue, and I'm now equipped with the knowledge to manage it all. My story is textbook in the endo world; 1 in ten women have these conditions. The cells will grow back and I'll have to have a few more surgeries in my life, but I hope before the next one there will have been some change to how the medical profession treats these conditions. There needs to be more research and funding, more accessible testing, more engaging with government, as well as better support systems for those managing this. 

I've been fortunate in my struggles. I have great family and friends and access to private healthcare. I worry deeply for people who don't have those things, so mainly want to do this for them. I've met teenagers who have had hysterectomies because they'd rather be pain free than ever have children, and since my diagnosis there have been two women on my online support group who have overdosed on pain meds and sadly died just trying to manage. This is for them too. 

I don't want to take up anymore of your time, but if you'd like to learn more here are a few resources:

https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/understanding-endometriosis

https://endometriosis.org/news/general/endometriosis-inquiry-shows-little-improvement-in-a-decade/

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/27/health/endometriosis-griffith-uterus.html?action=click&module=Science%20%20Technology&pgtype=Homepage

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9233575/Singer-28-died-sudden-adult-death-syndrome-pain-clinic-appointment-twice-cancelled.html

Thank you so much in advance. Your support means such a lot to me.

K8 <3

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