This May I’ll be taking part in Swim for Endo to raise awareness and vital funds to support the 1 in 10 living with endometriosis. I’ll be swimming up to 9 km across 31 days.

I have had 5 surgeries since being diagnosed, involving urology and colorectal consultants alongside gynaecology due to the severity of my endo: I have stage 4 endometriosis and it impacts my kidneys, bladder, bowel and stomach. My journey with endometriosis has significantly affected my life at various points, I often worry about experiencing a painful episode while out and at work, but I am not a quitter and I will not let it define me. It's vital to talk about endometriosis, and people to ask questions, I understand how challenging this journey can be. We need to move away from the stigma associated with menstrual health and open up conversations about it, it is not something to be embarrassed about.

Endometriosis is a chronic condition, and in the UK it takes on average over 9 years to receive a diagnosis. That’s far too long for people to wait for answers and care.

Endometriosis UK is here to provide support, trusted information, and to campaign for earlier diagnosis and better care so no one has to face endometriosis alone.