Running for Women’s Health Hope 💛

If you know me, you’ll know that running is a huge part of my life. It’s something that gives me freedom, clears my head and makes me feel like me.

So when I entered the Ipswich Half Marathon earlier this year, I never imagined I’d have to question whether I’d actually be able to make it to the start line.

In June, I underwent my second surgery for endometriosis.

After already having surgery in 2024, I had been experiencing increasing pain and inflammation. An MRI showed that one of my ovaries had become tethered to my pelvic wall, but the scans couldn’t show exactly why. I was also having inflammation around my vertebrae, alongside everything else my body was dealing with.

There was ultimately no choice but to undergo surgery again. This time, the surgery was much more intrusive and my recovery was considerably slower than the first. Sadly, they found that my endometriosis had regrown in three places — including one area over scar tissue where endometriosis had previously been treated with ablation in 2024. This time, excision surgery was used to remove the endometriosis, which is generally considered a more thorough surgical approach.

Recovery has been a journey. There have been days when I genuinely wondered whether I would ever feel completely like myself again, let alone run a half marathon.

I had already entered the Ipswich Half Marathon before finding out I needed another operation, so naturally there was a lot of doubt about whether it would happen.

And honestly, if you had asked me just 8 weeks ago, I would have said “absolutely no way!”

But with determination, patience, careful planning and a very gradual return to running, something I love so much has slowly started to come back. I’m now running pain free — and OMG, it feels AMAZING. 🥹

I’m forever grateful for what my body has managed to do as I know many are not so fortunate. It’s incredible how the body remembers what it has been trained to do, even after everything it has been through. The strength, the muscle memory and the feeling of running freely again have been emotional in ways I can’t really put into words.

I deliberately held off fundraising this year because I didn’t want to put any extra pressure on myself or jinx it. I wanted to get through surgery, recovery and those first few runs before committing to anything.

But now, with the Ipswich half marathon next weekend, I feel confident that I’ll be standing on that start line.

So there was really no difficult decision to make — I had to raise money for Women’s Health Hope again, the amazing cause I ran for last year.

Why does this matter?

Endometriosis affects around 1 in 10 women and people assigned female at birth in the UK — around 1.5 million people. It is a chronic condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows elsewhere in the body, causing inflammation, pain and sometimes scar tissue and adhesions. It can affect the ovaries and other pelvic organs and can have a huge impact on everyday life. (Endometriosis UK)

And despite how common it is, getting a diagnosis can take an incredibly long time.

The latest Endometriosis UK research shows that the average time to receive a diagnosis in the UK is now 9 years and 4 months. (Endometriosis UK)

That means years of pain, uncertainty, appointments, tests and waiting for answers — often while trying to carry on with normal life.

My experience has shown me just how much this condition can take from you, but it has also made me incredibly passionate about raising awareness and supporting women’s health.

So, next weekend, I’ll be putting one foot in front of the other and running the Ipswich Half Marathon — something that, only a couple of months ago, I genuinely didn’t think would be possible.

If you can spare anything at all, £1, £5, £10 or whatever you can afford, I would be so incredibly grateful.

Every donation will help support an important cause and, most importantly, help keep the conversation around women’s health going.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story, for supporting me and for helping me raise funds for Women’s Health Hope. 🩷

Now… let’s get me to that finish line! 🏃🏼‍♀️✨

Thank you. Rach xxx

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.