'Doctors dropped my excruciating period pain was anxiety'

What’s Happening

Not gonna lie, Women with endometriosis say doctors flopped to listen to them or take their pain seriously.

Doctors dropped my excruciating period pain was anxiety 1 day ago Save Charlie Jones and Alice Cunningham Save Amy Peckham-Driver Amy Peckham-Driver spent years in excruciating pain before she was diagnosed with endometriosis Amy Peckham-Driver was 14 when excruciating period pains caused her to pass out in a toilet. She asked doctors if it could be endometriosis, but was told she was too young and was given the contraceptive pill to ease the pain. (let that sink in)

Over the next decade, she battled with debilitating symptoms until she was finally diagnosed with the incurable condition, which affects more than 1.

The Details

The average waiting time for a diagnosis has now reached nine years and four months, according to a new report Endometriosis UK. It found 39% of respondents had to visit their GP 10 or more times before endometriosis was suspected, while 46% of respondents who attended hospital were sent home without treatment.

My pelvis looked like a bomb had gone off Amy, 31, from Needham Market, Suffolk, says she was told her pain must be down to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or anxiety. She feels like she was “medically gaslit”.

Why This Matters

“You know your health is disintegrating in front of you and theres absolutely nothing you can do to stop it, apart from being told to just take the contraceptive pill so you dont have periods. ” At 27, she was finally diagnosed with deep infiltrating endometriosis affecting all her pelvic organs. The condition occurs when cells similar to those in the lining of the womb grow elsewhere in the body.

This is the kind of health news that affects everyday decisions.

The Bottom Line

It affects about one in 10 women in the UK and can cause severe pelvic pain, heavy periods, difficulty getting pregnant, fatigue, low mood and pain during or after sex and when going to the toilet. Amy has had surgery, which she paid for privately because of the long NHS waiting lists, with the surgeon remarking that her pelvis “looked like a bomb had gone off” inside.

Are you here for this or nah?