I would like to encourage people that have irregular bleeding, pain during sex and have painful heavy periods to speak to the GP regarding this disease. Here are some facts about it;

- 1 out of every 10 women have this disease that is incurable at the moment to get checked out.

- I have Stage 1 is supposed to be the mildest form but I am incapacitated during my periods due to this.

- Stage 4 is when you can opt to have a hysterectomy and can have problems with infertility. Your organs can fuse together but some in Stage 4 (the most severe form of endometriosis) can have no symptoms altogether or also have an incredibly tough time.

- Endo can be diagnosed by Ultrasound in later stages but for me all my scans came back clear, it wasn’t until I got a laparoscopy that they found it.

- You can have anaemia from it. I got iron deficiency anaemia after bleeding for a year and a half all day every day without a break.

- There are support groups like Endometriosis UK (if you live in UK) that can be there as a hub for women who have the disease.

- It is common to have PCOS and have Endometriosis also so be sure to get checked for both.

- Bloomin’ Uterus is a blog where people can share their stories and that is where I shared my horrible journey of 10 years to get diagnosed (I’m now 23 and have had horrendous pain and bleeding since I started).

Feel free to reach out if you need a friend or someone to help you through this process, it can be daunting and you can feel as though you’re going crazy. I assure you you aren’t and stuff like this is NOT normal. Despite what some people may say it is not “just a bad period” and I urge you to get help.

Personally, I had to fight to be a part of the pain clinic and finally have been approved to have Morphine, Amitriptyline and Pregabalin on repeat prescriptions. Yes they are considered narcotics in other countries, and this is why I have not travelled outside of the UK.

I would have to get in touch with the Embassy to OK my medicines before I even book my hotel and flights, so yes that’s how much pain I am with “the mildest form of endometriosis”.

Hospitals won’t do much if you don’t have a referral to an OBGYN or consultant and it is frustrating, but you are not alone in this battle and I wish everyone all the best who is struggling like me.

If you know someone who is going through this or you are going through this, please advise them to get help, to go to the GP and suggest if they could have Endometriosis and to ask if they would support them on their journey. It is important and it could mean they are at a higher risk for cysts and fibroids, or even cancer.

If you are a parent it is especially important that you teach your daughters what is and isn’t normal. Learn how long their periods last for and how much they bleed, to learn what is normal for them. If they are doubled over in pain every month and can’t move because they are in tears, take them to the doctor. If they bleed through an overnight pad or tampon in under an hour, take them to their GP and support them in getting help. Support them emotionally and help them to get the diagnosis and answers they need.

All too often I hear that some entitled parents just see it as normal and that they think their daughter is having “just a bad period” or telling them to “shut up and get a grip”, “stop being silly and over reacting” or even “be quiet because it sounds like you’re in labour.” They do nothing about it for years and teach their daughter that asking for help is bad and that the pain is nothing. If your daughter can’t physically move there is a problem and if my daughter was suffering every month I would help and do anything to make sure she was as comfortable as possible and fully stocked up with meds, heat pads etc.

Because I’ve been there and it sucks.

So please help each other by passing on the word and hopefully people can get help that they need :) I hope everyone has an amazing day today!