Let's talk about #endometriosis . I was diagnosed at the age of 24 after suffering from symptoms for ELEVEN years. First started having issues when I was only 13 years old. My period skipped for 8 months, I was in hellish pain that crippled me, I was sick af

Went to the doctors multiple times about it. Each time they told me 'it's just your period.' or 'lose some weight'. Let me tell you, at that point, I was NOT overweight. I was hovering around a size 12/14, and a GP told a 13 year old to lose weight.

This went on for 11 years. Time after time, getting told it's just your period and to suck it up. I was in so much pain in the year leading up to my diagnosis that I was taking ibuprofen every single day, for an entire year. I told my GP about that and she said 'okay'.

You're not meant to take over the counter ibuprofen for more than 11 days. I could have caused some serious stomach damage. The ibuprofen also didn't work most of the time. And now, because I took it so much, ibuprofen no longer works for me at all for anything.

I asked to see a gynaecologist. I waited a few months and heard nothing about my referral so I went back to my GP and asked about it. So glad I did because the GP that supposedly put the referral through, didn't do it. Didn't even write in the notes that I had even asked.

Finally got the referral put through. It took months for me to hear back. I got a phone call from the NHS telling me how long the waiting list was for a Gynaecologist. It was going to take a very long time for me to see one.

So they sent me to a private doctor in Glasgow. They were sending all the backlogged patients to private doctors. Thankfully footing the bill. Within 3 months, this doctor actually listened to me, ran tests and got me into surgery to test for Endometriosis.

I got an IUD put in after he found endo tissue outside of my uterus. I have not had any endo pain in 2 years, nor have I had a period. Thank god. I'm only 26, but I already know that I never want another period. I'm dreading having my IUD removed and replaced.

I'm dreading the time when I decide if I want to have kids, cos it'll mean potentially going through endo pain again. I don't think I want that. No doctor will touch me in regards to stopping my periods or removing my uterus because of my age.

At the end fo the day, Endometriosis has a huge impact on fertility. If I want to have kids, I have a significantly reduced likelihood of getting pregnant, and carrying to term. I have a higher risk of miscarrying. I have higher risk of problems during pregnancy.

TW: Suicide.
Add on top of that the pain that comes with endometriosis. I don't think I can do it. I know what those 11 years were like for me. It was hell. I wanted to die every day. I even made plans for it. I got through it with the help of good friends.

When you live your life in pain every single day, it's so demotivating. You don't want to do anything, you can't do anything. I never want to do that again. I don't want to go through that again.

Anyway, thank you all for reading this far if you did. Endometriosis isn't somehting that is talked about frequently enough. It's important to know your own body, and demand to get seen by a specialist if your GP is being stubborn.

You know your body more than anyone else. If somehting is wrong with your periods, please talk to a gynaecologist about it. Remember to be persistent. Extreme pain is not normal when it comes to your period. It's not meant to hurt so bad that you want to die.