1. Let’s start with the classic: What’s your worst, funniest, or most awkward period story? 

It is truly hard to just pick one period memory so I will share two. When I was 12-13yrs old I remember waking up at a friend's sleepover and I had flooded through my pad, pants and all over her bed sheets. I was so embarrassed and didn’t understand why I was the only girl who had episodes like this. It took me ages to build up the courage to let her Mum know what had happened. She was nothing but kind and helped me change the sheets as if nothing had happened. But the worst one would have to be when I was in college, maybe 14-15yrs old, there was only one other girl in our graphics class. I was sitting in the front row, having horrific period pain and doing my best to try mask it when I felt a huge gush, the blood went through my pad, pants and soaked through my skirt. I stood up to leave and blacked out in front of the whole class. My teacher had to call for help and I was walked out supported by the girl and another teacher. By the time I got to the school office I was vomiting, the girl stayed with me and held my hair back as I was being sick. My Mum was phoned and my lovely step Dad had to drive into school to pick me up because I could barely walk. I know it was the talk of the college that week but I am forever grateful for the girl who showed me such kindness in what felt like the most embarrassing moment of my life.  

2. What have you demystified about your female body that you wish you knew when you were younger? 

My periods started when I was 10yrs old. I remember feeling like a 'freak' due to getting it so young and none of my friends got theirs till a few years later. The pain and bleeding was horrific and heavy from early on. I remember being told in a 'period talk' at school that you only bleed a few tablespoons each month. I was like What?!!?! As that was NEVER the case for me.  

3. Have you been diagnosed with a women’s health condition? If so, how did you know something wasn’t right, and what was your journey like to get answers? 

I was diagnosed with stage 3 endometriosis at 21 after my first surgery and was told to try for kids before I turned 27. I had another surgery 3 years later which found more endometriosis. My specialist described my insides as a spider web of adhesions which stuck my left ovary, parts of my uterus and bowel together. After the birth of my 2nd child, at 8 weeks postpartum my period returned so heavy, it could only be defined as shark week.  When I returned to work at 8 months, I had to wear adult nappy pants with a pad (day 1 of my period) to prevent it leaking through my nursing scrubs. Luckly my scrub pants are so baggy, so no one ever noticed haha. I knew something was wrong, the level of bleeding had increased so much and I was only having 4-5 pain free days each month. The journey then started again to seek help and specialist treatment which was over a year and a half of trying  ‘gold standard’ treatments before having a 3rd surgery where they removed; endometriosis, my left ovary and tube (due to 3 ovarian cyst ruptures in a 6 week timeframe), lots of adhesions and confirmed the diagnosis of Adenomyosis.   I also have a condition called von-willie brands which is a clotting disorder, so for me it makes the bleeding caused by these conditions so much worse as I don't clot properly.

4. What was your diagnosis experience like? 

I cannot tell you how many doctors told me my symptoms were ‘normal’. They were certain I did not have typically symptoms of endometriosis. It has been a FIGHT every step of the way. I remember waking up from my first surgery and the first thing I asked was ‘did they find endo?’.  An instant relief washed over me when they said ‘Yes’ because there was finally some validation that what I was experiencing was real. I have experienced some incredibly empathetic, kind, validating health professionals who took my symptoms and story seriously, while others left me feeling like it was all in my head. Even as a nurse, the ability to advocate for yourself when up against a health professional who doesn’t believe you or doesn’t take the time to listen is incredibly challenging. In total I have had 3 surgeries to date, one in the public system and two through private hospitals and countless admissions to hospital when I’ve had ovarian cysts rupture while working. Over the years, I have been on the Merina to manage the heavy bleeding, on top of oral contraception pill to prevent ovulation/ongoing ovary cyst ruptures, an anti-depressant to manage the chronic nerve pain, put into hormone-induced menopause, multiple pain relief drugs from paracetamol to slow-release morphine and all of this just to survive day to day. Doesn’t that seem crazy, you become a walking polypharmacy just to manage these conditions. However, this month I am having a hysterectomy at 33yrs old. It’s a bittersweet moment. I am so blessed to have birthed my two beautiful children, and to my uterus I am forever grateful, but after years of suffering I cannot wait for this next chapter to begin and experience a life, more or less, pain free.  

5. How has your condition changed your daily life? 

I would say the last three plus years of my life I have been surviving not thriving. I am only able to hold up the ‘glass balls’ I can’t afford to drop. I complete my shifts as a maternity nurse and am finishing my postgraduate diploma with the help of pain relief, tens machine and multiple hot bottle refills. I am raising our two young kids, even on the bad days, I try to find a way to create positive memories for them like a movie afternoon in the lounge when I just need to lie down. To my husband, who has had to deal with all the moods that come with chronic pain, he’s seen me at my lowest and helped me carry the weight of this invisible disease. I’ve had to drop a lot of ‘plastic balls’ in which I don’t have capacity for, I used to run, do Pilates classes 3 times a week, do HIIT classes, play netball. I miss not having to put on a brave face when seeing my friends or family, because underneath it all, there is always the constant pain nagging at you. I have become a shell of who I once was. I cannot wait to find her again. 

6. What symptoms made you think something wasn’t right with your body? 

The pain when going number twos during my period, I would nearly black out on the toilet or vomit from the pain. Before being diagnosed I thought this was just a ‘normal part of my life’, but it was endometriosis. I never thought much of the stabbing pain in my tummy initially, I just thought it was something I had ate. It ended up being ovulation pain and sometimes ovarian cyst ruptures which caused internal bleeds and scarring.  The constant lower back pain turned out to be caused by Adenomyosis.

7. Have you tried anything that has helped you manage your symptoms? 

Heat packs and the use of a Tens machine on my lower back have always been my go too to help manage pain both at home and at work. Pelvic floor physio and acupuncture were game changers after my last two surgeries, the treatments improved pain levels, and I got quality of life back. Along with Pilates, I would go into a class with a 5-6/10 pain score and within 10 minutes of moving my body I was no longer focused on it anymore.  I have tried many diets including FODMAP but I personally never saw much of a difference. However, I found benefit from using EAP counselling to talk through those tough patches.  

8. What’s one thing you wish more people understood about women’s health? 

I look at my daughter and I WISH by the time she has her period, or if she ever experiences heavy painful periods that she NEVER has to experience health professionals gas lighting her to believe that what she is experiencing isn’t real. I hope, in the near future, that there will be funding for woman experiencing endometriosis, adenomyosis and/or other gynae conditions to have funded access to non-pharmacology treatments like pelvic floor physio, acupuncture, massage and/or counselling etc to support their day-to-day symptom management.  

9. If you could tell younger you one thing about your body, what would it be? 

If I could go back in time and give my younger self advice it would be: Never stop advocating- the symptoms and pain you are experiencing are real. This condition does not define you. There are going to be a lot of tough moments, but alongside it, you achieve many things and LIVE a beautiful life.  

10. When your body feels hard to live in, how do you take care of yourself? 

I will either push through, put on a playlist that makes me feel happy, take my puppy for a walk, plan something with the kids to keep me distracted or reach out to one of my fellow endo friends to just have a vent knowing they totally understand what it can be like. Or if it’s one of those really bad pain days, I will put on a favourite series, grab my heat pack and snuggly up in bed, take a deep breaths and remind myself this is just a season in my life: there will be an end to this pain.