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

My worst period story is also the story of my first period. I got my period a lot later than most of my friends did, so I was looking forward to finally joining the club. The excitement immediately went away once the reality of what my periods were going to be like set in. To set the scene, I was days away from my 14th birthday at a musical theater rehearsal camp when I woke up with my period. I was in so much pain I was genuinely struggling to stand up (which made it really hard to dance and sing). My period has always been heavy and painful from the very beginning. I so vividly remember the desire to hide that I was struggling and trying to brush off that I was physically hunched over in pain, holding onto chairs behind me and sitting down at any possible moment. I'm sure if I spoke up and told the teachers how much I was struggling that would have helped me but that didn't feel like an option in my head. Thankfully my friend had a fantastic stash of pads for heavy flow that she gave me and some painkillers.

This being my worst period story really tells you how bad it was, I have had to change tampons in the bush while hiking with my sister keeping lookout for other hikers coming past (and carrying the used ones out with me again) as well as change mooncups in longdrop toilets attempting to not look down or drop anything.

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

That pain in any form is not normal and not to be dismissed. I really wish I knew heavy, painful periods are not normal! I wish I knew this early on as it would have given me the courage to stand up for myself in doctor’s offices and push for better care. My Mum had heavy painful periods and I remember heating up heatpacks for her and assuming that because mine was the same it meant it was just how periods were for my family.

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

I have endometriosis, I was diagnosed with endo in Feb 2024 during laparoscopic surgery. My journey to getting answers was really long and was very stagnant for many years. However, I got so lucky from when I pieced together that something deeper was going on, I got the care I needed very quickly (very privileged and grateful to have health insurance). It took me a really long time to piece things together. I was recommended by my Psychologist to see Chantal Cuthers (which I am eternally grateful for) who was the first medical professional that actually listened to me and looked at a holistic perspective of my symptoms, where she pieced together that I probably had endo. She pushed for getting a recommendation to a gyne, and continuously supported me with fighting for answers, which led me to my laparoscopic surgery. She wrote letters to my GP, checked in with me on their responses and kept pushing, as well as not letting me settle for mediocre care.

4. What was your diagnosis experience like?

I suffered thinking that what I was experiencing was normal and that I was exaggerating how bad my symptoms were for 5 years from my first period. I had unlucky experiences with GPs dismissing me and not even considering investigating further into my symptoms. As someone who has been plant based since before my first period, doctors always blamed my low iron levels on being plant based not considering the fact that my heavy periods were the main issue. Just a continuous pattern of being dismissed and given different pills to manage things instead of them investigating why this was happening for me.

I also had the most horrible first gynecologist experience when I was 19. It's really scary going to a family planning gynecologist as a poor university student and being brave enough to talk about experiencing painful sex. After an examination she dismissed me by saying I was probably just at a point in my cycle where my cervix was lower creating some ‘sensitivity and discomfort’ which was not the case. I also asked her about my heavy, painful periods and ended up being told that I was fine and to just take ibuprofen for the week before my period and that heavy periods are an ‘opinion’ and that heavy is different for everyone which was so defeating.

That really didn’t sit right with me, I knew that blood can be measured so heavy periods are absolutely not an opinion but a fact and I wasn’t going to settle for accepting being in pain and taking painkillers daily for 2 out of 4 weeks of the month.

Post surgery and Merina IUD insertion my pain was debilitating. It was worse than it had ever been before. Everytime I mentioned that my pain was worse post surgery, I was dismissed by my gynecologist; ‘Its only been 3 months your still recovering, its only been 6 months your Merina is still settling in, it's only been a year your Merina will settle now, its been 18 months your Merina is working because it's stopped your bleeding so that's not the problem’.

I knew something wasn’t right, I knew I wanted the Merina removed, even if it was just to rule out that it was creating the pain. I was told that if it was removed I would have to be on the pill again (which I'd already tried 4 different versions of and none worked). I ended up in the ER begging to get my Merina removed due to being in so much pain. After getting my IUD removed it was very clear that the Merina was causing the pain in my body.

It's so hard to trust yourself and trust your body and your judgement when medical professionals are telling you the opposite thing. But it was the best thing I've done in my endo journey so far. Trusting my body and getting my IUD removed.

5. How has your condition changed your daily life?

Having endo has changed my daily life so much. I actually started struggling more after my surgery than I did before. Luckily I had my surgery 3 months after I finished uni but I was negotiating start dates for my first fulltime job while in recovery. I got a Merina during my surgery which did not work for my body at all! I struggled so much being in surgery recovery, starting full-time work and having extreme pain from my Merina. I had to leave my full time job after just over a year as I was struggling so much with chronic pain, fatigue and everything else that comes with endo to an extent where it was taking over my life.

I was in daily pain fighting to push through each day. As a 21 year old, needing to quit your job because your body can’t cope with working fulltime was really hard and really scary. However, it led me to starting my own business at 22 which has been the most amazing thing for being able to adapt my schedule around pain flare-ups.

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

My mum had very painful very heavy periods so when my periods started I assumed that was just how periods in my family were. I remember one of my friends in high school using the same pads as me and saying that I went through them so much quicker than she did and that periods weren’t supposed to be that heavy. That stuck with me and helped give me the confidence to stand up for myself better in doctor’s offices.

Knowing something wasn’t right in my body came when I was looking into seeing Chantal and saw all my symptoms on her website as things she helps people with. I finally felt seen, could feel things piecing together and had hope for getting answers.

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

The only thing that has helps me manage my endo symptoms is heat therapy. Dealing with this level of pain post surgery led me to create my own heatpack as having 2 wheat bags on my front and then having to swap them to the back was not cutting it for me. I put my sustainable fashion design degree to work and made my own heatpack that covered the front and back of my belly at the same time. The relief this gave me was life changing. I wanted to help others and give them the opportunity to have full torso relief with a heatpack that wasn't only functional but beautiful so when you're dealing with so much pain you have something beautiful that helps you.

Working on my nervous system has also been life changing for me, through yin yoga, meditation, reiki and sound healing with Iris Bellve. This and therapy has supported me in building a deeper connection to myself and my body, of which I am so grateful for.

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

PAIN IS NOT NORMAL and it is not to be overlooked or dismissed. When something is painful your body is telling you something deeper is going on. I know so many people that have been dismissed and told their pain is all in their head. Pain is real, how you feel it in your body is very real. I wish people knew how important it is not to compare their pain to someone else’s. If you are in pain, you are in pain, it is valid no matter what. I always dismissed mine as other people have it worse, you're overreacting. If I'd acknowledged it earlier, I would have got answers earlier. No matter how bad your pain is, it is still valid and deserves to be taken seriously.

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

Trust your body, it's telling you something is wrong. Don’t settle for being dismissed, keep fighting for answers. I would love to give her a big hug and tell her she's in for a real ride but that all the fighting is worth it because having my heatpack business and helping people every day is so worth all the struggle I went through to get here.

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

Heating up my Els Lovers heatpack, watching a comfort show (friends or new girl) and making a cup of tea. I’ve learnt to be gentle with myself and to give myself the time and space I need to heal. I’ve had to retrain my brain to really allow myself to rest and say no to plans and prioritise what my body needs.