Part two …

So during the years that I was on the pill I struggled with depression and anxiety. I was actually diagnosed as a manic depressive. I had suicidal thoughts and began to self harm. It was suggested that I stop taking the pill as that could potentially be causing my mood swings. I stopped taking it and my mood improved. BUT my period pain got worse, much worse. This began in my late teens. I was told that some girls just have heavy and painful periods and I’d have to accept it or take pain relief. I stupidly accepted that.

I went back to the GP a few times and was told I’d need an early smear test. I had one which was abnormal and continued to have them every six months for a couple of years. I then had to go for a colposcopy and for some laser treatment to remove pre cancerous cells. Then smears were once a year and came back normal.

Years later my pain started to become unbearable. I would spend full days, sometimes a few days in bed as it was just too painful to move. I also started experiencing pain with bowel movements and extreme pain during sex. My husband encouraged me to go back to the GP. I was then referred to a gynaecologist in my early 20s.

When I visited the gynaecologist he said he could feel some lumps around my cervix and said he thought I may have endometriosis. I had never heard of it before but I feel so happy that someone was finally taking me seriously. He booked me in for a laparoscopy a few months later.