Living with endometriosis – Laura’s fight to becoming a mum

Laura was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2009 at the age of 24, after 16 years of undiagnosed suffering.

Aged eight Laura had started her period, and by the age of 10 was having two periods per month. By the ages of 12-13 Laura had been prescribed with the contraceptive pill by her doctor, in an attempt to help combat the agony she was in.

Sexual relationships were accompanied with extreme pain, bleeding after sex and bloating – to the point where she was being mistaken for being pregnant.

By July 2009 Laura’s doctor suspected she could have endometriosis; due to her menstrual history and the fact she was suffering with fatigue, and chronic pain in her legs, back and abdomen.

In August 2009, after a laparoscopy, Laura was told she had endometriosis.

Laura had researched endometriosis and was instantly fearing the worst – her main concern being her fear of not being able to have children.

“I was devastated – I felt like my life was over. All I ever wanted was to be a mum and there was a huge risk of this not happening.”

Laura was told her chances of having children were slim, due to her endometriosis, but her doctor provided an option to increase the likelihood of conception.

This option was a hormone treatment through hormone replacement therapy (HRT), a pseudo-menopause, consisting of monthly injections of the hormone Zoladex and Livial tablets. Laura had a year’s window for this method to work – or her chances of pregnancy would drop drastically.

Fortunately the treatment was successful and Laura fell pregnant within the year, giving birth to her daughter after battling through the complications of labor which nearly cost her own and her child’s life.

“I had the treatment and fell pregnant to my beautiful daughter, she’s now 7 – but endo ruined my birth and the complications surrounding it almost cost me my life and that of my daughters. – Endo has cost me so much, but I remain positive and always grateful for my daughter.”

We asked Laura what advice she would give to others suffering with endometriosis.

“Try to seek out others who share a similar story, family and friends are amazing and can empathise to a degree, but it is hard for them to understand being in pain almost every day and still having to function as normal – ‘it can’t be that bad’ is a common thing said, which is so far from the truth. I have been through labor, and that to me felt like a normal day.”

Finally we asked Laura what she would do to raise awareness of endometriosis.

 “There are still so many unknowns, it need to be recognised more as a disease. I know some ladies who have lost their job because of endo, due to having time off. It needs to be recognised on the Equality Act, because to me it is a disability.”

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