My Journey of Endometriosis
My Journey of Endometriosis
By Chantelle Hughes
I was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2019.
I received my diagnosis when I was in year 12, and had just turned 18. I never imagined that I would have surgery in my life. I never imagined that I would be diagnosed with this horrible condition – and one with no cure. I got my first period in 2013, when I was almost 12. Looking back, I always had stomach pains during primary and high school. Whenever I had gotten tests done I was always told the same.
“There was nothing wrong,” and “period pains were normal.”
This seemed to be the case until this one day in 2019, when I had gotten severe pain and went to hospital. This was the moment when my journey of being diagnosed started. In 2019, I had to have two emergency surgeries, one in May and one in June. Unfortunately these surgeries forced me to drop out of high school, so I didn’t get to graduate.
While I was in hospital recovering from my second laparoscopy, I applied to study cert IV youth work at Swinburne University, and I had gotten accepted! My dream was to always study youth work and become a youth worker, so I didn’t get too upset about having leaving high school. After all, I still got to study my chosen career and begin working towards fulfilling my dream.
Studying was hard for me but I did it!
I started in July 2019, and I by April 2021 I was qualified upon completion. When I was diagnosed in 2019, I was only diagnosed with stage 1. In July 2021, I had my third laparoscopy when I was informed that I had stage 4 endometriosis. Having stage 4 made sense to me and suddenly everything began to come together in my head. This was why I was in pain every single day and why I was having bladder issues.
Life doesn’t end when we get diagnosed with endometriosis, life only just starts. With each hurdle we face, we get stronger and stronger each time.
QENDO has been an amazing support; I attend the QENDO meets in Melbourne each time it’s on and everyone is wonderful.
So… What to expect from a QENDO meet?
“A place where strangers suffering chronic illness become friends and provide support for each other by sharing stories, wisdom and things we’ve learnt along the way.”
“ A safe space to connect with others about all things pelvic pain, where you won’t be judged and you might just make some lifelong friends.”
“ They are a safe non-judgmental space to connect socially with other warriors in a casual setting.”
“Where chronic illness warriors come together in a safe space to share, to learn and to laugh.”
This post was written for the QENDO blog and shared with consent.
This blog does not constitute medical advice and is a personal story by someone living with pelvic pain conditions. The medications, supplements, health providers mentioned in this blog are not endorsed by QENDO nor does QENDO receive financial incentive for these products or by the medical professionals mentioned. Please consult with your health care team before considering taking any supplement, medication or treatment pathway.
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