What a Pain in the Pelvis! My Journey with Endometriosis, Adenomyosis and Pelvic pain by Kellie

Like so many of us living with endometriosis, I’ve come to know this pain intimately—its unpredictability, its impact, its silence. The hardest part? We feel it every single day… yet no one can see it. That’s the battle: to be heard, to be seen, to be believed.

I was first diagnosed at 17. For the next 28 years, I thought I had a grip on it—managing as best I could, riding the highs and surviving the lows. I even had the immense blessing of becoming a mother, something I’m deeply grateful for every day.

In the back of my mind, there was always one “solution” I’d been told about: a hysterectomy. It was talked about like a magic fix, a final chapter in my endo story. But no one warned me that it could be the beginning of a whole new nightmare.

When I started experiencing intense lower back pain, I thought it was just another flare. But within a year, the pain became debilitating. A scan led to emergency surgery to remove an ovary riddled with cysts. My uterus, they said, was also covered in endometriosis. Two months later, I underwent a hysterectomy. The specialist told me it was all handled.

Except—it wasn’t.

What followed were some of the worst months of my life. I couldn’t sit, stand, or lie down without pain. I felt like I was unraveling. Twice, I was dismissed by my original surgeon. “It’s just IBS,” they said.

It wasn’t.

Thankfully, I found a new specialist—one who truly understood Endometriosis/Adenmyosis. They discovered the disease had spread further than anyone had realised: it was on my bowel, binding my organs to my pelvic wall. My insides were tangled in pain. I had two more surgeries, and for a brief moment, I had hope.

But two months later, the pain came back. Chronic. Exhausting. Life-altering.

Five years post-hysterectomy, I still wake up each morning wondering what kind of pain the day will bring. I still go to bed analysing the ache. And I’m still fighting—every day—to be seen, to be heard, and to heal.

What shocked me the most was learning that endometriosis isn’t just a “reproductive issue.” It’s a whole body disease. And a hysterectomy? It’s not a cure. I wish I had someone to inform me and prepare me better. If sharing my journey helps even one person be more informed, more prepared, and less alone—then that means everything to me.

I am very proud to be part of QENDO, and to be surrounded by a community of warriors who uplift, empower, and understand.

By Kellie Cheshire