Hi, I'm Amanda

Hi I'm Amanda and I'm a single mum to a 12yo daughter who lives in Central Victoria. My endo journey has been a long and bumpy road, but I am in a really good place now to be able to support others and share my story. I first experienced symptoms in 2010 after stopping the contraceptive pill which I had been on for more than 10 years. The symptoms hit me like a tonne of bricks, and I'd never experienced anything like it before. Thankfully for me it took less than 12 months to get a diagnosis via a laparoscopy here in my hometown. The gynaecologist who did the surgery told me he opened me up, saw what was going on and promptly closed me up again before referring me straight to an amazing endo specialist in Melbourne who did my first major surgery a few months later. I will forever be grateful to the original doctor being honest and telling me I was one of the worst cases he had ever seen in his career and no one locally was skilled enough to treat me.

Since then, I have had several more surgeries including a bowel disc resection, a left oophorectomy and a total hysterectomy, been placed in medically induced menopause, struggled with infertility, tried more alternative therapies than I can count, taken more medications than I can remember and been to an endless number of doctor and specialist appointments. I have made friends through my illness, lost friends because of my illness and mourned the life I once lived because things have changed so much.

Everything I have been through has given me a wealth of knowledge I can now use to help and support others on their journey. It has also shown me that I have a strength and resilience I never realised existed. That's why this program means so much to me and why I have continued to be a part of it since 2019 when I was first appointed a mentee. I hope I can help you feel less alone, less overwhelmed and less scared of the unknown by being there for you too.

#endoadvocate #chronicpain #chronicfatigue #hysterectomy #medicallyinducedmenopause #bowelendometriosis #infertility #alternativetherapies #supportnetwork