A NEW support group has been launched in the Highlands for local women suffering from endometriosis as part of Endometriosis Action Month.
Nurse Fay Cartwright created InverEndo Support for women with the condition in Inverness and surrounding areas to share their struggles, with hope to campaign for better endometriosis care in the future.
Since the age of 21, Fay recalls being admitted to hospital close to 50 times for endometriosis-related problems.
She says the care she has received “has been mixed”, with the minority of consultants actually making her “feel heard”.
Fay said: “If I had to count from the age of 21 onwards, it would probably be closer to 50 hospital admissions.
“The care I’ve received has been mixed. I’ve been told that there’s nothing wrong with me, it’s all in my head and it’s just a bad period.
“I’ve also been told to have a baby, radical surgery or try various contraceptives to ‘cure’ my endometriosis.
“I’ve been told that it’s ‘normal’ to have excruciatingly painful periods and some women ‘just have heavy periods’.
“Some consultants have an exceptional manner and really care about their patients and make me feel heard but, unfortunately, they are in the minority.”
Endometriosis affects one in 10 women in the UK, however patients like Fay are often “dismissed” and told their symptoms are “normal” for a period.
On launching InverEndo Support, she said: “I find endometriosis isolating at times and have really struggled with my mental health, and I don’t want others to feel how I have felt over the years.
In future, Fay says she wants to see “faster diagnosis, positive patient care, and a broader variety of supportive resources available to patients” suffering from the condition.
Fay added: “We need better coordination between health services, trained with better knowledge of endometriosis to be able to hold clinics in the community, addressing both the physical symptoms and the challenges of access, understanding, and long-term care.”
It is hoped that Fay’s efforts can inspire other regions in the UK to take endometriosis more seriously, and provide adequate care.
More information can be found on the group’s Facebook page, InverEndo.
