Let’s Chat with Melissa
by Melissa McInerney
Endometriosis;
Pronounced [ N-Doh-Me-Tree-O-Sis ] “A disorder in which tissue similar to that which normally lines the uterus grows outside the uterus. With endometriosis, the tissue can be found on the ovaries, fallopian tubes or the intestines, as well as other places in the body. The most common symptoms are pain and menstrual irregularities.”
I am a 27-year-old that moved to Australia in 2013 from small town in Tipperary, Ireland. My current situation has me in menopause (Zoladex) and to be honest, I am not sure whether to laugh or cry lol.
This is my journey so far with Endometriosis:
I had my first laparoscopic surgery in Ireland when I was 15, there was no findings during the surgery. They removed my appendix, and I was told it was pretty much just growing pains and it was likely to just be IBS.
Although I always had on and off pain since the age of 15, it only really started to deteriorate in 2017 (23 years old), when A&E visits became more frequent. Until then I was told ‘you must have a low tolerance to pain, every woman has these pains’.
June 2019, I was in A&E (again) and a female doctor asked me if I was ever investigated for endometriosis? It was the first time I ever even heard the word. My first surgery was in Feb 2020. I thought this was the start of a new beginning and I applied for a place in CQU to further my studies in OHS. After surgery, I was still having the same pain complaints.
I changed GP and was referred for a second opinion, I was back under the knife in July 2020. I had just started uni. More endo was found in my pelvic area and was removed through excision surgery. I was also diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). Now I look back, there were signs, but unfortunately I did not know the common symptoms of Endometriosis, so it was never on my radar to ask about.
My social media is filled with images of me in places all over the world and I just want to remind people that I was sharing my good times. Things I was proud of achieving. That one photo probably took 30 seconds to take, I do not show the 8 hours from the day before where I am curled up in bed with a heat pack, crying in pain. While I have bad days still, I like to think I am optimistic about its majority of the time. I genuinely try to be positive and do things that make me feel good. What will feeling sorry for myself achieve?
My goal is to raise awareness about Endometriosis, break down the stigma that surrounds women’s health. I aspire to be a real-life example to other women that you can still achieve your career goals while dealing with a chronic illness.
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