Woman raises awareness for endometriosis
A CULTURAL tendency to shy away from conversations about menstruation, bleeding and period pain may be the reason Warwick’s Madison Burton suffered years of debilitating pain before finally being diagnosed with endometriosis last year.
She saw every doctor and naturopath she could, was told she was going through menopause at the age of 20, had put on more than 15kg without explanation and was having to take time off work.
When she finally saw a gynaecologist, she was rushed into surgery where doctors found parts of her uterus lining growing in five different places outside her uterus.
Since having the endometriosis removed from her pelvic organs with lasers, Miss Burton feels she has regained her body, her confidence and her life.
But raising awareness about the illness is an uphill battle she will be fighting for the rest of her life.
“There’s just so little information about it out there,” she said.
“I 100 per cent think that because of what it is and what it surrounds, people just don’t want to hear it.”
She said connecting with two other women who also had the illness was like finding long lost sisters, but others just didn’t get it.
Endometriosis can be extremely difficult to treat, but Miss Burton hopes that more research and education around the illness will help others discover the disease without having to go through the painful process she did.
Endometriosis can only be diagnosed by having invasive surgery, which is why it flies under the radar for many women.