Spotlight on ENDOMETRIOSIS
Former The Voice contestant LYN BOWTELL shares her experience
It affects one in 10 Australian woman, but endometriosis still remains such a mystery. Here, Lyn shares her daily battles with the disorder including her struggles to overcome it.
THE SYMPTOMS
I was only 11 when I got my first period, and by my early teens I was suffering severe pain.
I felt the pain not only during my menstrual cycle but often in between, to the point where I was so incapacitated I missed a lot of school.
DELAYED DIAGNOSIS
I was constantly misdiagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. At 15, I found out I had PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome).
But I wasn’t diagnosed with endometriosis until I had my first exploratory surgery at 17.
THE DAILY STRUGGLE
During my time on The Voice last year, I was in agony. The pain medication I was taking made me very drowsy and I wasn’t my normal cheery self. Everyday things, like simply hanging out the washing, were extremely difficult.
A GLIMMER OF HOPE
I’m taking the contraceptive pill to help suppress flare-ups and magnesium for cramping. I also have regular massages and do water therapy to assist my recovery, following surgery in November 2017.
I’m so grateful to Dr Jason on Chow at the Women’s Health and Research Institute in Sydney. The surgery he performed and rehabilitation plan he created has given me my life back.