‘Constant’ pain, ‘horrific’ bleeding
Endometriosis stories revealed in bid to raise awareness
Tauranga’s Lucy Cooper first knew something was wrong when she experienced “extremely bad” periods in her teenage years. The 22-year-old couldn’t attend school and would “bleed through everything”.
When she spoke to her friends about her symptoms, no one could relate to her condition.
This marked the start of Cooper’s battle with endometriosis — a condition where tissue similar to the uterus lining is found outside the uterus.
The tissue can form nodules or plaques and cause extreme pain during periods and/or ovulation, tiredness, abnormal menstrual bleeding, infertility and bladder or bowel problems.
Endometriosis affects an estimated 120,000 people in New Zealand, about one in every 10 females.
Living in ‘constant pain’
Cooper told the Bay of Plenty Times she was 13 when she got her first period and symptoms started.
Cooper said her doctor prescribed her birth control pills.
“It does put a Band-aid over it for a while but then I started to get a constant pain every day.”
After two years of being on the pill and worsening symptoms, she was referred to a gynaecologist, who believed Cooper had endometriosis.
However, surgery was required to diagnose it.
According to Endometriosis NZ, laparoscopic surgery is the only definitive way to diagnose endometriosis. The surgery also aims to remove endometriosis tissue, cysts or adhesions.
The surgery revealed Cooper had endometriosis, and the surgeon removed what they could find.
“I couldn’t believe how I felt after my surgery, I felt so . . . normal.”
Cooper said symptoms, however, would “slowly come back again” after a couple of months.
On her gynaecologist’s advice, Cooper has a Mirena – a T-shaped plastic frame carrying a contraceptive hormone inserted into the uterus – to alleviate her symptoms.
“Luckily it has just suited my body . . . I don’t bleed as heavily anymore which is a big part of my pain.”
Surgery the ‘only option’ to treat pain
Cooper said she often got “flare-ups” of “really strong” pain.
“It can get to a point where your pain is too consistent and too strong that the only kind of option is to go in for another surgery and they remove the endo that they can find.”
Cooper, who has had four endometriosis-related surgeries, considered herself “lucky” to have health insurance.
“There are so many people who do have to wait in the public health system that can’t get a diagnosis, let alone get their first surgery.”
‘Horrific’ bleeding and passing out
Hamilton woman Alex Haskell, 27, also had “really bad” periods at high school and was prescribed the contraceptive pill to skip her period.
“I would still have horrific bleeding – like, would pass out, would have to stay at home from school.”
By the time she was 16: “I would
I couldn’t believe how I felt after my surgery, I felt so . . . normal.
Lucy Cooper