What I go through is not normal, but it is normalised. It felt like being stabbed, I’d be on my hands and knees in pain. I was admitted to hospital and the morphine barely touched the sides. I was told, ‘You’re just experiencing a painful period. You’re fine. Just have some ibuprofen and suck it up.’
It was horrendous bleeding, I’d have to leave school and go home and change – I’d bleed through tampons and pads. At times, I felt like I would pass out because of the pain. The mental toll is also awful, you feel like people won’t believe you and worry about being well enough for school or work.
I’m really lucky that I can work from home to help accommodate the pain, to make sure I’m as comfortable as I can be. However, the impact of needing time off work has been a concern. I have savings, it’s something I’ve always done in the knowledge this could financially impact me by taking time off, I think that’s a real worry for lots of people who suffer that they may run out of sick days.
The economic cost of taking time off due to issues such as severe period pain or ovarian cysts is estimated to be nearly £11bn a year in England alone.
Dysmenorrhea is the medical term for moderate to severe pain that occurs during menstruation. It is usually felt in the lower abdomen or pelvis and can also cause cramping. Other symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, diarrhoea, headaches and weakness. Severe period pain is when it affects your daily habits like sleeping or going to work.
Emily says it also has an impact on her husband Marcus who has had to watch her “screaming in agony”.
It stated that medical misogyny was leaving women in pain for years and disrupted all aspects of daily life.
Last week, the Welsh government announced the first women’s health plan, following similar strategies in England and Scotland. It includes a focus on menstrual health, including endometriosis.
Last month, after seven years of tests and scans, Emily had surgery for stage four endometriosis, but had to “fight to be taken seriously”.
Dr. Robyn Jackowich is encouraging those who experience severe period pain to share their experiences as part of a study based at Cardiff University, which she said was “a validating experience to be heard”. The study is creating a list of recommendations to both education and healthcare providers.
“There’s certainly a need for it, given both how common it is and what an incredible impact it has on the people who experience it,” she said. Severe period pain was something that can be experienced on its own or linked to other conditions, such as endometriosis or uterine fibroids.
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