For 18 years, Dearbhail Ormond had excruciating periods that no doctors seemed able to explain or alleviate. Her teenage years had been similarly discomforting, as fatigue and sex caused her significant pain. Her search for help took her to 20 doctors and consultants, none of whom could provide her with any answers. She was even diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome and fibromyalgia due to her fatigue. However, at age 34 she was finally diagnosed with endometriosis after a surgeon discovered a 32 cm piece of endometrial tissue in her ovary.
“I was absolutely elated,” she said. “It changed me that day because I spent so much of my young adulthood questioning.” Now aged 42, Ms Ormond has founded Frendo, a company devoted to helping other women with endometriosis. Despite being told by medics that she could not have children, she has given birth to a daughter. Six weeks after the birth, she had to be hospitalised due to her endometriosis. As a result, she has decided to undergo a hysterectomy to help ease the symptoms.
Endometriosis sees tissue similar to the endometrium lining the uterus growing outside of the organ. When this occurs, it can cause excruciating pain and significant distress. However, because the symptoms can be obscure and vary a lot, it can be difficult to diagnose. For some patients, the condition can cause infertility, while for others the effects can be far-reaching and debilitating.
Dearbhail Ormond’s experiences with the medical profession did more than cause her pain: “If you’re being taken to doctors, and you’re saying, ‘Look, this is how I feel’, and they say, ‘Well, your tests come back clear, you’re all fine’, it really plays with your own self-esteem,” she said. As a result of such encounters, she isolated herself and “felt absolutely rubbish”. The struggle for Ormond remains ongoing, but her hard times led her to help others in similar situations
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More