Hi I’m Anna, I am a 31-year-old Endometriosis sufferer who is a wife and a Mum to an 8-year-old daughter along with 2 German Shepherds, a bunny and a tortoise.
Since my early teens, I have struggled with severe Endometriosis symptoms and was officially diagnosed 2 weeks before my 18th birthday. I have come across a huge amount of medical gaslighting and invalidation throughout the years of battling Endometriosis. I was told continuously that my pain was in my head, and at such a young age it's devastating as you begin to think you are going crazy. To finally have the validation of a diagnosis was a huge relief, and when I look back it's sad that the first emotion was relief rather than sadness of facing a diagnosis of an incurable condition.
Endometriosis has in many ways controlled my life since my early teens. This condition has resulted in me needing 17 surgeries which caused me to lose my large bowel and bladder. As a result, I live with two stoma bags. The condition also resulted in me having a total hysterectomy including having my ovaries removed when I was 28 years old.
Endometriosis is such a huge negative in my life that I needed to turn it into a positive not only for me but for my daughter and her generation.
Living with chronic pain, in menopause and an invisible disability, I have faced many challenges, but the biggest one is people not understanding that conditions like endometriosis are incredibly serious and something we should be aware of. I feel the media does not represent younger people going through chronic pain or menopause. I wish we did a better job of representing menopause and chronic illness so that people of all ages, not just those in their 40s and above who experience these issues, could understand them.
It has been a passion of mine to turn my advocating into something more substantial and I am incredibly proud of the work we are doing here at Menstrual Health Project. We co-founded our now award-winning UK-wide charity alongside my best friend, Gabz. We were fed up with the lack of understanding and education surrounding menstrual health, so we turned our pain into power. We wanted change and that's what we are working towards with the work we are doing.
The charity was born out of frustration from the lack of education surrounding menstrual health. That’s why our charity focuses on improving education within all settings whether it be schools/colleges/universities to workplace and healthcare settings. We do this through free educational resources, workshops, community support and awareness.
The media does not represent younger people going through chronic pain or menopause. I wish we did a better job of representing menopause and chronic illness so that people of all ages, not just those in their 40s and above who experience these issues, could understand them.
Endometriosis is such a huge negative in my life that I needed to turn it into a positive not only for me but for my daughter and her generation. We need to reduce the stigma surrounding talking about our menstrual health and normalise it for generations to come. We need to stop normalising the level of pain in women, as it is resulting in so many people suffering in silence. It has been a societal issue where we have never spoken openly about our menstrual health. We need to de-stigmatise the conversation in order for people to feel comfortable talking about the struggles they may face.
Going against the grain isn’t always easy as there will always be opinions that disagree with what you want to achieve. For me, however, the work we’re doing at the Menstrual Health Project, and my role as a women's health advocate, is too important to stop. We must address the lack of prioritisation in educating people about menstrual health. We need to stop letting women and those who menstruate down.
I am a Disruptor because, despite all that I have been through, I dedicate my time to improving the future for others, with the hope that they won’t experience the suffering that I and so many others have endured.
We need better funding for menstrual health education and gynaecological care overall. It is crucial to take women's health seriously and understand that many women are suffering due to the lack of education and adequate funding to support their health.
The milestones I am most proud of are becoming a mother, surviving all that I have endured while bearing my body with two stomas and grieving my old one, and co-founding an award-winning UK-wide charity, Menstrual Health Project with my best friend.
I am a Disruptor because, despite all that I have been through, I dedicate my time to improving the future for others, with the hope that they won’t experience the suffering that I and so many others have endured.
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