TOMORROW, in cities all over the world, thousands will don yellow and take to the street in a bid to raise awareness of endometriosis, a chronic condition that affects one in ten women.
It’s an illness that can cause highly painful periods and aches in the abdomen, pelvis and back, and can be extremely difficult to diagnose, with no known cure.
Claire Watson had to wait 16 years for her to be told she had endometriosis. Doctors initially put her complaints down to IBS or depression.
“There’s nowhere near enough awareness,” the Methil mum-of-two said. “Even when I was diagnosed I didn’t have a clue what it was. I’d never even heard of it before.”
As soon as doctors realised Claire had endometriosis she was given a medically induced menopause, and an injection to shut down her ovaries. Over the next year-and-a-half she became seriously ill, losing weight and, at the age of 33, was told she had no choice but to have a hysterectomy.
That didn’t work.
Claire now has endometriosis on her bladder, and her bowel. Her kidneys don’t work properly and she needs to take daily antibiotics.
“I now just have a load more complications as well as endometriosis. My health isn’t the best.”
She and others will march from Glasgow’s George Square on Saturday at 11am.
Last year Anne Devlin was sitting on the Buchanan Street steps with her husband Martin, when the march walked past. It was a stunning moment for the former nurse to meet women who had experienced what she too had gone through.
“I had pain from the age of 13 to 47 undiagnosed,” Anne said. “My reason for shouting loudly about it is that women cannot suffer any longer. We need to end the pain. We need to get it out in the open and we need to treat it properly. Women cannot suffer any longer.” This year Anne will be joining the march.
Find out more at bit.ly/endomarchglasgow
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