Can you help to shape future endometriosis research?

February 8, 2017 / Endo Lady UK / 3 Comments

Hello lovely endosisters! I hope you are all as well as can be today.

I’m writing this post to update you all about an exciting research project I have had the privilege to help develop over the past year as a member of the Radcliffe Women’s Health Patient Participation Group (University of Oxford). We are hoping to establish a set of core outcomes which can be used in future endometriosis research, which will then make it easier for scientists and healthcare professionals to compare the results of various studies and gain a deeper insight into the disease.

This post is also a little bit of a call to action and a plea to ask you to take part in this research. Participation involves completing three online surveys over the course of a few months, where you will share your experiences of endometriosis and views on what outcomes doctors and researchers should be prioritising when working to improve the quality of treatments and healthcare we receive.

We have made a short video that explains what we are doing in greater detail:

If you would like more information or to take part, you can visit our sign up page here.

Please do get in touch with me directly if you would like any further information or have any questions. Alternatively, you can contact lead investigator Dr. Martin Hirsch (Queen Mary, University of London) by email: m.hirsch@qmul.ac.uk.

I really am hoping the endometriosis community supports this exciting research opportunity. We can hardly complain that there is a lack of research into endometriosis (which is clearly true and a real injustice when you consider how many people are affected) but then not support the projects when they do take place.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, and whether you’ve been involved in any research projects yourself. Please do share this (on your own blogs and/or social media) with any other endosisters you know who might be interested in taking part- the more voices we have to contribute the better!

With love,
Claire
xxx

Endometriosis roundup 2016.

December 31, 2016 / Endo Lady UK / 1 Comment

Image credit: Monash University

It’s that time of year again where I present my annual endometriosis summary. This is by no means an exhaustive list- but just an overview of events and publications which have caught my eye over the year as being particularly meaningful.
While 2016 has been a rather unfortunate and turbulent year (globally and personally for myself), it has been an excellent one for endometriosis awareness, which is certainly worthy of celebration.

January
-Singer Halsey opens up to fans on Twitter about living with endometriosis, to much praise and publicity.

February
-Writer and actress Lena Dunham pulls out of the Girls promotional tour and talks openly about her experiences with endometriosis.
-Australian advocate Sylvia Freedman asks: With endometriosis, shouldn’t ”let’s get you well” come before ”lets get you pregnant?”
-Young ambassador to Endometriosis UK Alice featured on BBC Newsbeat.

March
-The Worldwide EndoMarch (founded by Camran Nezhat) took place, and was the biggest ever. I marched in London with friends from my support group, my mum, my husband, and Dr Martin Hirsch from Queen Mary University who is researching endometriosis.
-The Endo What? documentary premiered in the US. This is the most important film to be made about endometriosis to date and a really powerful tool to help women take control of their bodies. Premiers followed in London and throughout the world.
-The Primrose Ball took place in Leeds, UK to raise funds and awareness.
-New research linked endometriosis to an increased risk of heart disease.

April
-The Huffington Post featured an article about typical endometriosis symptoms that doctors frequently overlook.
-The 8th Annual Blossom Ball was held in New York City, and was attended by a host of celebrity guests including Susan Sarandon, Lena Dunham, and organiser Padma Laskshmi.
-The seventh annual Endofound medical conference was held in the US. You can watch endometriosis advocate Abby Norman’s talk back here.

May
–She Knows published an article about common misconceptions relating to endometriosis.

June
-Star-Wars star Daisy Ridley opened up about her struggles with endometriosis.
-Celebrity Love Island’s Zara Holland shared her battle with the disease.
–iNews published a post about how the NHS is denying proper care to women with endometriosis.
-Carol Pearson shared some of her story with the Daily Mail to highlight the high level of misdiagnosis in women with endometriosis.
-Padma Lakshmi is nominated for a ‘health heroes’ award by WebMD for her work with Endofound.

July
-Endometriosis sufferer Niamh Spence told the Daily Mail about how the disease impacts on her life and her fertility.
-The Phendo app (from the Citizen Endo Project) became available to download on iPhones.

August
-I wrote an article about my experience of endometriosis for the International Business Times, following Olympic swimmer’s Fu Yuanhui’s comments that she under-performed because of period pain.
-Oh, and I also went on ITV’s ‘This Morning’ to talk about menstrual leave. You can watch back here.
-Endo What? creator and director Shannon Cohn tells The Mighty site why misdiagnosing endometriosis as period pain needs to stop.

September
-Australian radio presenter Mel Greig opened up to the Daily Mail about how endometriosis has led to painful sex for her.
-A research study finds that CA-125 can act as a non-invasive diagnostic marker of endometriosis for some women.
–BBC Radio 5 Live feature endometriosis in a discussion about managing period pain at work. You can listen back here if you’re in the UK.

October
– I walked 23 miles (!!!) across London with my support group friends Rosie and Jess, as part of Endometriosis UK’s ‘Mad Pants X London Challenge’.
–Cosmopolitan magazine publish a large multi-page feature about endometriosis.

Image credit: Endometriosis UK

November
-Endometriosis UK hold their first black tie Gala dinner in London to raise funds and awareness. I was there and it was an excellent evening!
-The Revelist published a post by women with endometriosis (including myself) explaining what they wish people understood about living with the disease.
-Loose Women’s Andrea McLean takes time off the show to have a hysterectomy.

December
-Endometriosis hormonal treatments were discussed on BBC Radio Four’s PM with Eddie Mair. You can listen back here if you’re in the UK.
-Health minister Jill Hennessy of Victoria, Australia launches the country’s first set of evidence-based endometriosis resources, as described in the Guardian.
-UK MP asks a question in parliament about endometriosis information available in schools.
-Endometriosis expert Dr Tamer Seckin features on Second Opinion (PBS).

Not a bad year at all eh? And I’m aware of many exciting projects in the pipeline that I think is going to make 2017 even better for the endometriosis community. If you think I have heinously overlooked any articles and/or events, please do drop me a message and I will be very happy to add them into this post.

I’d love to hear what has been your endometriosis highlight of 2016- either public or personal.
All that’s now left for me to do is to wish a Happy New Year to you all! Lets hope 2017 is the best and luckiest year yet for all of us.

Love,
Claire
xxx

My site has been listed as one of Healthline’s best endometriosis blogs of 2016.

December 28, 2016 / Endo Lady UK / 5 Comments

Exciting news! Last week this site was listed as one of Healthline’s ”Best Endometriosis Blogs of 2016.” A link to the full article is here.

I’m really pleased that Healthline are using their significant social media platform to raise awareness for endometriosis. The sites they have featured are all really interesting and useful in different ways, and form a useful resource for anyone wanting to learn more about the disease. I’m also a HUGE fan of Lisa, Michelle, Jess, Tracy, Angela and all of the other women whose blogs were listed, so it was really nice to see their excellent efforts and hard work being publicly acknowledged.

On a personal level I’m really pleased to be included. Sometimes I worry that I’m just shouting the demented ramblings of my inner mind aimlessly into cyberspace! Blogging on this site has been such a positive outlet for me mentally and emotionally. It has also enabled me to share my story, make new friends from around the world, and hopefully help out a few people along the way. When I sat down to write my first post a few weeks post diagnosis- tears streaming down my face, I never imagined how many adventures it would open up. I’d highly recommend giving blogging a go if you don’t already!

So, this just leaves me to thank all of you who have been reading and getting in touch in 2016- I really do appreciate it. All of you are amazing for getting through all the rubbish that chronic life throws at you! I’m sure there’s many more adventures and emotional mini-dramas to come on this blog in 2017 (haha) so please do stick around for the journey.

Loads of love,
Claire
xxx

I featured on ITV’s ‘This Morning’ to discuss period pain and menstrual leave.

August 24, 2016 / Endo Lady UK / 5 Comments

I had the exciting opportunity to appear on ITV’s ‘This Morning’ program yesterday as part of a feature about period pain and menstrual leave. I will not stop until the whole world knows about my terrible uterus 🙂 If you are in the UK you can watch the clip back here.

It was such a fun morning, and everyone at ITV was super welcoming which helped to settle my nerves. I had an excellent time and was really pleased to raise a little bit more awareness about menstrual problems. I know some people were disappointed that the feature wasn’t about endo and/or adeno specifically, but at least with myself as the ‘case study’ the issue was raised, it might not have been otherwise. Hopefully the feature will have been enough to raise some alarm bells for women at home who are experiencing similar symptoms with their periods but haven’t got a diagnosis. We have to celebrate the little wins as well as big ones when it comes to raising awareness.

I’d love to know your thoughts on the feature, as well as your experiences of managing periods while working or of menstrual leave. Have you had to take time off for your periods? Do you think a menstrual leave policy would help?

Love,
Claire
xxx

I have a new endometriosis post in the International Business Times.

August 17, 2016 / Endo Lady UK / 4 Comments

I have had a new article published in the International Business Times UK today, about why endometriosis and period pain matter. You can read it here.

Do you feel like your period pain has held you back in life? Has it prevented you from reaching certain goals? How do you attempt to overcome this challenge? Looking forward to hearing any thoughts you have about this.