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"   March is Endometriosis Awareness Month, highlighting the painful gynaecological condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other areas of the body. The exact cause of endometriosis is unknown, but around 10-20% of women are thought to suffer from the illness. Symptoms include painful, heavy or irregular periods, pain during or after sex, infertility and fatigue, yet the average diagnosis takes a shocking 11 years. One problem is that many doctors confuse the symptoms with IBS \u2013 as Cosmo reader Katie Hogg discovered. &amp;quot;I started having periods aged ten, and by the time I was 12 they were very heavy,&amp;quot; Katie explains. &amp;quot;I often had to walk around with a jumper or coat wrapped around my waist to disguise the marks on my clothes. Then, when I was 15, I suffered violent pains in my stomach. Mum called our GP, who said I had gastroenteritis \u2013 but knowing what I do now, I suspect that was my first endometriosis attack. THE PILL: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED &amp;quot;Over the next few years, I experienced severe pain. It felt as if I was being gripped inside by a vice, and I was sometimes sick. My moods got worse and worse. I was angry and unhappy, and I know I hurt a lot of people close to me. I was always nauseous, bloated, constipated and had headaches. My digestive system had also deteriorated to the point that some foods \u2013 like dairy - would give me instant diarrhoea. &amp;quot;I went to the GP several times but he constantly dismissed me, saying it was IBS. Not once did he suggest seeing a gynaecologist. Then, when I was 26, I found a lump in my tummy. My usual GP was on holiday, and the locum sent me to the hospital the next morning for an ultrasound. I was diagnosed with two cysts on my ovaries, and it took a six-hour operation to remove them. It was only then, when I was 27 and had been suffering for 15 years, that I was finally diagnosed with endometriosis. &amp;quot;As I recovered from the surgery, I realised how bad I&amp;#039;d been feeling \u2013 I&amp;#039;d thought it was normal to feel so ill all the time. I was told to go on the Pill, and to cut back on meat, processed foods and dairy. I&amp;#039;d been a size 18-20, and within 6 months was down to an 8-10. &amp;quot;But sadly, that wasn&amp;#039;t the end of it for me. After more surgery to remove new cysts on my ovaries, and aggressive hormone therapy, it was decided that I needed surgery to remove my cervix, uterus, tubes and ovaries \u2013 making me infertile in my 30s. It was such a tough decision, but endometriosis had followed me my whole life. I couldn&amp;#039;t imagine anybody wanting to be with me and put up with the pain or emotions \u2013 so at the end of 2012, the surgery went ahead. HOW DOES THE PILL AFFECT YOUR BODY? &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;m still recovering from the operation, but have found that connecting with other endometriosis sufferers on Twitter gave me the strength that I needed. That&amp;#039;s why I started @_EndoHappy - as a way to give back all the love that they gave to me. I want sufferers to know that if they are suffering emotionally, they shouldn&amp;#039;t hold it in. I&amp;#039;d aslo advise women to seek a second opinion if they are dismissed by their GP, as I suffered for far too long&amp;quot; Katie&amp;#039;s experience is extreme \u2013 but with no cure for endometriosis available, gynaecologists can only offer treatments to ease the symptoms. One of the most common is for sufferers to be fitted with a Mirena IUS (a type of intrauterine contraceptive device, commonly known as the coil) \u2013 about a third of women won&amp;#039;t have periods once it&amp;#039;s been fitted. But the most important thing you can do is to listen to your body and ask your GP for help \u2013 and for a second opinion if you think your worries are being dismissed. For further information, contact Endometriosis UK&amp;#039;s helpline on 0808 808 2227 or visit their website. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/body/health/a19303/endometriosis-awareness-month/>