Throwing up, nearly fainting – endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women. Here’s how one devised her own pain relief – and gave birth against the odds
- As many as one in 10 women suffer from endometriosis, but it is rarely talked about openly. There is no cure, and it can affect the ability to have children
- Sufferer Kellie Johnson describes how she managed to have a baby after five miscarriages; she also developed a hands-free heating pack to help relieve her pain
“When I got my period, the pain was so severe I would be throwing up and almost losing consciousness,” recalls Kellie Johnson, a 39-year-old entrepreneur based in North Sydney, Australia, who suffers from severe endometriosis.
“Only a small group of friends and family knew what I was dealing with – I wouldn’t go around telling people about how traumatic it was. Even today, not many people would understand.”
As many as one in 10 women suffer from endometriosis, according to the World Health Organization, but it is still rarely talked about in the workplace and society.
Endometriosis is a chronic disease – often linked to period pains – in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus.
It is associated with life-impacting pain, not just during periods. It often causes nausea and fatigue, and sometimes depression, anxiety – and infertility.
