A WHITEHAVEN woman is raising awareness of a painful condition after struggling for 10 years to get a diagnosis.

Rachel Hawthorn, 30, was diagnosed with endometriosis two weeks ago after years of suffering with symptoms including severe abdominal and pelvic pain, bloating, feeling sick and painful bowel movements.

March is endometriosis awareness month and Rachel wants to raise awareness of the condition to help others get diagnosed sooner.

Endometriosis is a painful condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow in other places.

Rachel said: “I want to make people aware that you can have mostly gut related symptoms and still have endometriosis. 

“I have really had to advocate for myself over the last ten years and I wonder how many people gave up before getting to this point. How many people are suffering when there could be an answer to offer some relief?”

Rachel began having symptoms - period pain, bad tummy around periods and feeling sick - when she was 17 and was diagnosed with anxiety and low mood.

In July 2013, Rachel had just finished university and started full time work. She struggled to leave the house every day because of her gut symptoms and feeling sick. 

This was when she first started to regularly go to her GP.  She was given various medications to try but nothing helped.

She was referred to three gastroenterologists but all tests came back normal and she was diagnosed with IBS and anxiety. 

She said: “I never felt listened to or understood. I have had counselling on and off because my GPs and consultants maintained it was just IBS and anxiety.

“Having very little medical support has been very hard.  I have felt very alone, nobody understands and hears me.”

Rachel then paid for a private dietician who specialised in IBS. She was given two diets to follow but neither helped.  The dietician suggested a referral to a gynaecologist to look into endometriosis and some additional tests with a gastroenterologist.

After seeing two gynaecologists, Rachel was referred to the Cumberland Infirmary for an MRI which showed that her bowel and womb were attached possibly with endometriosis. 

She was referred to James Cook, Middlesbrough to see an endometriosis specialist with an approximate waiting list time of over two years.

She said: I was not prepared to wait any longer so I paid for a private consultant in Manchester in January and two weeks ago I had my laparoscopy, excision and diathermy done privately all at the same time.”

This confirmed Rachel had endometriosis.

She said: “For years of my life I have only left the house to go to work, the rest of the time I spend “recovering”, resting at home. I have previously had to leave a job because of my condition.

“The job required me to be active, on my feet, customer-facing all day. I managed for as long as I could because I loved it, but it was very hard.

“I now work in an office environment which makes it a lot easier to manage my health and my employer is very supportive.

“As a professional musician I have had to massively cut back on my commitments, I now only play with The Cobweb Orchestra in Dalston – they welcome everybody whenever they can make it so there is no pressure to attend every week.

“I used to do regular volunteer work, but I have not been able to for a few years because of my health. 

“I have not been able to eat a meal outside of my house for years because I am scared of being even more unwell in public. 

“We avoid staying away anywhere and if we do, we have to book self-catering so that we can make food safe for my food intolerances and I have my own safe space to relax in as I will most likely spend hours in pain and on the toilet. 

“I am hopeful that now I have been diagnosed and treated for endometriosis that I will be able to live my life normally.”

READ MORE: Cumbrian women speak out on the painful reality of endometriosis