Iqra's Story
My endometriosis journey all began at the age of 14. A few months after I began menstruating for the first time, my period cramps were really painful, especially on the sides of my lower torso (those were my ovaries). I didn’t think much of it because we’re always told pain is normal and I thought that period cramps were normal on the sides of one’s lower tummy.
Once I was 15/16, the random shocks of pain on my ovaries (on the days I was not menstruating) began. After bringing it up once with my family, I did not speak of it much because I was just told to “take painkillers or just take birth control”. For the longest time, I felt like I was just being a dramatic person, and all of this was normal. I was put on birth control from the age of 13 up until 18, and doctors used the prolonged medication as an excuse for all my other symptoms (breathing difficulty, headaches, pains in other parts of my body).
Once off birth control, my pain became progressively worse - I remember feeling pain every single time I stood up or was just walking on a daily basis. I decided to go to the family doctor to ask for a strong painkiller for my period pain. After he asked how it felt and when he felt how tight and bloated my lower tummy was, was when I was told that I may have endometriosis and need to see a gynaecologist. My family and I suspected appendix pain, but I was told my ovaries were being filled up with blood like a balloon.
Once I had seen the gynaecologist and my ultrasounds were done I was put on medication and told that…
Continue reading Iqra’s full story by downloading our app.
“It felt relieving knowing that I was not exaggerating - especially because my family CONSTANTLY invalidated all my cries”
