Retford: Brave Aimee determined to raise awareness of endometriosis after being diagnosed with condition on 24th birthday

Aimee Finlay, 25, was struggling with chronic pain for 11 months with no known cause and was told she had endometriosis in January 2015 after laparoscopy surgery.

The condition, which results from the appearance of endometrial tissue outside the womb, was so severe in Aimee’s case that her ovaries had fused to her pelvis, leaving her in ‘indescribable pain’.

Aimee said: “On my 24th birthday, I was told I would have this illness all of my life. There is no cure.”

“In the 11 months before my surgery, I was admitted to hospital several times. I had out of hours appointments, scan, texts and x-rays, and time off work which resulted in a sickness review hearing. I then had to leave full time employment.”

“Although my husband, Nick, was extremely supportive, I expected the doctors to help, to find answers and to know what to do next. I felt extremely confused, frustrated and alone.”

Aimee said that after her diagnosis, she looked up the condition online and found that they were countless women in her situation.

“Some of these women have gone years without a confirmed diagnosis. They were struggling every month to manage the pain, having time off work and some were unable to have children,” said Aimee.

“Endometriosis can only be confirmed with surgery, and the symptoms can be attributed to many different things like apendicitis.”

“This is why it takes so long to diagnose. The average time it takes to diagnose endometriosis is seven years, yet one in 10 women in the UK have the condition.”

Spurred on by all the online stories, Aimee decided she wanted to make a positive difference.

She said: “I have set up a Facebook, Twitter and email account to help raise awareness and offer support to Bassetlaw women with the illness and their families.”

Aimee continued: “Bassetlaw Endometriosis Awareness and Support Team has also been set up with the hope that it will grow into something bigger. It’s an online outlet for local women suffering from endometriosis to speak out, to seek information, just to share their experiences and spread some awareness.”

“It is my aim to organise a coffee morning for women to get together or possibly some kind of event like a child-friendly walk or run etc in the future. I have also registered to complete the Worldwide EndoMarch which is taking place in London on 28th March.”

Endometreosis occurs when tissue that behaves like the lining of the womb is found outside the womb.This causes inflammation of the surrounding organs and often creates lesions and scar tissue which fuse organs together.

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