Travelling for endometriosis care – Christine’s experience
I never slept my first night in hospital after my lap and excision surgery. I spent the whole night trying to get comfortable and unfortunately being sick thanks to the anaesthetic. I have never been one for sleeping on my back and try as I might I just couldn’t get comfortable rolling over. I felt an immense relief when the sun came up and I felt able to sit up and put the TV on. I was in Birmingham, a city I had never been to before, and the thought of spending the next few days recovering in a hotel instead of my own bed with my dog filled me with dread.
Eventually the nurses changed, and the day was beginning. My partner arrived and the door was left open so I could hear the noise of the ward waking up, and it was then that I heard the familiar accents from the hallway. I felt so overwhelmed hearing it, almost excited that there was something else there from Ireland; it was just so reassuring knowing that I wasn’t there alone, but also soul-destroying knowing another woman was forced to travel for her care.
After my check-up, I had to walk the length of the hallway. It was after I achieved this small feat that I would be deemed well enough to go home. The nurse noticing my accent asked me where I was from. She told me every single woman in my ward that day was from Ireland, all there for endometriosis excision surgery. A whole ward in a private hospital in Birmingham and it was full of Irish women who could not access care at home.
We need healthcare, not airfare, and we need it now so no other woman ever has to travel for care she deserves to get at home.
As my partner and I shuffled down the corridor, we could hear the voices of home coming out from each room. There was another Irish couple also doing the walk, we exchanged smiles and nods and kept on going. I almost forgot I was in England and afterwards felt very homesick. The next few days would be spent in a Premier Inn while my partner cared for me, and I tried to sleep the days away so I could get home as soon as possible. I just wanted to be home. I just wanted to see my Ma and have a cup of tea and a cuddle.
My surgery in Birmingham was life-changing. I finally got my endometriosis diagnosis after ten years of suffering, but it came at a great cost both financially and emotionally. Recovering so far away from home and not having my family around me was tough. I had to leave three days after my surgery as my partner could not afford to take any more time off work, which was hard going. There was nothing ideal about this situation and the situation so many other Irish women went through and are still going through.
There is little help for endometriosis on the island of Ireland. Women here are getting a poor deal when compared to other countries in the EU. The average wait for a diagnosis is 9 years on the island of Ireland, yet it’s 7 and a half in the UK. Why do we have to wait longer to be believed? Any year that goes by where a woman is not helped is a year too long.
We need a dedicated clinic for Endometriosis that not only offers a skilled excision surgery, regardless of what stage of endometriosis you have, but a whole-body approach to the condition that incorporates pelvic floor physiotherapy and mental health support. It is utterly shameful that many of the 10% of women in Ireland who suffer from endometriosis are forced to find care away from our shores. The problem isn’t being dealt with and women aren’t being listened to, we’re having to travel to England, Romania or wherever else women have to go to access this much needed care. We need healthcare, not airfare, and we need it now so no other woman ever has to travel for care she deserves to get at home.
6 Comments. Leave new
I’m so glad u got sorted after all u had to go true. I am also looking at going to Birmingham for excision surgery because it will be a year or more before they can take me here. I am hoping to see dr.chris mann and get seen to much quicker but with covid I have no idea when that will be. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Hey Leanne! It’s worth giving Mr Mann’s secretary a call to find out more, whilst you’re at home you could have a video consultation with him first. Follow @mypelvicpain on social media to learn more, Sarah had her surgery with Mr Mann and can put you in touch with other ladies who also did 💛
It’s so nice hearing other people’s stories and knowing that there are others in a similar situation. I had been attending my local gp for years pushing that something was not right and was constantly told it was just period problems.
With a move to Sydney, my gp referred me to a consultant and I had surgery within 8 weeks to remove my entire umbilical and diagnosed me with stage 4 deep infiltrating endometriosis and have lesions on my bowel and rectum as well. I had an endometrium growing out of my belly button and would bleed from my belly button every month. My gp in ireland told me I was being vein and the pain and diarrhea and vomiting every month was just part of having your period !!!
I am delighted to learn about a private hospital in Birmingham and will look into this.
That is seriously disturbing. Sorry to hear you had to go through that and got gaslighted by your GP here… seriously. I have to bring it up with mine and see but it’s hard to be hopeful. I can’t function for 1 week out of every month with what I think might be that now. So much pains and so depressed.
I travelled to Dr. Mann in the priory clinic edgebaston three years ago and had excision surgery for moderate endometriosis. The surgery for me was life changing. I would highly recommend Dr. Mann. He is an absolute gentleman and an expert in his field. After years of gps and gynaecologists in Ireland fobbing me off and not knowing what was causing me such pain I finally got a diagnosis. It took 24 years.
The surgery and hospital stay was expensive but the best money I ever spent. I was in daily pain, had inflammation, pelvic pain, bowel pain and exhaustion
Now, three years later I’m living a full life with minimal effects from endo at the moment.
Hi Lorraine.. can I ask how you got or where you got your diagnosis.. I have a GP who tells me to use painkillers even after I told her I’m living on them she tells me she can’t do anything more for me.. she’s the 2nd female GP to tell me this… I had to look symptoms up on the Internet myself and I’m thinking it could be endometriosis but where do I get tested for this x