Meet the Northampton woman who is making it her mission to break the endometriosis stigma

A young woman is making it her aim to break the stigma and improve awareness of a condition she has suffered with for a large part of her life.

Carrie Line was diagnosed with endometriosis, which is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb attacks other parts of the body, more than three years ago, but says she was fighting to get a diagnosis for eight years.

The 23-year-old has since set up a support group for other people who suffer from the same condition and is planning a fundraising night to help raise funds for research and to improve awareness.

Carrie said: “From personal experience, there is very little awareness of it.

"A lot of us have been told it's in our head so it's been a fight to get a diagnosis.

“When I have a really bad flare up I have to go to A&E and be admitted to hospital, it’s that bad.

“I’ve been called a morphine addict and you really get frowned upon because there’s such a stigma surrounding it, which I think is down to the lack of research.

“There’s no cure for it but we are expected to live with it.

“It affects you everyday in many, many different aspects, work, social, relationships.

“It has also caused me to suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, which is not a nice thing to have and that causes tummy cramps.

“I get sharp shooting pains. I’ll be walking along and have to stop.

“I have to live my life by endometriosis.

“Going on holiday is hard as I have to make sure I’ve got all my medication. I always get stopped at security.”

The mental health nurse explained that she was put on various contraceptive methods from the age of 14 in an attempt to help calm the symptoms, including the implant that gave her a four-month long period.

She recalled having to keep going back to the doctors with her mum to say ‘something was not right’.

Carrie continued: “My periods started at 12 and I knew straight away that they were not normal.

“I had to miss school or go with a hot water bottle because I was in so much pain.

“I was eventually referred to a specialist gynaecologist who said it sounded like endometriosis.

“I had to have an experimental laparoscopy, which is a keyhole operation in April 2016 when I was 20.

“I woke up to them telling me that I had got endometriosis and it was quite aggressive.”

Since then Carrie has had another two experimental laparoscopies and an operation when her endometriosis attacked her appendix.

To help break the stigma raise money for Endometriosis UK, Carrie is hosting an ‘evening of fun’ next month as March is endometriosis awareness month.

Carrie added: “Women from all over the world get involved in the awareness month and do different things and try and get awareness out there so people are more accepting of it.”

The endometriosis awareness event is being held at Duston Conservative Club on Saturday March 21, which is Carrie’s 24th birthday.

From 7pm there will be a disco, a raffle, an eating contest and much more as Carrie hopes to raise £500.

The event is not ticketed, donations are just asked for upon arrival.