Since Bekki Thomas was a teenager, she has experienced crippling pain and chronic fatigue that lasted weeks at a time.
Despite the severe symptoms, it took eight years for doctors to diagnose the Clevedon woman with endometriosis. GPs initially said her pain was caused from “over-exercise” or “anxiety”.
The 26-year-old is now calling for more research and awareness about the condition to help other women.
“When I was 11, I remember being in a lot of pain. I thought it was pretty normal and just meant to be like that. There wasn’t any research going into it, we didn’t know much about it,” she said.
About 1.5 million women in the UK are thought to have the condition, which causes pain and extreme tiredness as a result of tissue similar to the womb lining growing elsewhere in the body.
When she was 13 years old, Ms Thomas said she remembered “keeling over in agony” at the back of the classroom.
“I knew something wasn’t quite right,” Ms Thomas said.
“My skin seemed a lot worse than anyone I knew, my back pain was crazy. It didn’t seem quite normal to me.
“Three weeks out of every month I was going through that.”
Her doctor put her on the Pill to help manage the pain but it gave her migraines, so she came off it in 2018.
The pain then grew worse, and her doctor said it must be caused by “anxiety or over-exercise”.
It was only after her sister googled the symptoms that Ms Thomas was able to return to her surgery and ask to be tested for endometriosis.
The only treatment offered to her was a Mirena coil, and she now feels she has been “put on the back burner” with no further medication.
She has now found a support group where people with the condition can talk about their experiences.
“It’s good to speak to other women who have it,” Ms Thomas said.
“There is no cure. Pain management can be difficult.
“I mask it a lot at work and in relationships because you don’t want to be a burden.
“There needs to be more research and funding. And making more space for women.”
A spokesperson for the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board said they “encourage anyone with concerns about their care to discuss these with their care provider”.
“We are working with general practitioners across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire to ensure women receive the support and care they need.
“This includes updating referral guidance on endometriosis, as well as other gynaecological conditions, and providing training and education,” they added.