Glasgow support group - why did it start?

 

 Why did it all start?  

Stephanie McCulloch - Support group leader & founder 

 

For the average women, being 22 years of age brings with it few health worries.  You can have this wonderful abundance of energy, can work long hours and still dance the night away.  I thought I was an average 22 year old and yes I did work hard and party often as well as travelling.  In 2009 there was the golden age of the cheap flights, it wasn't uncommon to be going across the water onto the continent for a long weekend every other month.

It was during one of these long weekends that I started to feel unwell.  (Berlin, 40 quid return, those were the days).  Upon return I realised I was ridiculously bloated and strangely sore.  With my period looming, I decided to go for a run in a bid to reduce the usual but 'normal' excruciatingly sore period pain.

Running wasn't a regular pastime of mine however I thought I would give it a try to get some endorphins going.  I hunted out that fluorescent pink Nike windbreaker which I'd bought in the charity shop for Death Disco (nightclub thing-no longer runs) and set off into the park.  It started off okay, a light and gentle jog and then as each step went this awful pain set in that got worse and worse until I collapsed in the park.  Ambulance, gas and air , hospital and a dose of painkillers........back home.

Fast forward a week or so and I'm sitting in the hospital as a lady is scanning my abdomen with ultrasound.  She looks puzzled and horrified, I ask her what's wrong however she excuses herself.  I'm lying there wondering what on earth is wrong with her not thinking that it's me with the problems.  She informs me that I have to go and see my GP immediately and that she's arranged an appointment.  Thankfully the GP surgery was only a ten minute walk from this particular hospital and yes, I was careful not to run.

My doctor broke the news that I shouldn't be doing any exercise due to the fact there is a 10cm cyst on my right ovary.....  '' A WHAT???'' I cried....   I was told not to worry and that it can be easily removed via an emergency operation.  A month down the line and I'm in hospital.  I wake up attached to a morphine drip and a while later my consultant arrives to show me photo's of my insides.  I remember he was a kind man and wanted tell me himself the outcome of the operation.  Pointing at some little black dots he tells me I have endometriosis.   Of course I was absolutely intoxicated on morphine so I had little recollection of what exactly he told me.  

A while later I get a letter from the consultant to let me know that the cyst was benign and that he had diagnosed me with stage 4 endometriosis.  So therein began the challenging and confusing journey with this illness.  I turned to Endometriosis UK for help and information.  They were very supportive.  As time went on, I decided that if there was any hope in understanding and coping with this illness then I had to try and bring together as many women as possible who are also struggling with the illness.  

In 2012 I went for my support group leader training and started running sessions in 2013.  Things were quite intermittent due to uni and my poor health.  However last year we welcomed Emma as our co-leader.  We have since been running regular monthly meet ups.  We try to create a safe peer-supported environment for women to be able to come together to share frustrations and learn from one another.  We also arrange fund-raising and awareness raising events. It's been really rewarding running a group and I am indebted to the women who attend.  I think I would find it a lot harder to cope if I didn't have the support from all the group members.  It takes real bravery to attend a support group, to take that step in finding help and approaching a room full of strangers.  So I thank with all my heart the women who take the time to contribute to our group sessions, whether that's in person or via our Facebook group.

I'm starting this blog in order to document our journey together, I hope that we can share reflections from events we organise, treatments we try and success stories in order to share the good times, the bad and the hopes for the future.  I  invite group members to contribute and then whoever is interested can have a little insight into the world of the Endometriosis UK Glasgow Support group.*
We have some exciting things in the pipeline such as a Yoga class for endometriosis as well as an information day.  We hope to share many of our experiences here on this blog.

So, I'm not 22 any more, I am now 28 (and a half) - I still manage to work hard and party (occasionally) although I am now in much better tune with my body so know when to slow things down.  I do have 6 years experience of coping with this illness and have recently embarked on a treatment plan of herbal therapy and nutrition.  I'll also be going for abdominal therapy  next weekend which I'm really excited about.  I look forward to sharing these experiences with everyone. 

any views expressed are of the volunteers/group members and are not the views of the charity unless explicitly written.