Doctors said I was too young to have endometriosis at 13 - I had to take morphine to cope
By Vicki Loader, Health Producer
Every month, around the time of her period, Grace, now 14, from Yorkshire, has to be taken to hospital. She often experiences severe pain and is carried to the car by her parents. After waiting hours in A&E, she's frequently sent home with strong painkillers.
For a long time, Grace felt dismissed by doctors who attributed her symptoms to irritable bowel syndrome, a cyst, anxiety, or just "a bad period". She was told repeatedly that it couldn't be endometriosis because she was too young—an incurable condition causing lesions and scarring on internal organs.
"It's like heated barbed wire around my abdomen," Grace describes her pain. "My organs feel like they're being pulled apart." She relies on strong drugs like morphine, co-codamol, and tramadol to manage the pain, but she worries about becoming dependent on them.
The most frustrating thing for Grace is that medical experts don't seem to recognize that teenagers can suffer from endometriosis. Her GP and a private consultant initially dismissed her concerns. It took persistence from her family to get a second opinion and finally receive a diagnosis.
Endometriosis, which occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows outside it, can cause debilitating symptoms like pelvic pain, heavy periods, and fatigue. It affects about 10% of women, according to NHS data. This week, BBC presenter Emma Barnett revealed she had a hysterectomy for her endometriosis.
While often thought to only affect older women, endometriosis can develop at any age once periods begin. The charity Endometriosis UK says it takes an average of nine years to diagnose the condition in older women. New tests are being developed to help detect it earlier, especially in younger patients where it may not show up on ultrasound scans. Getting pregnant can also be more difficult.