A mum who was told by her GP that her painful periods were normal is now fighting for young girls to receive the help they need. Emma Williams-Tully, 39, began experiencing extremely painful and heavy periods that lasted two weeks when she was just ten years old, but doctors assured her it was completely normal.
She was eventually diagnosed with endometriosis, a chronic gynaecological condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus. Emma has undergone several surgeries to remove the endometriosis and even had a hysterectomy.
According to the charity Wellbeing of Women, 43% of girls aged 12 to 18 are unable to eat or sleep during their period and 11% say it makes them feel like life isn't worth living. Despite these alarming statistics, many girls don't receive the help they need.
This is why Emma is campaigning for young people who need help to "go to the doctors about their periods". She also wants to encourage her nine-year-old daughter Belle to "never be scared" of her period and seek the right help if she needs it.
Emma, from Wrexham, said: "It's so important for them to go to the doctors about their periods. There is nothing more lonely than having nobody around you, it's the most frightening thing.
"I never want my daughter to be scared, I never say mummy has problems because of her periods - I never want her to worry. She knows about my disabilities but I'm making her aware that if she has any problems with her period, I will make sure she will get the right care.
"I will be determined that I will never let her go through what I've gone through. I am determined that this generation and the next generation will get the help that they deserve."
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Emma shared her experience of dealing with severe period pain as a young girl, having to use two night-time sanitary towels at once, only to bleed through them within an hour. Despite the extreme discomfort, she believed it was normal because her GP repeatedly told her so, leading her to think her friends were experiencing the same.
Emma recalled: "It was petrifying because, at the time, I didn't really know what periods were and I didn't discuss it with my parents - it was quite a taboo subject back then. I kept going back to the GP and they said it was normal over and over again.
"When I was 13, they put me on the contraceptive pill and then when I was 16, I was referred to a gynaecologist. It was only then I wondered why they were referring me to someone.
"Even though I was in so much pain and was bleeding so heavily, I didn't really speak to my friends because I thought they would be going through the same. I thought I could be going over the top about this and not handling the pain very well.
"I mentioned to my friends that I was being referred to the hospital and when I said about how painful they were, and they were like 'oh my god.' They were in complete shock and that's when alarm bells started ringing for me."
Emma, who was previously diagnosed with endometriosis in her 20s and underwent treatment with a medication named Prostap to simulate menopause, recounted her challenging journey. After having keyhole surgery where adenomyosis was found, doctors initially saw no signs of endometriosis, leading to another operation by a specialist who eventually detected stage four of the disease.
Regarding the medical ordeal, Emma revealed: "A general gynaecologist did the surgery and they found I had adenomyosis - the sister of endo. They didn't see any endometriosis but still believed I had it, so they referred me to an endometriosis specialist to see if I had it. They then found stage four endometriosis so thank God, they still believed me, even though they didn't see it."
The situation grew increasingly severe as Emma endured 11 further surgeries for endometriosis alongside her Prostap injections. A hysterectomy became inevitable, which led to three more operations because her organs were heavily infested with endometriosis.
The challenges didn't stop there for the mother; she continued experiencing bleeding due to an ovary that regrew and faced additional complications when her bowel shut down, necessitating both an ileostomy and the removal of her colon.
Emma revealed the harrowing impact of her condition, saying: "I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy, it's the most devasting, heartbreaking condition. It has such an effect on so many parts of your life - it's not just my life, it's also my husband's and daughter's lives."
She added: "It has destroyed so many parts of my life, it's not just the physical pain, it's also the emotional pain. It means I can't work and it dictates what I do - I can't be spontaneous and book a holiday because I'm afraid I'll be poorly."
Meanwhile, Janet Lindsay, CEO of Wellbeing of Women, highlighted the severity of the condition, stating: "Endometriosis can be a debilitating condition and affects 1.5 million women in the UK. Many women struggle to get help, with average waits of 8 years to get specialist care, during which the disease may progress, leading to worsening physical symptoms and a risk of permanent organ damage."
Lindsay continued by stressing the importance of education: "We need better education for women about their menstrual health, so that they seek help sooner. Our Just a Period campaign is empowering women with education and resources to take control of their menstrual health, from their first period to their last."
