Charlotte McCann has been dealing with severe pain from endometriosis since she was 14. It became so intolerable as an adult she had to leave her chosen career.
She would wake up in the night vomiting, and on some days Charlotte found she could not stand or get out of bed.
It is a myth that endometriosis is a painful period condition – rather, it is a system-wide inflammatory disease where cells, similar to those which line the womb, start to grow in other parts of the body. This can be on the bowel or in the lungs – and the cells multiply, creating raw and angry sores.
Those affected can wait years for diagnosis, and there is no cure – meaning women are left grappling with debilitating pain that can affect their relationships, work, education and mental health.
Now age 27, Charlotte hopes a new pain management programme for the condition, which is being trialled as part of a £2.3m study, might help others in her position.
The UK-wide study, led by the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian, will include pain medication alongside other treatments such as physiotherapy, and will investigate whether a personalised plan can improve quality of life.
