Justine Keay (Braddon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Canberra for bringing this motion before the House. I welcome those endo warriors from Canberra and Sydney. Endometriosis is a very personal medical condition, which should not be ignored. We are here today not to be silent. Today I intend to tell the story of a person in her own words about the impact that endometriosis has had on her life.

Katherine, a young woman from my electorate, who I know quite well, has been living with endometriosis for almost 10 years. These are Katherine's words:

I started experiencing symptoms of endometriosis when I was 18 years old but did not get a diagnosis until I was 23.

I saw various doctors, all who told me that I was experiencing was normal and it would get better as I aged.

I was experiencing extremely heavy and painful periods, bowel pain, pelvic pains that would shoot down my legs.

I was constantly bloated and had pain before, during and after my period. I was basically living in pain 24/7.

I was in my early 20's and was meant to be living my life, not constantly being in pain.

When I protested, I was sent for a pelvic ultrasound, all of which came back clear.

It was affecting my school and university studies and I just wanted an answer.

I finally saw a GP who believed the pain that I was constantly in. She immediately sent me to see an endometriosis excision specialist in Tasmania.

The specialist operated on me 4 weeks after initially seeing me and she found endometriosis on my bowel and left ovary.

My bowel was twisted and stuck to my pelvic wall.

When I was in recovery I got angry. I was angry that I was seeing GP's who told me that this pain was normal and angry that it took so long for a diagnosis. I got so angry that I decided to do volunteer work for Endometriosis Australia and make what I was going through worth something.

I now assist in running an online support group for sufferers of Endometriosis and ran a successful high tea to raise funds in 2016.

Endometriosis is not curable and I have had many hormonal treatments to help me manage my disease. Some have worked and some haven't.

The cost of this adds up very quickly and it has been difficult to afford my treatments and medication when I have had to take time off work because of this disease.

There is not much support or help for sufferers of endometriosis in North West Tasmania.

Everyone who suffers with the disease needs to travel to Hobart to see an endometriosis excision specialist.

For some of these people this means time off work and away from family.

I believe that it would be extremely beneficial for an endometriosis excision specialist to travel to the North West Coast once a month to see patients.

Excision surgery is an effective way to treat endometriosis, however, not all gynaecologists are excision specialists.

Education is also a must for all: employers, high school students, families and even GP's.

I believe that endometriosis education needs to be included in all high schools so that young girls know that constant period pain is not normal.

I also believe that sufferers of endometriosis in North West Tasmania would benefit from seeing a pelvic floor specialist who understands, manages and treats the pelvic pain associated with endometriosis.

I would like to congratulate Katherine for her bravery and for allowing me to share her very personal story. Endometriosis affects so many people like Katherine—people's partners, families and friends—in fact, one in ten Australians. It is a cruel disease that leaves people suffering in silence. Being uncomfortable when you have a period is normal; pain that stops life is not.

I again congratulate the member for Canberra for bringing this motion before the House today and thank those who've come here. I join with the member in calling for the government to end the silence on this disease and for all Australians to be far more well educated on this disease.

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