Copyright dailyrecord
A Scots woman suffering from a chronic disease says she is left in "burning" pain on the daily that feels like "someone's twisting something inside you". Georgia Fox was formally diagnosed with endometriosis last year, a condition where cells similar to those of the lining of the uterus grow in other parts of the body, but she has endured debilitating symptoms since she was eight. The 23-year-old from East Lothian experiences chronic pain on her right side which has caused lasting nerve damage. During her period, she experiences "projectile" sickness, fainting, extreme tiredness , and mood swings. She described the pain as like "someone’s twisting something inside you. It burns so much and the pain is always there. I’ve been prescribed pretty much every pain medication apart from morphine but nothing helps at all." Georgia shared: "I faint a lot on the first day of my period. I cannot go to work. There have been times when I had to phone my mum and she had to carry me out of work to get me home. "Intense pains started when I was in high school when I was 12 or 13. People would say 'It’s fine you just need to take paracetamol.' People would brush it off, the same as the doctors . "It gets me quite angry. It’s hard to explain to people who don’t have it what it feels like. They think it’s just a period when it’s definitely not," reports EdinburghLive . Endometriosis can cause the growth of lesions in areas like the ovaries, fallopian tubes, pelvis, and other organs such as the bladder and bowel. The disease can be extremely serious and result in heavy periods , severe period pain, chronic pain, persistent tiredness, and difficulty getting pregnant. Georgia has gone viral for speaking out about her experience online, amassing a following of over 10 million likes on TikTok for sharing her journey with endometriosis with a contingent of loyal followers. The Prestonpans-based hairstylist began posting on TikTok three years ago about profession. She soon started sharing videos about her medical journey which saw her following increase massively, with millions of likes. In one video, Georgia candidly describes her excruciating symptoms, saying: "I was trying to get home being projectile sick and it scares me trying to drive because I know how bad I can turn." In another titled "Endo bad day" she shares: "I've taken two tramadol and now I'm about to take an amitriptyline. Before people say 'wow, you're taking far too much medication ,' I genuinely can take five tramadol and it doesn't even touch the sides". Georgia discovered a community of women through social media with similar symptoms and has even inspired some to advocate for their own medical needs. "I've been doing TikTok for years and I've always shared my experiences with my bad periods," Georgia explained. It became a community - I wanted to start posting the process and it has helped people push their GP to get referred to a gynaecologist. "It feels so good because that’s the whole reason I decided to post about it. Sometimes people need that little bit of courage from a stranger. "It told me I'm not in this by myself. I don't have anybody in [my own life] that has [endometriosis]. When I posted videos about it, I got people commenting and sending messages about their own experience. It’s good to know you’re not in this alone." Endometriosis very common, affecting around one in 10 women, as per Scottish Government figures. Despite this, it takes eight and a half years on average to get a diagnosis of endometriosis in the UK, according to a report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on endometriosis.
