Emma’s Hysterectomy Fund

Hi. My name is Sophiemay and I am raising funds to help with the cost of my best friends hysterectomy.

My best friend, Emma, has been struggling with endometriosis for the last few years, she’s had scan after scan, appointments pushed back, and no formal diagnosis until May 2021 after years of pushing.

She finally decided to go private and then she got her NHS Specialist appointment pulled forward from September to May (after it being pushed back to September from April with no reason until persistent calls and endless pushing resulted in her being told the specialist was on long term sick). At this appointment she was told it’s stage 4. The worst it could be. It came as no real surprise to her as she had known it was bad when they informed her of her kissing ovaries in 2019.

At this appointment the doctor informed her that the waiting list was two years, and one of the best ways to relieve the symptoms was to get pregnant, but had just informed her that her fertility rates had been massively impacted and that pregnancies when you have stage 4 could result in ectopic pregnancies and have a much higher chance of miscarriage. She said she was prepared to have a full hysterectomy. The doctor implied it wasn’t the right choice because she may want another child, but god forbid she make this decision for herself.

After the NHS appointment, knowing she’s going to go for her hysterectomy, she had a private consultation and the endo specialist listened, acknowledged and agreed. He’s sending her for an MRI to see the extent, but she could be womb free by August! With private care, comes private care costs at roughly £12,500 (this is also subject to increase) and whilst her family have offered support, she has the ability to pay back the cost per month, she is also a chronically ill full time working mother who has a mortgage to afford and a kid to support.

And that’s where this comes in. I wanted to do something to help her, to help support her, to put towards the bill. I’ve watched a determined, strong, self built woman be brought down by endometriosis. Whilst she’s still all those things, she now doesn’t feel it. It’s hindered her daily life, her relationships, her abilities. She can no longer do all the things her daughter asks, she can no longer eat or drink foods she loved, she can no longer exercise as often as she wants, she has to make sacrifices, she has to adjust and change her daily life to avoid flares, to avoid bleeds, to avoid angering her body. Having a hysterectomy is a choice she hasn’t made lightly, but this is something she needs, and not something she can wait for 2 years for.

I have only set the goal at £1,000 as I feel that’s a chunk that can help towards, but I’m hoping to raise more than that.

Emma is my best friend of 7 years, she has been there for me consistently and selflessly for the entire time and she deserves more than I can possibly give her but I feel like this is a start. Whilst I can’t give her the full amount, I can help raise something towards the cost of some life changing surgery.

One in Ten. This is the statistic of how many people with uteruses experience endometriosis, it can take up to eightyears to get a formal diagnosis. By this stage, endometriosis can be found on other organs. It’s unknown what causes it, and it’s commonly misdiagnosed or mistreated. For more information please check out Endometriosis UK- https://www.endometriosis.uk.org