Hello, my name is Helen.

I’m 47 years of age & have been struggling with a number of health conditions throughout my life.

After many many years of severely painful menstruation cycles that took me to several doctors over the years, I was eventually diagnosed with Grade 4 Recto-Vaginal Endometriosis, at the age of 36.

The pain rendered me practically immobile most days & I was in & out of hospital on a regular basis, just to manage my pain.

I underwent several exploratory procedures after diagnosis, to ascertain & monitor the progression of the disease.

Eventually, after lots of NHS referrals to gynaecologists & colorectal surgeons, scraping enough money together to pay for a couple of private consultation appointments & personally writing letters of my own, I was scheduled for a full hysterectomy, a double Oophorectomy, (removal of both ovaries) & a low anterior bowel resection, on the NHS, in August 2021, at the age of 43.

The 11 hour surgery was performed by my NHS Gynaecologist & Colorectal Consultant, together, at Colchester Hospital.

Over the years, my uterus/womb had become stuck to my bowel & both ovaries & fallopian tubes were riddled with Endometriosis.

They had all gradually become fused together over the years.

The colorectal surgeon had marked out, in pen on my tummy, for a possible colostomy, pre-surgery, as it was not known whether there would be enough intestine left to pull down & bridge the gap, after the diseased part of the bowel had been removed.

Luckily, there was enough to use, without it creating too much tension on the new join.

My recovery was slow but steady & despite my body going into an immediate medically induced menopause, I was determined to remain positive, upbeat & adaptable.

For just over 2 years, my recovery journey, although challenging due to trying to navigate my way through a medical menopause & a smaller bowel, was going okay.

In August 2022, I had to be taken to hospital for emergency surgery for an umbilical hernia repair. Then four weeks later, I was back in hospital, to have further surgery in order to remove the mesh they had used to repair the hernia, as it had become infected.

I recovered really well from this.

I then got married in October 2022 & my health was improving, slowly but surely.

I finally felt that life was on the up.

A few weeks later, I began getting awful heartburn, indigestion & acid reflux.

After yet another trip to my GP, when symptoms weren’t going away, I was referred to a gastroenterologist.

I underwent a barrage of tests & was diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease, (GERD).

I am still on a waiting list for surgery to correct this but things have been delayed due to us moving home in January this year, (2025).

In December 2022, I started getting discomfort, then pain, in my lower back. This continued so I, again, made another trip to my GP.

I was referred to a spinal consultant & sent for an MRI scan.

I was subsequently diagnosed with spinal stenosis, arthritis of the lower spine, a ruptured disc & 2 bulging discs, (which were compressing the spinal cord nerves on the left hand side).

I was placed on the waiting list for spinal decompression surgery.

My surgery was in September 2023 & was a complete success.

I recovered at a good & steady pace &

began physiotherapy. Even though my consultant advised me that the stenosis & arthritis were not curable, he did say that the conditions could be managed & the pain, kept under control.

In November 2023, I started experiencing some familiar discomfort in my abdomen. This continued throughout Christmas & into the New Year, (2024).

The discomfort had turned painful, so I decided to return to my GP, with the symptoms.

Due to my previous history,

he thought it better to write a letter to my original gynaecologist, (from back in 2021). After waiting several months, I eventually got an appointment through for an abdominal MRI scan.

The results showed significant adhesions, fibrous bands & surgical scar tissue throughout my abdomen, cysts on my bladder & raised lymph nodes.

My bladder has become stuck to my lower bowel & *TMI~apologies~* my vagina & rectum are also stuck together.

I’ve used the last bit of savings we had, to put towards a private consultation with a colorectal consultant, (November 2025).

He told me that I would need an exploratory laparoscopy to determine just how extensive my pelvic adhesions are, an up-to-date abdominal MRI scan, (my last one was in November 2024) & a sigmoidoscopy, to check the bowel join, (from my bowel resection surgery in August, 2021).

These last 2 procedures alone, if I had them done privately, will cost just over £3000, but if I can just get them done, (I would only be waiting 2-3 weeks if I go private, compared with months, on the NHS), it would mean I would be that much closer to getting this particular surgery, (on the NHS).

My GP would contact my consultant & then, hopefully, instead of eventually getting an appointment through, to then be sent away again for an MRI & sigmoidoscopy, that appointment would instead be, to discuss the results of these two procedures & would mean that I could go on the surgical waiting list far sooner.

I wouldn’t be waiting indefinitely for an appointment, just to be seen, I would, instead, just be waiting for the surgery.

I hope all that made sense.

There are other procedures & surgeries I will need in the coming months & over the next year or two, for other health conditions, including my carpal tunnel syndrome. I am waiting for injections in both wrists, in the interim, then eventually surgery itself for both hands.

I’m in an immense amount of pain & remaining positive over the last 11+ years, has been incredibly difficult.

Frustratingly, my hernia returned in April of this year, (2025), & I had to have more emergency surgery to correct that.

I have also been re-referred to a spinal consultant, in June this year, (2025), as

during a physiotherapy session, the pain had returned in my lower back, this time, affecting my right side.

An emergency MRI scan in June this year, (2025), after being admitted to hospital for the pain, showed another bulging disc which is causing severe compression of the nerves in my spinal cord, on the right side.

I have been placed on the waiting list for further decompression surgery.

I’m currently on weekly Buprenorphine opiod patches & liquid morphine (oramorph), 4x a day for the pain.

This does cause me to feel nauseous & my appetite has been badly affected as a result of this & the pain meds, but I’m just so grateful for this medication & for having such a caring, proactive & dedicated GP.

I do feel very lucky to have this help.

I've been placed on anti-anxiety meds to help with my anxiety which is so debilitating at times.

I’m a very positive & patient person.

I’ve always tried to focus on the future & view my glass as half full, not half empty.

I am & have always been so incredibly thankful & grateful for the small pockets of time when I haven’t been in pain, for when my pain has been manageable & for my amazing husband & family who have always been a huge support & comfort.

There are times though, that I have & really do struggle & I think to myself, perhaps selfishly……

”when will I get a break?”

”when will there be an end in sight?”

I always remind myself every day that there are so many people out there that are struggling & trying to cope with things far worse than I……I’ve given what I can, to some of those causes over the years.

Setting up this GoFundMe page has been a last resort for me & something I’ve not done, without deep thought & consideration.

I’ve never asked for anything in my life, but I just feel absolute desperation at this juncture. Anything would be so gratefully received.

I long to be pain-free but realistically, if I could just have reduced pain & a light at the end of the tunnel sometime soon, for at least one health condition, or as close to that as possible, I’d feel blessed.

Thankyou so much for reading my story & for having the patience to read through to the end. It means a great deal to me.

Warmest & kindest regards,

Helen xXx