Support My 8-Year Endo Battle : Help Fund My Robotic Surgery

Hi, I'm Amber, and I'm urgently fundraising for robotic surgery to treat my severe endometriosis, a condition that has taken nearly 8 years of my life ( this is the shortest version I could type, sorry!).

Since I was 18, I've endured intense, unexplained pain due to multiple healthcare failures and misdiagnoses. My journey began with a sudden collapse during freshers week at university in 2017 and spiralled into years of medical neglect, painful unnecessary procedures, and misdirected treatments. Despite countless visits to doctors and hospitals for the last 7 years—over 15 A&E visits, 2 in-patient hospital stays, 5 surgical procedures and consultations with 30-40 GPs and specialists —my condition remained undiagnosed and untreated.

After dropping out of university in 2018, having had an unsuccessful and poorly executed laparoscopy by a general surgeon and then moving back home in 2019, I entered a brief remission but relapsed with excruciating symptoms by late 2020. My mobility declined, and I was not only left bed-bound during severe, heavy periods like before but every day. Despite graduating with a 2:1 in Philosophy in 2022, my pain made it difficult to sustain employment and without the proper support I had began to struggle.

By May 2024, I had reached my lowest point. Referrals to Occupational Health and their findings (which recommended education for management which was ignored) along with the inappropriate and unprofessional conduct made it clear that I was facing discrimination due to my health condition. This took a severe toll on my mental health, leading to multiple breakdowns. After nearly a year at the Royal College of Physicians, I was forced to resign due to the increasing pressure and discrimination. I had been very passionate about my role, working closely with some incredible people, and saw a rewarding career ahead. Unfortunately, this was not able to continue.

After this experience, I turned to private healthcare desperate for answers after the repeated failings of the NHS. I was fortunate to find my current specialist through a private GP referral. He immediately referred me for an MRI scan, and after reviewing the results, he recommended a second diagnostic laparoscopy due to the severity of my pain and unclear MRI results. I had the procedure on July 12th, which finally provided answers. The images revealed significant endometriosis progression.

After a challenging two-week recovery (see some photos below and specialist's explanation of lap findings) my specialist advised urgent excision surgery using the da Vinci robotic system to treat the severe lesions. Although there is a risk of permanent nerve damage in my left leg due to prolonged untreated endometriosis, we will only know the extent after the robotic procedure and subsequent treatment. I'm hopeful that with physiotherapy, I can build back up to going back to the gym!

Unfortunately, this procedure costs £14,821, an amount I cannot afford, especially after my forced resignation. I need this surgery to reclaim my life, pursue a career, and experience joy and connection again from friendships I never had the opportunity to make. Every pound raised will go directly to my surgery scheduled for August 9th.

Please feel free to reach out if you would like any more info, to chat about your experiences with endometriosis or just to say hi. I will try to update my social pages with any news! Your kindness means the world to me.

Thank you so much for reading my story :)