Latest news with #adenomyosis
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The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
‘I'm in pain with endometrosis almost daily but have to justify how bad it is to get care I need'
Zainab Kaleemullah lives with debilitating pain almost daily, and despite a 14-year battle to finally get a diagnosis, she says she still has to justify her pain to get the treatment she needs. The 36-year-old has severe endometriosis and adenomyosis - painful conditions where tissue grows outside of the uterus or into the muscular wall of it - and spent more than a decade making repeated trips to doctors to get to the bottom of the cause. She says she was misdiagnosed with conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and depression, and even after being diagnosed, she faced a further two-year wait for surgery to remove the harmful tissue. She told The Independent: 'I get pain almost every day now… Sometimes I've felt that my condition isn't taken seriously, or they [medics] think that I perhaps over exaggerated with my pain, or they think it's probably something else.' 'This condition was causing me such debilitating pain, and I almost feel like I have to justify it every single time I talk about it.' Ms Kaleemullah is one of the 25 million people in England struggling with a long-term health condition, such as endometriosis, cystic fibrosis, epilepsy and diabetes. Research shared exclusively with The Independent estimates that around 7.5 million of those are not getting the support they need from NHS services - a 10 per cent in the past five years, according to a study by charity National Voices and think tank Future Health. Patients with long-term conditions account for 70 per cent of GP appointments and 50 per cent of hospital appointments and treatment. Despite this, 11.5 million do not have an NHS plan to help them manage their illness, such as timely access to specialists or correct pain management. The report authors have called for the NHS to be measured on this performance and held to account on patients' experience, alongside its existing targets for A&E and hospital care. Richard Sloggett, programme director for Future Health and a report author, called for the government to prioritise the experiences of patients with long-term conditions. He said: 'This report highlights the challenges millions of patients with long-term conditions are facing in accessing high-quality NHS services and support. There is a danger in yet another NHS restructure that the experience of patients is marginalised. This would be completely counter-productive.' Sharon Brennan, director of policy and advocacy group External Affairs at National Voices, said: 'We know people with long-term conditions feel increasingly alone in managing their health needs, often acting as the single co-ordinator of their care while also trying to maintain a life that is more than just their health conditions 'The NHS must move from a bean-counting culture of data collection and seek to understand the experiences of real people using the NHS.' 'It's like my insides are set alight' Even after surgery, Ms Kaleemullah said she continues to struggle to get the support she needs from the NHS. She said GPs and other specialists fail to see endometriosis as a 'full body illness', presuming instead that it is only associated with periods. 'I can have very debilitating pelvic pain, and it feels almost like my insides have been set alight…I get pain almost every day now. I can't walk long distances because I get really bad, lower back pain, abdominal pain, pelvic pain, get really bad migraines, fatigue… so it's very frustrating when I present myself to the doctor that they don't take into full account that I'm dealing with this at every single day.' Endometriosis, which impacts more than 1.5 million women in the UK, is a condition in which body tissues that line the inside of the uterus can grow outside of the womb, often affecting other organs such as the ovaries and bladder. 'I have to prove I need medication' Mary Saunders from Southport lives with hypothyroidism, a condition where the thyroid gland produces too little thyroid hormone. Patients with the condition need lifelong medication. It took her 16 years to get a correct diagnosis; however, much like Ms Kaleemullah, she has she struggled to manage her condition and access the medication she needed. It took seven years of taking the standard medication, levothyroxine, with persistent new and worsening symptoms occurring, to discover, through her own research, that there was an alternative called liothyronine, which was more expensive for the NHS. This month, the pharmaceutical company Advanz lost a high court appeal against a £99 million fine by the Competition and Markets Authority in 2021, after it increased the cost of liothyronine from £20 a box to £248. NHS doctors eventually agreed she could trial liothyronine but said she would have to buy it privately, so she spent years trying to source the medication more cheaply in Europe. However, when Covid hit and this became impossible, Ms Saunders again sought to get an NHS prescription. To do this, doctors said she would have to 'prove' she needed the medication by coming off of it for six weeks. 'It's like saying to patients. You're gonna be ill for six weeks now, because you're not gonna have what you need, the life-giving medication that supports your body.' Although she is now under an endocrinologist she trusts, Ms Saunders says: 'If my doctor leaves the service, I could be thrown right back where I was, I couldn't count on the NHS, because I have had 16 years of this, I don't count on the NHS.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'The government inherited a broken NHS, and it is unacceptable that too many people living with long term conditions have not been getting the care they need. 'The 10 Year Health Plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed to move healthcare from hospital to the community, analogue to digital, sickness to prevention, while putting patients at the centre of their own care.'
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Naga Munchetty: My first period at 15 made me faint and throw up - but doctors told me it was normal
Naga Munchetty has said she 'normalised throwing up and fainting' due to a chronic health condition that took decades to diagnose. The BBC Breakfast presenter called for more research into women's health issues as she described the 'excruciating' pain she has experienced since beginning her period at the age of 15. Despite going to the doctors on a number of occasions, she was not diagnosed until 32 years later as she was led to believe the pain she was experiencing was 'normal'. She spoke during a talk with Kirsty Lang at The Hay Festival in Wales, which The Independent has partnered with for the second year in a row. 'When I started my period at 15, I passed out, threw up, was petrified about what was happening and was told it was normal,' she said. 'Whenever I spoke to a doctor about having heavy periods, I was never asked about them. I would say they're really heavy, I throw up, I faint, it's really really painful. But I was just told it would get better when you get older it will get better when you have a child. There was no question of treatment.' It wasn't until she went to the doctor because of an ovarian cyst that she was diagnosed with adenomyosis, a condition she had never heard of before, which sees uterus lining tissue grow into the muscular wall of the uterus. 'I looked it up on the NHS England website, clicked on it, and the link took me to hysterectomy,' she said. 'So the only answer to this condition that no one's heard of this to cut a chunk out of me. And my eyes were actually being open to how little effort was being put into women's healthcare.' She told the talk that after years of living with the condition, she had grown to 'normalise' the extreme pain. 'I would normalise throwing up. I thought that was normal,' she said. 'I've had to come off set to throw up because I thought I was passing out while presenting BBC Breakfast. I went to the toilet, threw up, cleaned it up. I managed to get a 10-minute break, got makeup redone covered in sweat, sat down and did the next hour and a half. 'That's not normal.' The journalist and broadcaster has since spoken out about the state of women's healthcare in the UK and written a book, It's Probably Nothing: Critical Conversations on the Women's Health Crisis (and How to Thrive Despite It). Hay Festival, which is spread over 11 days, is set in Hay-on-Wye, the idyllic and picturesque 'Town of Books'. The lineup includes Mary Trump, Michael Sheen, Jameela Jamil, and more. The Independent has partnered with the festival once again to host a series of morning panels titled The News Review, where our journalists will explore current affairs with leading figures from politics, science, the arts and comedy every morning.
The Independent
25-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Naga Munchetty: My first period at 15 made me faint and throw up - but doctors told me it was normal
Naga Munchetty has said she 'normalised throwing up and fainting' due to a chronic health condition which took decades to diagnose. The BBC Breakfast presenter called for more research into women's health issues as she described the 'excruciating' pain she has experienced since beginning her period at the age of 15. Despite going to the doctors on a number of occasions, she was not diagnosed until 32 years later as she was led to believe the pain she was experiencing was 'normal'. She spoke during a during a talk with Kirsty Lang at The Hay Festival in Wales, which The Independent has partnered with for the second year in a row. 'When I started my period at 15, I passed out, threw up, was petrified about what was happening and was told it was normal,' she said. 'Whenever I spoke to a doctor about having heavy periods, I was never asked about them. I would say they're really heavy, I throw up, I faint, it's really really painful. But I was just told it would get better when you get older it will get better when you have a child. There was no question of treatment.' It wasn't until she went to the doctor because of an ovarian cyst that she was diagnosed with adenomyosis, a condition she had never heard of before, which sees uterus lining tissue grow into the muscular wall of the uterus. 'I looked it up on the NHS England website, clicked on it, and the link took me to hysterectomy,' she said. 'So the only answer to this condition that no one's heard of this to cut a chunk out of me. And my eyes were actually being open to how little effort was being put into women's healthcare.' She told the talk that after years of living with the condition, she had grown to 'normalise' the extreme pain. 'I would normalise throwing up. I thought that was normal,' she said. 'I've had to come off set to throw up because I thought I was passing out while presenting BBC Breakfast. I went to the toilet, threw up, cleaned it up. I managed to get a ten minute break, got makeup redone covered in sweat, sat down and did the next hour and a half. 'That's not normal.' The journalist and broadcaster has since spoken out about the state of women's healthcare in the UK and written a book, It's Probably Nothing: Critical Conversations on the Women's Health Crisis (and How to Thrive Despite It). Hay Festival, which is spread over 11 days, is set in Hay-on-Wye, the idyllic and picturesque 'Town of Books'. The lineup includes Mary Trump, Michael Sheen, Jameela Jamil, and more. The Independent has partnered with the Festival once again to host a series of morning panels titled The News Review, where our journalists will explore current affairs with leading figures from politics, science, the arts and comedy every morning.
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Real Housewives Of Cheshire star Tanya Bardsley admits she feared her husband Phil would leave her due to 'horrific' health condition as she reveals 'you can't control it'
Tanya Bardsley has revealed she once feared her husband Phil would leave her due to the toll her 'horrific' health condition has taken on their relationship. The Real Housewives Of Cheshire star, 43, is battling adenomyosis - a painful condition where tissue grows into the muscular wall of the uterus, often causing intense pain and heavy bleeding that disrupts daily life. In a candid new interview, Tanya shared that the condition has left her in constant agony and triggered a severe hormonal 'nightmare'. As a result, it's taken a toll on her 11-year marriage to the former Sunderland footballer, with Tanya admitting there were moments she 'couldn't stand to be around him.' Praising Phil for sticking by her, she told The Sun: 'That shows what kind of man he is because some days I just don't even want to hang around with myself.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to Daily Mail's showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Describing how her condition affects her, she explained: 'It's like something has taken over your body and you can't control it. I am like an ogre stomping around. 'The rage just comes up inside of me and takes over. I'm horrible to be around, but obviously my oestrogen is low and the ogre is out.' Tanya said it like like going from being terrified of losing your partner and family to suddenly feeling so angry you don't care about anything or anyone - and admitted it's a horrible place to be. In a bid to finally get relief, Tanya revealed she's preparing to undergo a hysterectomy in hopes of fixing the condition once and for all. It comes after Tanya opened up about the shocking discovery surgeons made while performing her recent half-mid facelift. The reality star, who has been open about her numerous plastic surgery procedures, admitted doctors were forced to 'scrape out 20-year-old filler' after she went under the knife due to 'middle-aged bloating' shattering her confidence. However despite surgeons removing the substance from Tanya's face and leaving her skin looking 'amazing' she confessed to ignoring medic's orders, which has had a detrimental affect on her appearance. She told OK!: 'They were scraping out 20-year-old filler. Afterwards, the surgeon said I couldn't use anything on my skin apart from water and Bio-Oil, and honestly, my skin was amazing!' The reality star, who has been open about her numerous plastic surgery procedures , admitted doctors were forced to 'scrape out 20-year-old filler' after she went under the knife due to 'middle-aged bloating' shattering her confidencr (pictured 2022) 'Then I stupidly introduced all the retinols and things I used to use, and now my skin is awful. I need to go back to basics again'. It comes just weeks after Tanya recalled doctors having to 'draw blood' from her boob job as she revealed horrific details from another procedure. The TV personality , who was 25 when she had her first boob job - which left her 'horribly scarred' - also discussed a tummy tuck that she had in January 2022. Speaking on the Nip Tuck Not Giving a F... podcast with hosts Ashley Stobart and Lauren Harris, she admitted 'it was the worst pain she'd ever been through.' After welcoming her fourth child, Ralphi, in 2016 with her Phil, she detailed how the sagging skin left after her pregnancy left her looking like a 'bulldog's forehead.' Tanya said: 'My body was absolutely smashing - until Ralphi,' before recalling her tummy tuck. 'It's the worst pain I've ever been through. Cause obviously they have to cut you, they have to lift the skin up to pull the tummy muscles back,' she explained. She continued: 'I'm happy because I couldn't wear bikinis because it was that much skin. Adding of her boob jobs, Tanya said: 'I had them done the first time and then after Ralphi I did an uplift. 'I don't know whether that was the surgeon but it was more the aftercare. I was out drinking, partying. Because I always just healed, and I was young and stupid.' Tanya revealed she ended up with a hematoma at the surgery site, which meant the 'surgeon had to put a thing in and just draw all of this blood out.' 'It's really, really scared. But the Ralphi was a baby and I thought "I am not going another six weeks not picking him up."
The Sun
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Horrific condition filled me with rage…I was worried Phil was going to leave – now I have 4-hour op, says Tanya Bardsley
THEIR high-profile marriage may have got them a hit fly-on-the-wall series, but Tanya Bardsley admits there are some days when she 'can't bear' her husband Phil. The Real Housewives Of Cheshire star is suffering from a condition that has left her in crippling agony and plunged her into such a hormonal 'nightmare' that it is putting pressure on her 11-year marriage to the former Sunderland footballer. 4 Tanya says: 'There are times when I feel like I can't bear him — if he breathes too loud, for example — and poor Phil, he's probably not even done anything, he's just been himself. 'He deserves a medal — but he hasn't left me, that's the main thing. 'That shows what kind of man he is because some days I just don't even want to hang around with myself. 'It's like something has taken over your body and you can't control it. I am like an ogre stomping around. 'The rage just comes up inside of me and takes over. I'm horrible to be around, but obviously my oestrogen is low and the ogre is out. 'You go from fear of losing your partner and your family to this rage where you just don't give a s**t about anything or anyone. It's horrible.' Tanya is the longest-serving cast member of the Housewives and now appears in reality show The Bardsley Bunch on ITVBe and ITVX with Phil and their four kids. But for years she has also been suffering from a crippling condition called adenomyosis, where tissue grows into the muscular wall of the uterus leading to pain and heavy bleeding that can significantly affect daily life. 'I've been doubled up on all fours on the floor' It is often linked to hormonal imbalances, and in particular, elevated levels of oestrogen. Horror as Real Housewives of Cheshire star Tanya Bardsley reveals masked men attempted to raid mansion while family were home_1 Today 44-year-old Tanya reveals that she is about to have a hysterectomy, and is terrified. She says: 'I have fibroids in my womb too. They are benign growths but can reach the size of a melon. 'I am often in so much pain that I feel like I'm giving birth. It is excruciating — it's been horrific recently.' Tanya has been suffering for years because experts failed to correctly diagnose her. She says: 'I started getting really bad pain but my previous gynae- cologist didn't know what was wrong with me. I eventually booked in to see a specialist who diagnosed adenomyosis and fibroids. 'Getting that diagnosis was such a relief because it made me realise I wasn't going mad, that something was really wrong. 'The pain is unbearable at times. It's like childbirth but it doesn't come in waves like contractions — it is constant. 'I've been doubled over on all fours on the floor having to pant through it, just crying my eyes out and sometimes telling Phil that I think he's going to have to take me to A&E. 'It's so intense and then eases off a bit but then comes back. It's really traumatic for Phil to see me in so much pain. 'It affects everything in your life — your social life, your work life. Some days I literally cannot get out of bed.' The hysterectomy will take four hours followed by weeks of recovery. Tanya says: 'Losing my womb is just an awful thought. That's where my babies were — it's what womanhood is about. I think because I've been through so many dark times and I have tried to take my own life in the past, I know that whatever pain I'm going through, it's not the end Tanya Bardsley 'I'm really scared I'll feel less of a woman without it, but I know this is my only option. 'The recovery time is about six weeks, so I am getting it done in the summer after Phil's 40th birthday celebrations.' Tanya first found fame as a model. She was one of FHM's High Street Honeys in 2002 and was included in the lads' mag's 100 Sexiest Women. In 2014 she married Phil and they went on to have children Gabriella, 23, Rocco, 16, Renz, 12, and eight-year-old Ralphi. She joined up for the first series of The Real Housewives Of Cheshire in 2015 with Ampika Pickston, Dawn Ward, Lauren Simon, Leanne Brown and Magali Gorre. Now Tanya and Phil, who is assistant manager of Macclesfield, live in luxury in a £2million Cheshire home. But just a few days ago masked intruders tried to break in while the family slept before they were scared off by the property's security system. It is the latest harrowing ordeal for Tanya, who entered perimenopause when she was just 38 and has been suffering ever since. At 39 she was diagnosed with ADHD after years of struggling with anxiety and suicidal thoughts. She tells The Sun on Sunday: 'Because of the pain and hormones, my mental health is awful right now. 'You just feel like you've got a big black cloud in your head. 'But I think because I've been through so many dark times and I have tried to take my own life in the past, I know that whatever pain I'm going through, it's not the end. 'Imagine guys going through perimenopause' 'I think that's why I don't worry about myself going into a dark place any more. I can just wait it out.' Following her diagnosis, Tanya — supported by Phil — had some agonising discussions with experts before finally deciding that she should have a hysterectomy. She explained: 'My doctor says the cure for me to get rid of the pain is a hysterectomy. 'My mum actually had one when she was 37. She told me her womb was riddled with fibroids, but she probably had adenomyosis as well but it just wasn't diagnosed. 'She was in the same kind of pain I am. 'Phil and I have completed our family — he has had the snip. So we decided together this is the next step for me. But I'm really scared about it. 'There's no option that doesn't bring its own risks. 'Sometimes I'm thinking, 'Well, this is just pain. What if I end up with blood clots or an infection or something else if I get an operation?' 'I've had so many things wrong with me over the years that now I'm scared of creating something else.' Tanya openly admits she is no stranger to going under the knife. She has had several cosmetic surgeries ranging from a face lift, two boob jobs, liposuction and a brow lift. But it has not always been straightforward. What is a hysterectomy? A hysterectomy is an operation to remove the womb, which marks the end of a woman's reproductive period. After having the surgery, you will no longer be able to get pregnant - and your periods will stop. There were around 30,500 hysterectomies carried out in England in 2012 and 2013, mostly for women in their 40s. Hysterectomies are carried out to treat conditions that affect the female reproductive system. These include heavy periods, long-term pelvic pain or non-cancerous tumours. In some cases, women have hysterectomies to treat ovarian, uterine, fallopian tube or cervical cancer. There are different types of operations - depending on whether the woman has her whole womb, cervix, ovaries, fallopian tube and/or cervix removed. In a radical hysterectomy - the lymph glands, fatty tissue and part of the vagina are also removed. She ended up with a blood clot in her breast due to her second boob job after Ralph was born. Tanya said: 'I've learned that with cosmetic surgery you can fix one problem and cause another, so knowing you're about to have more surgery is a scary place to be.' To help other women, she is going to document the operation and her recovery for The Bardlsey Bunch, which gives viewers a warts-and-all look at her home life with Phil. She says: 'I have had so many messages from women over the years who have taken comfort in me speaking out about perimenopause, so I think it's important to show this side of what's going on with me. 'It might help other women to not feel so alone. 'With perimenopause I thought I was going crazy. 'I just wasn't being listened to. I was even given antidepressants. I felt like no one was taking me seriously and then you're just left feeling like everyone hates you. 'So many women said they experienced the same thing. 'I swear if a man had to go through what we did, there would be serious changes that happen quickly. 'Imagine these guys going through perimenopause. 'Every top scientist, every doctor around the world, all the government's money would be on it. 'I once called an ambulance for Phil because we thought something was seriously wrong with him — it turned out to be bad trapped wind. 'I will never let him forget that, ever!'
