Welcome Introduction

I am a creative in the visual sense but certainly not creative in the writing sense I'm afraid, so please bear with me. My mission or reason for doing a blog is to share information that I have found useful to try and recover my health and to hopefully hear from you what has helped you.


I have stage 4 Endometriosis which was diagnosed 7 years ago  - and I also have Vulvodynia/ Vestibulodynia which was diagnosed 11 years ago.


What is endometriosis? - Endometriosis is the name given to the condition where cells like the ones in the lining of the womb (uterus) are found elsewhere in the body.
Every month your body goes through hormonal changes. You naturally release hormones which cause the lining of the womb to increase in preparation for a fertilised egg. If pregnancy does not occur, this lining will break down and bleed. The blood is then released from your body as a period.

Endometriosis cells react in the same way – except that they are located outside your womb.  During your monthly cycle your hormones stimulate the endometriosis, causing it to grow, then break down and bleed. This internal bleeding, unlike a period, has no way of leaving the body. This leads to inflammation, pain, and the formation of scar tissue (adhesions).  

What is Vestibulodynia? - The pain experienced by women is hyper-sensitivity on light touch to the vestibule, such as during intercourse and the insertion of tampons. The degree of pain is variable. Some women have pain but are able to tolerate penetrative sex. For others any pressure to the vestibule area causes symptoms of soreness and tenderness including tight clothes and even light touch to the area. An excessive sensitivity of the nerve fibres and even, on occasions, overgrowth of the nerve fibres in the area is believed to be responsible for symptoms.

What is Vulvodynia? - This condition is a cause of vulval burning and soreness usually as a consequence of irritation or hypersensitivity of the nerve fibres in the vulval skin. The abnormal nerve fibre signals from the skin are felt as a sensation of pain by the woman. This type of pain can occur even when the area is not touched. Another example of nerve-type (neuropathic pain) like vulvodynia is the pain some people experience with an attack of shingles. Once the rash of shingles has disappeared the area of skin where the rash was can be intensely painful and sore despite the skin appearing normal. The condition is called post-hepatic neuralgia.