- Liv had been battling painful periods for years – one of the most common endometriosis symptoms
- After multiple operations which led to a formal diagnosis, Liv is living her life again
- Now she’s an ambassador for the Australian Endometriosis Foundation and helping others by sharing her journey
Here Liv Kivlighon, 25, Melbourne, Vic, tells the story in her own words
Clutching my belly, I desperately reached for pain relief.
‘Oh love, hopefully you’ll feel better soon,’ my mum, Jacqui, then 48, soothed.
It was 2019 and, aged 19, I’d been experiencing excruciating period pain for three years.
I’d been on the pill since I was 16 as I’d been told it’d help with cramps, but lately, they’d started getting bad again.
Not only were they painful – like my insides were being stabbed and run over at the same time – but my periods were super heavy, and I was having to change my pad every half an hour.
My cycles were also irregular – often happening every 50 days or so.
In 2020 I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
‘It can be managed with exercise and eating a good diet,’ the doctor explained.
So I got fitter – doing yoga and hitting gym classes – plus I started eating more anti-inflammatory foods such as berries and nuts, and sipping green tea.
Meanwhile the painful cramps continued, but I told myself to suck it up, it was part of being a woman.
In 2021 I started working as a midwife and gained more insight into women’s health.
Patients struggling to fall pregnant were coming through with endometriosis, a chronic condition that occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus, but I’d barely heard of it.
Some patients shared how their contraception had masked their pain and signs of endo.
Realising my body had been dependent on the pill for so long, I came off it in March 2021.
My painful periods got worse. I tried to push through my shifts at the hospital, relying on painkillers and heating pads. But in May 2021 I started fainting from the pain and loss of blood.
When it happened at work in early June, I was taken to emergency where I had an ultrasound.
‘It might be endometriosis but you’ll be fine – just take some painkillers,’ the doctor said.
But that wasn’t good enough for me, so I saw an endo specialist. I told them about my heavy bleeding, extreme pain and chronic fatigue.
He was sure I had endometriosis, but I’d need surgery to confirm and remove it. So two and a half weeks later, I had a laparoscopy.
Waking up afterwards, the surgeon explained they’d removed some endo, but they’d also found some on my bowel.
In July 2022, I had a second operation, to have that removed.
Just months later, I was in pain again – it felt like my bowel was being twisted and stretched.
I got a second opinion from another surgeon.
‘We’ll fix this, but before another operation, you need time to heal,’ she said.
Finally, in May 2024, I had my third op. Coming to in hospital, I learned that surgeons had cut out a huge 20cm of my bowel, which was covered in endo.
‘It was like a punnet of blueberries all over your bowel,’ the surgeon said.
After recovering from the surgery, I was able to start living my life again, walking my adorable golden retrievers and going out for dinner with mates.
My illness may have decreased my ability to have kids naturally, but I’m trying not to worry about that at the moment.
This is something I’ll look into when I start trying with my partner, Charlie.
Symptoms include fatigue; severe period pain; pain during ovulation, during or after sex, when using the bathroom; pain in the pelvic area, lower back or legs; difficulty holding a full bladder; heavy bleeding or irregular bleeding. endometriosisaustralia.org
What are the symptoms of endometriosis?
For a few months, thankfully my periods were pain free and regular.
Recently, they’ve started to get a bit more painful.
There’s a chance the endo has returned, but it’s much more manageable.
I’m also an ambassador for the Australian Endometriosis Foundation.
I hope my story will remind doctors to really listen to women when they come to them about their body. My problems should have been taken more seriously.
Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows outside the uterus. It primarily affects the reproductive organs, but is also found in the bowel, bladder, skin, joints, lungs and brain. It can take 6.5 years for an endo diagnosis.
What is endometriosis?
