Australian Endometriosis Foundation and Supplied
- Jaycee Baso, 29, from Sydney, NSW, suffers debilitating pain due to a condition called endometriosis.
- After being dismissed by multiple doctors over the years, she fought for a diagnosis.
- Now Jaycee provides support to young women with the same condition.
Here Jaycee tells the story of her delayed endometriosis diagnosis in her own words.
Pale and shaky, I knocked on the door of my high school sick bay.
The nurse ushered me in.
‘Let’s get you home so you can rest, Jaycee,’ she said kindly.
Every month since I started my period aged 12, I’d suffered debilitating pain, bleeding so heavily it’d soak through my uniform.
‘Let’s get you home so you can rest.’
My mum, Juliette, took me to doctor after doctor, but they were little help.
‘You just have bad periods,’ they’d say, recommending pain meds.
In 2018, at 23, struggling to hold down a job because I needed a week off every month, I’d finally had enough and demanded to be referred to a gynaecologist.
At my appointment, I listed all my symptoms, expecting her to dismiss them like the other docs.
Endometriosis is a chronic condition where the lining of the uterus also grows in other parts of the body. The endometrial-type tissue thickens, breaks down and bleeds with each menstrual cycle, but doesn’t leave the body. One in seven Aussie females of reproductive age, and those assigned female at birth, are estimated to be living with Endometriosis. While there is currently no known cure for the condition, there are treatment options to manage the symptoms.
What is endometriosis?
But she didn’t.
‘Jaycee, your period should not disrupt your life.
I think you may have endometriosis,’ she said.
I burst into tears. After 11 years, my suffering was finally being validated.
A laparoscopy 12 months later confirmed I had stage 3 endometriosis, where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus was growing outside it, fusing to my ovaries and rectum.
‘Your period should not disrupt your life.’
My surgeon removed as much as she could, but explained the tissue would continue to grow, I’d need treatment for the rest of my life, and my fertility would likely be compromised.
For the time being, the surgery eased my pain and reduced my bleeding.
I started sharing my endo journey on Instagram and was contacted by Milli Weaver.
Symptoms of endometriosis:
- Extremely painful periods
- Pain during intercourse
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Chronic back pain
- Pain during bowel movements
- Abdominal bloating
- Fatigue or low energy
- Infertility
She’d started a page called Endo Articles (this is has since changed to Australian Endometriosis Foundation) where she shared her own experience with the disease to try and build a community of support.
We became friends and, in October 2022, when she held her first morning tea for people living with endo, I went along.
‘My doctor misdiagnosed me with irritable bowel syndrome,’ a woman said.
‘People think I dramatise how bad my pain is,’ another added.
‘My doctor misdiagnosed me with irritable bowel syndrome.’
It was like hearing my own story over and over again.
Milli registered Endo Articles as a charity, and holds regular programs to support young women aged 18 to 35 with endo.
I’m a proud volunteer ambassador and help run bi-monthly coffee catch-ups with members in Sydney.
We also run events around Oz, including an annual four-day retreat focused on self care, and seminars around fertility preservation.
We’ve sent out more than 200 comfort packs with things like pyjamas, sanitary and skin care products to young women recovering in hospital.
As well as connecting with more than 1000 women face-to-face, we’ve got almost 10,000 followers on Instagram, where we offer info and support.
‘I’ve needed this for such a long time,’ one young woman said, tearfully.
We all knew exactly how she felt.
One in nine women suffer from endometriosis, yet it’s still so misunderstood.
It isn’t just ‘bad periods’ and because it’s invisible, women often feel isolated and alone.
I’m honoured to be able to offer the kind of support to young women that I so desperately needed years ago.
Visit https://endometriosisaustralia.org/
