Woman who ‘couldn’t walk’ due to endometriosis is now climbing mountains
Over the course of six years, Rowan Keech ended up in so much pain due to endometriosis that her condition became unmanageable.
‘The pain was so bad I couldn’t even stand up most days, and I suffered with extreme fatigue where I felt as though I hadn’t slept,’ the 21-year-old told Metro.
‘I found suffering with this illness put a strain onto every area of my life – physically and mentally.
‘From being too unwell to work and earn money, to not being able to even stand up long enough to see any of my friends or family.
‘I felt so poorly almost every day it felt impossible to be able to live a happy and fulfilling life, and I felt I was really putting a lot of stress and helplessness onto my relationships.
‘All these factors led to making me feel very isolated and alone.’
Rowan, who is now a fashion student in Manchester, started experiencing symptoms at the age of 15.
She said she felt as if ‘no one understood how I felt at all’ and felt she was a victim of ‘medical gaslighting’ because ‘while being told I was fine, I genuinely couldn’t walk half of the time’.
‘I feel this is scarily common for endometriosis sufferers,’ Rowan added.
‘I went through so many scans and tests to be told “nothing was wrong with me” and to just take painkillers and essentially ignore the pain I was in.
‘It got to the point where I was completely lost with what to do, I found no solutions or help by seeking medical attention, yet it genuinely got to the point where I was desperate and could not carry on living this way.’
She said it took her six years to get diagnosed after she eventually decided to go private – and it may have taken another two had she decided to continue trying to get treatment on the NHS.
In August last year Rowan was diagnosed with endometriosis after it was found through surgery.
She said it has been a ‘strange journey’ and she felt ‘almost lost’ soon after the operation.
‘I had been living in this type of “survival mode” for the last six years and suddenly it had all changed,’ Rowan explained.
‘I felt like I wasn’t even in my own body anymore. I had no perception of what living a “normal” life was like so to me I really didn’t know how to think or feel.’
Rowan still suffers with fatigue, exhaustion and some pains as surgery for endometriosis is not a cure.
But she said ‘the pains I do get have been much more manageable and I feel I can start to live a slightly more normal life without having to worry about being hit by a pain flare up’.
‘I feel the way I get through the harder times of endometriosis is by pushing and challenging myself the best I can,’ she added.
What is endometriosis?
According to the NHS, endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
It can affect women of any age, including teenagers, and have a significant impact on a person’s life.
Some common symptoms of endometriosis are:
- Pain in lower stomach or back, which usually becomes worse during a period
- Period pain that prevents normal activities
- Pain during or after sex
- Pain when peeing or pooing during a period
- Feeling sick, constipation, diarrhoea, or blood in pee or poo during a period
- Difficulty getting pregnant
Six months on from her operation, Rowan has now turned her hand to raising money for and awareness of the condition.
‘I wouldn’t wish my experience on anyone, so I want to try my best to eliminate similar feelings of being isolated through suffering for others by raising awareness,’ she said.
Rowan has since created a short documentary-style film ‘showcasing the reality of living with endometriosis’ and now takes part in several different sports including climbing, free diving, hiking and crossfit.
She has now decided to take her love of exercise to the next level, and has decided to take part in the 24-hour national three peaks challenge in May.
In order to raise a target of £2,000 for Endometriosis UK, she will climb Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in England, and Snowdon in Wales alongside a group of friends.
‘By completing such an extreme and hard challenge like this, it is my way to beat endometriosis,’ Rowan told Metro.
‘It is to show myself and show others that although this illness has taken over my life in so many ways, it doesn’t define me, and I am much more than the illness I suffer with.
‘I want to show other people suffering that they also are much more than endometriosis and they can still do anything they put their mind to.’
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