Imagine being carried out of a University lecture hall because you were rolling around on the floor in agony. For Jo, this was her reality. Knowing now that her period pain was not normal, she is thankful now that she began the journey of taking back control of her health. Her quest now is to help educate and support others living with endometriosis. Her dream - to help move others within the Endometriosis community from surviving to thriving! The QENDO community thanks Jo her for her support.

Jess Coldrey is a 2021 Victorian Government John Monash Scholar and internationally exhibited technology artist, most notably curated into exhibitions for the Australian Ian Potter Centre, Melbourne Science Gallery, and the United Nations' COP26 conference in Glasgow. From robotics and drone selfies winning her the prestigious Agendo Art Prize to her recent fashion project in Paris exploring endometriosis, her art has traversed creativity and engineering to spark new conversations about the future.

In this blog Jess shares her firsthand experience navigating endo, while also showcasing her talent as an artist. QENDO is very excited to feature Jess, grateful for the advice and wisdom she offers. She highlights the need to listen to one’s body and the importance of giving it permission to rest.

“Having been had diagnosed and now knowing the symptoms, I can look back and see some small signs of the disease in my mid twenties. These were not symptoms that impacted on my quality of life whatsoever.”

Julia bravely brings you her personal journey with endometriosis, as she shares the importance of having a diagnosis.

Kristie Harris has bravely shared her journey, and why she opted for an elective hysterectomy.

“I am now on 4 weeks post hysterectomy. I haven’t bled since day 2 post op, and I feel like a brand new woman. I cannot believe it took this long for professionals to work out what was wrong and assist me with a solution!”

Being informed there is nothing wrong is an incredibly frustrating thing to endure. Haven’t we all heard that our period pain is normal, from time to time…but it is NOT! Being diagnosed with endometriosis in the final year of schooling presented additional challenges - at an already challenging time. Chantelle bravely navigated such changes, ultimately landing her dream University course.

We receive many requests about accessing support and information when considering medicinal cannabis. As such, QENDO accepted a paid partnership from NCClinics to deliver a blog post regarding their service. QENDO agrees to this opportunity as NCClinics provide a free resource for people seeking information through a help line. Individuals can talk to a specialist nurse to understand if medicinal cannabis might be an option to add to their toolbox.

This post is sponsored by NCClinics for the purpose of providing another resource for people interested in learning more about utilising medicinal cannabis to assist in their pain management. For further information about the use of medicinal cannabis, contact NCClinics nurse phone line on: 1800 978 622.

“I’m so grateful to have discovered QENDO. I have met some amazing people and forever friends. I have learnt a lot about my condition, and it’s great to have a community of people who understand what you are going through. I have recently become a QENDO volunteer and I look forward to this new chapter, hoping to not only help raise awareness, but also to help other people who are suffering.” - Katie, one of QENDO’s amazing volunteers.

Breaking through the stigma of what endometriosis looks like within the workforce, despite whatever that workforce may be! After all, endometriosis does not discriminate…

This article touches base on sensitive topics such as pregnancy and loss.

“It has been a very challenging life journey to live with endometriosis. I think you learn a lot about yourself with endometriosis, and this experience leads you to self-love and awareness. These are two traits which you can benefit from in later life, whilst you are becoming uniquely divine through the process”.

Being advised to “immediately fall pregnant”, as a solution to endometriosis is something too many of us have heard. Silvie bravely shares her account of living with this disease, and shares her hope for our future as a community of strong individuals.

Through these tough times I’ve come to know that when our health is asking us to listen, we must. We spend our whole lives inside our mind and body. We must take care of them. If we don’t, eventually they will force us.

Doctors must listen.

Family must listen.

Close friends must listen.

The world must listen.

Here’s to all the QENDO Dads

The Step Dads

The Foster Dads

The Solo Dads

The Dads to Be

The Mums that are also Dads

The should be Dads

And those without Dads

This Father’s Day #team QENDO want to thank all Dads including our own!

I'm currently 28 years old, I was so young when I got my first period and I knew something wasn't right, from the very beginning...

My parents had never spoken to me about periods.

I had no idea what they were, who got them, what to expect, how to deal with them. Nothing.

I remember being so scared, wondering why I was bleeding.

All mum said to me was: "it's normal" and gave me some little liners.

I was so young, so she assumed that "liners" were all I needed.

My journey started from aged 11 (grade 5!) when I was blessed with my period. From such a young age we are taught that the day we start our period, is a day to be celebrated because we are finally a woman. We now know that this is not the case for majority of women who have endometriosis. From the first day of my very first period, I experienced unimaginable pain (this is just normal though right, period cramps) heavy bleeding and the feeling of shame – for being ungrateful and wishing the gift of being able to reproduce, be taken away.

Megan Dunkley started experiencing painful periods from age 12, and was using the pill at age 14 to cope with her intense pain, nausea and heavy bleeding. Nine years later, after finally receiving an endometriosis diagnosis, Megan is committed to raising awareness and empowering others to learn more about the disease. She is proud to stand up for others with endometriosis and pelvic pain, and share her story to raise awareness.

Danielle Halcrow, an endo warrior from New Zealand, started experiencing the symptoms of endometriosis at 16, but wasn’t diagnosed until the age of 20, experiencing a lot of doubt and dismissal during this time. When she was finally diagnosed, she was able to have surgery and receive treatment to help with her debilitating symptoms. In this blog Danielle shares her endometriosis story, the validation of a diagnosis - even when it means knowing that you have a currently incurable illness, and the benefits of engaging a mental health professional as part of your toolkit.

One of the first things many of us learnt when becoming “endo aware” was that ultrasound cannot rule out endometriosis, and that a scan is not a substitute for the gold standard - a diagnostic laparoscopy by an experienced excision specialist. Imaging technology has come a long way in recent years, particularly transvaginal ultrasound, and in the right hands it can actually prove itself a useful tool in the diagnosis and management of endometriosis and adenomyosis. So what is the role of this scan? What can it see, what can it tell us, and can we in fact diagnose endometriosis on a scan? In this blog our support coordinator and RN Dannielle takes us through the literature and the role of the specialist scanner. Let’s talk about ultrasounds.

“I’m lying in bed, one heat pack held against my abdomen, the other behind my back. I’ve taken Ibuprofen and Panadeine Forte but neither have changed the pain. I’m crying. Frustrated. Exhausted”. It’s a scenario many among us will find all too familiar, a pain that ties millions of us together around the world. This Is Endo. On the blog today we hear from Alice Ayling, who first started experiencing symptoms in adolescence but waited an astonishing seventeen years to have this diagnosis confirmed, despite a laparoscopy at 18 where the surgeon didn’t find any disease. Alice shares her path to a diagnosis, excision and, eventually, motherhood, all while coping with the debilitating symptoms that characterise endometriosis.

If anyone understands the importance of empowering others and smashing stigmas, it’s Katie Norbury. Katie is the founder of Get Papped, a community designed to start conversations outside the medical setting about cervical screenings. Cervical screenings, like endo, aren’t often talked about, often spoken about in hushed tones in private, but we know they’re so important, and we need to talk about them. In this blog Katie takes us through the ins and outs of screening, and talks about the experience that inspired her to start Get Papped.

For those affected by endometriosis, adenomyosis or PCOS, fertility is often something in the back of our minds, even when we’re not trying to conceive. When we decide to start trying, the landscape is so often new and confusing, trying to navigate not only our chronic illness, but all the components of a fertility journey. Renee Owen always had a gut feeling her journey to motherhood would not be a simple one, and this proved correct when she was diagnosed with PCOS. In this blog Renee shares her fertility story and journey to motherhood, as well as her struggles on the road to baby number two. She shares her story in the hopes of being a strength and support to others in the TTC community. CW: this blog deals with infertility and pregnancy loss.

If there’s anyone that understands the power of sharing your story to reassure, inspire, or support others, it’s founder of Got You Girl, Sophie Stewart. Got You Girl aims to inspire, educate and start the conversation around taboo topics like endometriosis, periods, mental health and domestic violence (to name just a few). It’s also an incredible source of information on a variety of topics, all in the one spot. QENDO is excited to host Sophie on our blog, a space where we too strive to share the stories, resources and carefully curated content you need. In this blog Sophie talks about the magic of sharing your story, and the importance of platforms like QENDO and Got You Girl to create space for voices to be heard.