Grace Nagawa discovered she had endometriosis in 2017 but has suffered its brunt since she was 14 years old, the time of her first period. Apart from it being excruciatingly painful, Nagawa was unable to walk thus leaving school. The period went on for two weeks and all she saw were dark spots, something that characterised all her periods thereafter. The use of painkillers started then, always moving to a stronger option because with time, some became ineffective.

“In the start, it was paracetamols, then ibuprofen, injectables before turning to morphine,” she shares. Nagawa’s dream saw her join nursing school and one day, while at school, she felt paralysed and nauseous. Her fellow students carried her to the hospital but the attending doctor simply dismissed her as one trying to abort.

“She sent me to do a pregnancy test but being a nurse, and sure that what I felt was abnormal, I went for a scan, which revealed that I had two big cysts and one had burst. The radiographer wrote a report which I gave to the doctor who apologised and examined me. I was then referred to a gynaecologist, who organised an emergency operation. In theatre, they discovered that I have endometriosis stage 4.”