'I'm in unbearable pain': Molly Mae Hague prepares for endometriosis surgery

The former Love Island star is the latest high profile woman to come forward and talk about the often ignored condition

'My period pains are to the point where I literally can't stand up. I'm in unbearable pain, I have to take time off work, it's just ridiculous.' Picture: Keith Mayhew/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images.

“Absolute agony.” “Pain and bloating.” “No answers.” These are just some of the ways in which Irish women have described living with endometriosis, a condition that often goes undiagnosed for countless women.

Until now, former Love Island star Molly Mae Hague was one of them. In a Youtube video posted last week, the 22-year-old revealed that she was preparing to undergo surgery for endometriosis after doctors had initially told her she didn’t have the condition.

"I've told you guys for so long now that I suffer with excruciating periods and so many of you guys were commenting on my videos [saying] 'please check for endometriosis',” Hague told fans in her latest vlog post.

"So I went to the doctors a couple of times. I was like: 'I really do think I have endometriosis, I have every sign and symptom of it, my period pains are to the point where I literally can't stand up. I'm in unbearable pain, I have to take time off work, it's just ridiculous’. Every single doctor said to me 'no, no, no, you definitely don't’."

Endometriosis occurs when the endometrial-like tissue that lines the womb grows outside of the uterus, causing bleeding in the surrounding tissues. As a result, those suffering from the gynecological condition also experience swelling, inflammation, and severe pelvic pain, which usually worsens during menstruation.

Even though one in 10 women suffers from endometriosis, diagnosis is usually delayed by an average of nine years after symptoms begin. Many women, such as Hague, need to get multiple opinions before getting answers. 

After being told that she didn't have the condition, the model and influencer visited a specialist to see if her suspicions about her painful periods were correct.

“Straight away they said 'You absolutely do have endometriosis, it's clear as day',” she said. "It's not a good thing that I have endometriosis because obviously, it can affect fertility, it can affect loads of things, and you can never actually really cure endometriosis."

Hague will now undergo keyhole surgery to try to remove the abnormal tissue, though she says there is a 40% chance it might return. "This keyhole surgery that I'm going to have is to get rid of it, but there's like a 40% chance of it coming back, but I need to do something,” she said. “I need to have this surgery.” 

'It's all in your head'

Some women in Ireland have gone 25 years without a diagnosis. Picture: iStock.

In recent years, many other high-profile women have come forward to talk about their experiences with endometriosis in the hopes of raising awareness.

Comedian and actress Amy Schumer has often criticised the lack of funding for medical studies and has spoken about how when she was delivering her son, her C-section took an extra two and a half hours because of her endometriosis.

Tia Mowry, of Sister Sister fame, has suffered symptoms for decades and gone through multiple surgeries, as she often tells her Instagram followers. In 2018, Lena Dunham penned a popular essay for Vogue magazine where she outlined her decision to have a hysterectomy to relieve symptoms.

Just this year, Chrissy Teigan told her Twitter followers that she was heading into surgery for her endometriosis, shortly after she went through a miscarriage. Other women that have gone through similar experiences include Alexa Chung, Mandy Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Halsey, and model Olivia Culpo.

"I really tried my hardest to pretend that it wasn't there, and just cope and be able to do normal things that I wanted to be able to do. And then eventually, I realized that it was not possible. I just remember being on planes curled up in the fetal position, just crying to myself,” Culpo said of her experience. "It slowly takes over your life.” 

Here in Ireland, the Endometriosis Association of Ireland’s chairperson told the Irish Examiner last year that she’s met women who have gone “25 years with no answers”.

“Women are told, ‘it’s part of being a woman’, ‘it’s all in your head,’ or ‘it’ll change when you have a baby or hysterectomy or new hobby or job’,” said Kathleen King. Waiting lists are so long for gynecological services in Ireland that some GPs are wary to even refer patients, she was told.

“This condition is so ignored. Women are expected to just get on with it. Endometriosis is not getting the visibility it needs.”