I was 10 years old, lying in a sleeping bag at a school camp, when pain first ripped through my body like lightning.
I genuinely thought I was dying. Too young to even understand what a period was, I had no idea this moment would define the next two decades of my life—or that it would eventually lead me to create a solution for others living with chronic period pain.
Here’s what nobody tells you about “period pain:” It stop your life in its tracks. Yet for years, I pushed through the agony that felt like hot knives twisting through my pelvis, convinced I just needed to “toughen up.”
Sound familiar? Here are the warning signs I wish someone had told me about sooner.
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endo warning signs to know...
1. When your period becomes a marathon, not a sprint
For years, I thought seven-plus days of heavy bleeding was just my lot in life. While my friends managed with only light protection, I doubled up on tampons and pads, changing them hourly. Those golf ball-sized clots I could feel passing? Not normal. This prolonged bleeding (menorrhagia) can signal conditions like endometriosis or adenomyosis that deserve proper medical attention.
2. When pain holds your life hostage
By 19, my periods weren’t just uncomfortable—they were life-ruining. The pain wasn’t just cramps; it was a deep, stabbing agony that radiated through my entire pelvis. During these darkest moments, I’d find myself clutching hot water bottles, desperate for any relief. (This struggle would later inspire me to develop rae, but more on that journey later.)
3. When intimacy becomes your enemy
Let’s talk about sex—specifically, how endometriosis can make it feel like torture. Early in my relationships, I dreaded intimacy. Certain positions were impossible, and the pain during and after was excruciating. I thought I was just “built wrong.” Turns out, those shooting pains were endometriosis lesions, making their presence known.
4. When basic functions feel like torture
The toilet became my chamber of horror. Each bowel movement felt like passing shards of glass, leaving me gripping the walls and fighting back tears. Years later, I discovered why: endometriosis had infiltrated my bowel so severely that surgeons had to remove 40 centimetres of it. This wasn’t just “bad periods”—this was my body at war with itself.
5. When fatigue becomes your shadow
By my thirties, exhaustion had become my constant companion. Between the relentless pain and heavy bleeding, I was perpetually drained. This bone-deep exhaustion isn’t just tiredness—it’s your body’s response to chronic inflammation and blood loss that no amount of coffee can fix.
6. When pain makes you physically ill
The waves of nausea would hit like clockwork, leaving me doubled over and trembling. Vomiting from pain alone became my monthly ritual. If your period regularly sends you running to the bathroom for reasons beyond menstrual flow, it’s time to seek answers.
7. When your future plans are threatened
Endometriosis doesn’t just affect your present—it can impact your future in profound ways. After multiple rounds of fertility treatments, I had to face some hard truths about my reproductive health. It’s a conversation that needs to happen earlier, not after years of damage.
8. When pain travels beyond your pelvis
The ache in my legs baffled doctors for years. It stretched from my lower back to my feet, a constant companion to my cycle. Later, we discovered endometriosis deposits pressing on my sciatic nerve. Your period pain shouldn’t come with a full-body tour.
9. When your gut joins in
My bowel habits became my personal weather forecast – constipation meant a storm was brewing; diarrhoea signalled its passing. These aren’t just coincidences. Endometriosis can mimic IBS, leading to years of misdiagnosis and delayed treatment.
10. When medical gaslighting becomes your normal
Despite being a journalist with research skills that could make a detective jealous, it took me years to get proper answers. Doctors dismissed my symptoms as “just bad periods” or stress. Some suggested it was all in my head. The average time to diagnosis? Seven to ten years of suffering.
finding purpose in pain...
During one particularly brutal flare-up, I had an epiphany as I lay clutching another disposable heat pad. What if I could create the period care tool I’d always needed? This moment of clarity led to three years of collaboration with Melbourne’s top tech minds to develop rae—a wearable heat device designed specifically for those who understand that period pain isn’t just an inconvenience but a quality-of-life issue.
Looking back at that terrified 10-year-old girl at camp, I wish I could tell her that her pain wasn’t normal, wasn’t something to endure silently. But more than that, I wish I could show her how her struggle would eventually help others. Through rae, I’ve turned my darkest moments into something meaningful—a tool that offers comfort to others.
"If you recognise yourself in any part of my story, please know this: your pain deserves attention"
If you recognise yourself in any part of my story, please know this: your pain deserves attention. It deserves proper treatment. And most importantly, it deserves to be believed. This Endometriosis Awareness Month, let’s commit to speaking up about these warning signs. Your story might help someone else find answers sooner.
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