A woman who was accused of 'faking' her symptoms has finally received a diagnosis after 17 years of suffering. Monica Thomas, now 34, began experiencing excruciating pain at the age of 15, leading to numerous trips to A&E over nearly two decades. Throughout this time, she claims she was dismissed and accused of lying.
Diagnosis After 17 Years
Monica has been battling to find the cause of pain in her pelvis, bowel, and eventually her lungs. Seventeen years later, she has been diagnosed with endometriosis. Appearing on Tuesday's episode of Good Morning Britain, she spoke candidly to hosts Kate Garraway and Richard Madeley about her traumatic experience.
“It's incredibly isolating. I've felt crazy for most of my life and just thought that it wasn't real,” she said. “I believed the doctors when they were telling me it wasn't real. I was told numerous times 'this has to be in your head', 'everything's fine'.”
Living with Endometriosis
Monica is one of 1.5 million women in the UK with endometriosis, a condition where cells similar to those in the womb lining grow elsewhere in the body. Symptoms can include pelvic pain, painful periods, heavy bleeding, pain during bowel movements or sex, and fatigue.
“I live in pain every day. As I'm talking here now I'm in pain today but I have times where it's obviously a lot worse than others,” she admitted. When asked to rate her pain that morning out of ten, she replied, “Probably about a four.” The pain is so severe that she struggles to sleep. “I think my body has to shut down at some point, so sleep is obviously a good way to try and heal, but it is really, really hard,” she explained.
Thoracic Endometriosis
Monica's specific condition is called thoracic endometriosis, where endometrial tissue grows in or around the lungs. This can cause chest pain, blood in the chest cavity, and coughing up blood. In severe cases, it can lead to a collapsed lung. “Most recently found out that I actually live with thoracic endometriosis, which is where it affects my lungs,” she said. “I'm now waiting for lung surgery, as well as pelvic and bowel surgery because I've a bit quite extensively in numerous parts of my body.”
Despite her diagnosis, Monica faces ongoing challenges due to misinformation. “When I do have to go to A&E, because with thoracic endometriosis, you can get life threatening, sort of side effects and I am at risk of lung collapse. So when I have gone in, I've then been told by medical professionals, 'oh, it doesn't affect the lungs, it doesn't affect the bowel' but it does,” she revealed.
Impact on Fertility
In a heartbreaking moment, Monica disclosed that she will not be able to have children due to the condition. “I can't now go on to have children because of my diaphragm and the thoracic element. My diaphragm is unlikely to actually hold a pregnancy now or childbirth,” she said.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1 and ITVX.
