A 22-year-old woman from Norwich endured a decade of severe endometriosis symptoms that doctors repeatedly dismissed as weight issues or typical menstrual pain. Tehyana Johnson, who works as a regional assistant for a social care company, wishes medical professionals had listened to her earlier pleas for help.

Early Signs and Escalating Pain

Johnson’s troubles started at age nine with heavy bleeding that led to iron deficiency. By age 12, she experienced nausea, vomiting, and intense cramping that kept her bedridden for days in a fetal position. At 14, doctors prescribed the pill without further investigation, halting her periods but leaving her with phantom pains, light bleeding, and back discomfort labeled as growing pains.

Her symptoms intensified over time, causing full-body pain, blood in urine, and vomiting. Hospital visits brought feelings of her body being ‘on fire,’ yet staff often questioned if it was ‘just a bad period’ and sent her back to her GP.

Diagnostic Delays and Dismissals

From 2014, Johnson faced over 250 consultations in recent years alone, with her condition worsening unchecked. In 2023, a gynaecologist referral came after a year-long wait, but clear scans led a male specialist to blame her weight, comparing it to his own ideal as a 6ft 5in man.

Switching GP practices introduced a locum doctor who took her pain seriously, prescribing codeine and fast-tracking her case. Still, in 2024, doubts persisted. An unplanned pregnancy suspected as ectopic was initially ignored, but a private scan confirmed a partial rupture that resolved without surgery.

Self-Discovery and Surgical Confirmation

While struggling at university—unable to attend classes due to pain—Johnson researched her symptoms online and suspected endometriosis, a condition where tissue resembling the womb lining grows on other organs. After advocating for a laparoscopy, the gold standard for diagnosis, she waited another year.

In July 2025, the procedure revealed extensive lesions and scar tissue on her bowels and other organs, some dating back 15 years. Surgeons removed some tissue but noted much was too widespread for safe excision.

‘I’d been fobbed off for so long… when I was diagnosed, I almost felt vindicated because I was right – but I was angry,’ Johnson states. ‘I wish someone would have just listened to me in the first place.’

Average Diagnosis Delays and Awareness Efforts

Endometriosis UK indicates an average wait of over eight years from first GP visit for diagnosis, affecting 176 million women globally. Symptoms often include pelvic pain, heavy bleeding, pain during sex or urination, and severe period cramps.

Johnson now manages flare-ups with a TENS machine and pushes for more referrals, facing potential further surgery or hysterectomy. She campaigns for earlier detection of this incurable ‘invisible’ illness.

‘Always advocate for yourself… Medical professionals need to educate themselves and be willing to be educated again,’ she advises.

During Endometriosis Awareness Month, women’s health expert Dr. Susanna Unsworth notes diagnosis typically takes eight years and 10 months. ‘Pain that stops you going about your normal daily life is not normal… Women deserve to be listened to when they say something isn’t right.’