Irish woman was told severe period pain would 'settle down with age' before diagnosis

22-year-old Moya Noctor from Kerry recently discovered that she has endometriosis after struggling with intense period pains from the age of 12. She says she was let down time and time again by the Irish healthcare system.

The young woman said that between the time of a specialist finding the endometriosis and her being seen by a gynecologist, she was able to write a one woman play, bring it over to London and perform it at a festival.

Moya's story began when she went to her GP with her mother when she was 13 years old suffering with intense pain which caused her to miss out on school a lot.

Moya said she was told by her GP that it was normal for her to be in such pain and was told it would "settle down with age."

She was put on the pill and was given a strong painkiller to help ease her period pain, which she describes as "putting a plaster over a gaping open wound."

Moya describes one experience at 18 years old when she went to the A&E with extreme pain in her right side while she was in college.

Moya was sent for an X-ray and "at the end of it all," she says, "I was told that the x-ray came back all clear and there was nothing more they could do and I was sent home!"

After this Moya booked in for an ultrasound which also came back clear.

READ NEXT: HSE warning as they share pictures of odd rash that could signal deadly infection

"I had a very emotional phone call with my family GP where I said that I know there is something up, 'I've been getting this really bad pain in my side.'"

The GP continued to tell her "well nothing came up on the ultrasound" but Moya insisted that it could be endometriosis.

Moya came off the pill at 19 years old but a few months later she started experiencing "extremely painful" menstrual cycles.

While she was working one day, she experienced a really intense cramp and found herself "at a point of no return."

"I couldn't walk. I genuinely felt like I was being sliced open, like white hot pain. I was in the bathroom with my head on the toilet seat calling my mam; it was really scary."

Moya was asked by her boyfriend if she wanted to go to the A&E but she said that she felt like she would be told the same things again.

"I knew in that moment that I didn't feel supported by the Irish healthcare system. I wouldn't receive the care that I needed even in such dire pain as that."

In March of this year ,Moya finally had the answers she was looking for. She booked herself in for another ultrasound with a specialist nurse in Dublin. She was able to find endometriosis on her right ovary straight away.

The specialist sat her down and told her "this is not ok what you have been through. I'm really sorry you have been suffering."

Moya said that this was the first time she ever felt seen or heard by a medical professional.

Moya has a blood filled cyst that has been growing on her ovary and she feels that if her pain was taken more seriously it could of been discovered and treated much sooner.

"That was in March, it is now the end of July and within that time, I'm over in London and at 2pm today I'm performing in a theatre arts festival, performing a play I wrote; it's a one woman play called 'Moments alone'".

The play is about Moya's experience with endometriosis and draws on the reality of the disease.

"It's just astounding that within that time that I've been told by a nurse that I have endometriosis and by the time I will be seen by a gynecologist - my appointment is scheduled for the 6th of August - I've been able to write a play, bring it over to London.

"That is just so telling of where the Irish healthcare system is at. There's such a backlog of people who are waiting to be seen; there isn't enough hospitals or specialists who are specialised in treating endometriosis."

Moya said that she hopes to bring her one woman show to Ireland to spread awareness and inspire other women who also have the chronic disease.

"It's appalling but this is just the beginning. I think what Mary Lou McDonald is doing (with her motion put forward in the Dáil recently on adequate care for endometriosis) is really impactful. I think people are feeling supported for one of the first times by a political leader."