I spent 10 years in excruciating pain – until I left the UK

Looking at the sun glistening on the water, I braced myself as a wave roared towards me.

I paddled, then jumped up onto my board, feeling only exhilaration as I surfed the wave to the shore.

Six months prior, this would have been unimaginable – I would have been lying in bed screaming in pain due to severe stage 4 endometriosis. My torturous symptoms not only affected my fertility and organs but my daily life. 

Moving to Spain has changed everything.

For the first time in over a decade, I am pain free. I can exercise without collapsing, eat without rushing to the toilet. And instead of surviving on a concoction of pain medication, mountain hikes, boxing classes and weekly surf lessons form my new routine.

For 10 years since the age of 17 I visited the GP every month with excruciating pain during my period. I was always told it was ‘normal’.

As time progressed, the pain became unmanageable. I missed work, was bed-bound and even vomited or blacked out from the pain.

Then, in 2013, I was rushed to hospital with severe abdominal pain. A scan revealed I had a 15cm ovarian cyst. I was given a laparoscopy – a procedure where a thin tube with a camera is inserted into the body – which confirmed stage 4 endometriosis, the highest grade of the condition.

My fertility had already been compromised; I was 27.

Endometriosis is a condition where cells like the ones in the lining of the uterus are found elsewhere in the body. It usually affects the ovaries and fallopian tubes but can also be found on organs such as the bowel and bladder. Sadly, it affects 1 in 10 women and takes an average of eight years and 10 months from the first GP visit to get a diagnosis.

The pain I’d experienced is a common symptom, as are painful periods, heavy menstrual bleeding, fatigue, painful bowel movements and pain during sex.

Following my diagnosis, I was naively under the impression I could be cured, but there is no known cure for endometriosis. Following diagnostic surgery, most patients are advised to manage symptoms with hormone treatments. Radical surgery is an option in severe cases.

I was told to start IVF immediately as pregnancy would help symptoms – but what followed was 10 years of hell.

My endometriosis was aggressive, spreading like wildfire to my bowel, colon, rectum and bladder. I underwent four private surgeries, my fallopian tubes were removed and I was hospitalised repeatedly with pain and ovarian infections.

I also experienced nine failed cycles of IVF. One resulted in an early miscarriage, and another a termination for medical reasons at 21 weeks, during peak lockdown. Following this loss, I was hospitalised with sepsis.

The next step was complex surgery, which involved a bowel, rectum and bladder reconstruction, potentially resulting in a permanent colostomy bag. I was terrified of my life changing so much at only 37.

Around this time, my mum suddenly passed away. It was then I started to look at life with a new perspective.

Though I was mentally, physically and financially broken, I didn’t want to be defined by a disease. I felt there had to be another solution to fixing my endometriosis and as they say a change is as good as a rest, I decided to test the theory.

In September 2022, my husband and I decided we wanted to move to Spain. We’d previously lived in Ibiza for a year in 2016, and knew we loved the slower pace and outdoor lifestyle.

It wasn’t easy: Brexit made moving abroad challenging. We researched visa options and found a route that worked for us. Luckily my husband holds an EU passport, and I was able to apply for residency as a non-EU family member. 

We spent a summer in Andalusia, exploring the region’s stunning natural landscapes and Pueblos Blancos, the white, hilltop villages. We visited different cities and coastlines, before settling on the beautiful foodie city of San Sebastián.

While we settled into our Spanish way of life, I noticed my health significantly improving. I reduced my reliance on painkillers, transitioning from frequent morphine use in the UK to occasional paracetamol. 

After a long, complicated process with mounds of paperwork – my residency took eight months to complete alone – we finally got the green light on our residency application and officially moved to Spain in June 2023 with our dog.  

My daily routine became so much slower. Instead of waking up, taking a painkiller and trudging across a muddy field with the dog, only to be in pain hours later while struggling at the laptop, I’d wake up, enjoy a leisurely coffee on the terrace then take a long dog-walk on the beach, before settling down to work from home as a freelance editor.

Rather than eight hours at the laptop, I followed in Spanish footsteps and prioritised life and health. I took little breaks strolling around the city or had lunch at a local bar. 

A lunchtime surf is something I could only have ever dreamt of before, but now it’s become my reality.

My stress and endometriosis pain has eased, allowing me to move more and feel healthier; I drove a lot in the UK, now I usually walk everywhere. While fatigue persisted, it became less frequent and my daily cold swims in the sea have reduced my inflammation.

My diet has also changed drastically. I eat smaller portions thanks to San Sebastián’s signature pintxos (tiny, tasty bites, usually a small piece of bread with a delicious topping). As supermarkets only stock produce that’s in season, there are fewer instant food and frozen products, which encourages me to cook from scratch.

One year ago, I would never have been able to survive on a diet of cava and jamón – they would’ve caused extreme pain – but now I enjoy them.

I asked my endometriosis consultant earlier this year how such improvement could be possible. His instant explanation was ‘the produce.’ He believes the quality of the food is having a significant impact on reducing my inflammation and therefore my symptoms.

And this summer, my annual endometriosis MRI showed no progression or new adhesions. For the first time, my condition was dormant.

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While I am not cured, and I take a hormone pill daily, I am stable. Plus I was overjoyed to be removed from the surgery list – I cried happy tears.

I believe a slower, healthier lifestyle in the sunshine has significantly improved my endometriosis and I only wish I’d done it sooner.

This isn’t to say that a move abroad is necessarily going to help every other endometriosis sufferer, but I believe my experience can help people who want to make positive lifestyle changes.

The UK’s fast pace isn’t essential; slow down and say no to extra commitments. It might take longer to walk to the store or gym, but do it. You’ll get exercise, a healthy dose of fresh air and feel better for it.

Shop at your local weekly market; make it an enjoyable, slow-living experience. Join a local wild swimming group and reap the benefits of cold-water therapy.

Two years ago, I was in constant pain. I’m living proof that significant improvement is possible, and that a change really is as good as a rest!

This article was originally published January 4, 2025

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