Loose Women panellist Judi Love revealed it took her seven years to get her Endometriosis diagnosis and detailed how the pain was so bad it left her 'bedbound' and on one occassion rushing to hospital.
During Friday's instalment of the ITV daytime programme, the comedian, 44, joined the panel to discuss how Endometriosis affects between 1 in 10 and 1 in 7 women and that it takes sufferers nearly nine years on average to get a diagnosis.
Opening up on her own experience, Judi confessed that it took her roughly seven years to be diagnosed with the chronic disease.
Claiming that the pain was unbearable, Judi said: 'It took me about seven years to be diagnosed from about 17 up until about 25 even.'
'I mean, even thinking about it, the pain that comes back to my mind, because you're getting to that stage, you're having periods, your bodies changing, you're not really sure, and then I just remembered I had really heavy periods and really bad pains.'
She continued: 'And I mean pains to the point where I'd be in bed for a couple of days, I didn't want to eat, I'd be vomiting, and then it got to a stage where it was affecting work.'
Loose Women panellist Judi Love revealed it took her seven years to get her endometriosis diagnosis and detailed how the pain was so bad it sometimes left her 'bed bound'
During Friday's instalment of the daytime programme, the comedian, 44, joined the panel to discuss how Endometriosis affects between 1 in 10 and 1 in 7 women
'It (also) got to a stage where I ended up in A&E because it was so bad, it was so heavy, you know they do the normal protocol, "could you be pregnant?" you know all these other tests that you should be doing because you have an infection and all these things.
'And they would just be like "oh it's just a bad period, take some paracetamol and hopefully that will help".'
The comedian also detailed her struggle with getting pregnant and revealed she had to go back to her doctors several times after mentioning she suffered from 'really bad periods'.
She said: 'I was with a partner, a long-term partner at that time, and I was thinking about having children, and I just wasn't getting pregnant.
'So I decided to speak to my doctors and mentioned about (my) really bad periods and I had to go back several times.'
She continued: 'For women, especially women of colour, women as well anyway, our periods and pain is not really taken as much.'
'So I think that had an impact. And finally, after months and months of going back, I got referred to a gynaecologist and then I had a laparoscopy, where they go inside your stomach and have a look, and then they found that I had Endometriosis.'
She revealed: 'I never really knew what it was, but it really impacted me emotionally.'
Opening up on her own experience, Judi said: 'It took me about seven years to be diagnosed from about 17 up until about 25 even'
Claiming the pain was unbearable, she added: ' (I had) pains to the point where I'd be in bed for a couple of days, I didn't want to eat, I'd be vomiting, and then it got to a stage where it was affecting work'
Endometriosis is a chronic condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus.
It's a common condition that affects around 1 in 10 women and adolescents of reproductive age.
Symptoms of Endometriosis can include pelvic pain, painful periods, pain during or after sexual intercourse, heavy periods, infertility, and fatigue or low energy.
The chronic condition can affect the ovaries, fallopian tubes, tissues that hold the uterus in place, the outer surface of the uterus, the lining of the pelvic cavity, and the space between the uterus and the rectum or bladder.
Endometriosis is not an infection, contagious, or cancer. With the right treatment, many of the issues it causes can be addressed.
Endometriosis can start at a person's first menstrual period and last until menopause.
Healthcare professionals sometimes advise those with endometriosis not to delay having children because the condition may become worse with time.
