Source of Strength

Skye Woodlands

Photography Tamara Lopdell

source of strength

Through her educational site, EndoStrength, Skye Woodlands is raising awareness about Endometriosis, one post at a time.

WORDS BY TAMARA HOGAN PHOTOGRAPHY TAMARA LOPDELL

A quick glance at Skye Woodlands’ online presence reveals an army of loyal supporters, all of whom want to hear what she has to say. And Skye has a lot to say, about one topic in particular. She wants to talk about Endometriosis, or rather, the ‘lack-of-talk’ about the condition. After countless medical interventions, including eleven separate surgeries, she’s had plenty of experience to understand the breadth of misunderstanding about the disease.

Skye was 12 when she started suffering symptoms that mimicked IBS, cystitis, lactose intolerance and severe cramping. Only at 17, when undergoing surgery for supposed appendicitis, was the true cause of her pain discovered; Endometriosis.

With a nursing background, Skye speaks frankly, explaining the disorder simply and without histrionics, “Endometrial tissue, normally found in the uterus, begins to grow in abnormal places, including anywhere from the fallopian tubes, to the intestines, internal organs, and sometimes, as far as the lungs or brain.”

A chronic disorder that causes severe pain and inflammation, the toll of Endometriosis on Skye has been exacting. “The tissue adheres to different parts internally, so it can feel like your insides are pulling and tearing against each other. I’m grateful I now have Doctors I trust who understand the condition, but if I have struggled over the years, other women have too.”

In an official Queensland Government statement, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Dr. Marc Miller acknowledged diagnostic delays of between seven and twelve years for the condition. “It’s time to raise awareness [about this] potentially debilitating disease.”

When Skye’s pain levels and ability to function becomes too compromised, she’s referred for surgery to clear the endometrial tissue.

“If I have struggled over the years, other women have too.”

“But I eventually got to a point where I’d had far too many surgeries, where I’d lost parts of my bowel and an ovary to the disease. Unfortunately, over the years, more and more was removed.”

The severity of Skye’s condition meant that impacts on her career and fertility were inevitable.

“So it’s not just me, but my partner and I who are affected. I had to give up my career nursing in paediatrics, which was my passion. And though we were lined up to try IVF, in the lead-up to the procedure, we discovered my remaining ovary wasn’t able to be saved.”

“This disease took my career away from me, and then took away my ability to have children. And yet people are still so unaware of the condition, saying, ‘Endometriosis, what’s that? Why don’t you take some Panadol?’”

This last comment by an acquaintance one day compelled Skye to act.

“I decided, ‘That’s it.’ One night, I picked up my phone, I recorded what I had to say, and posted it on Facebook.”

Skye laughed, “This video that I’d done, in my pyjamas, hit over 3000 views overnight. That was before I’d even been shown how to make the video public. After that, it skyrocketed.”

All of this lead to Skye’s creation of the site ‘EndoStrength with Skye,’ a support group for women diagnosed with Endometriosis.

“I’ve formed this group with other women who are also finding ways to cope with this disease. These women are phenomenal themselves. What they go through, because of the misunderstanding about the condition, they can feel so alone. But I’m here to show them that they’re not.”

Find Skye on Facebook @endostrengthwithskye

Queensland Government www.health.qld.gov.au Quendo –

Queensland Endometriosis Association www.qendo.org.au