A self-employed businesswoman who suffers from “excruciating” pain due to endometriosis has been told she must wait for up to two years to be seen by specialists at a Paisley hospital.
Alex Coward was diagnosed with the painful condition – where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes – back in 2021 and it has impacted her physically and mentally.
The 34-year-old, who lives in Paisley with her military husband Chris, also 34, has a maximum of just five days a month when she’s not in debilitating pain.
She’s having to rely on strong painkillers while she waits for an appointment with a gynaecologist, which could take between 20 and 24 months.
Alex, who’s originally from Oxfordshire in England, said: “I called the Royal Alexandra Hospital in October 2022 to ask where I was on the list and they told me the people at the top of their list had been there since April 2021. It’s a long wait.
“It’s hard and not easy to take, especially having already had a diagnosis. I’m having to wait so long just to be seen to get the treatment.
“GPs do their best but are not specialised to treat something like this. It’s a long time to wait and just fill yourself up with tablets which you don’t really want to take – pain medication is not fun with the side effects you get from that.
“It’s really tough and I can’t imagine what it’s like to be on the waiting list if you’ve not got your diagnosis yet and are dealing with lots of questions as well.”
Since her diagnosis, Alex has felt a sense of relief but admits the condition is “quite a burden to carry”.
It affects her in her day-to-day life to the point where she is sometimes completely bed-ridden.
She added: “It’s not just the actual pain itself but your body is constantly fighting it and it takes energy just to exist, it’s exhausting.
“When I’m in severe pain, it leaves me completely bed-ridden and unable to get up and move around. The most you can do is take painkillers and grab a hot water bottle and hope it eases sooner rather than later.
“The most challenging part has been the mental toll of guilt, especially within relationships. I got married last year and there are times where I am in pain and can’t do things.
“We love to go out hiking but there’s days where I just can’t do it and the guilt you carry because you feel like you are holding your partner back and stopping them from doing the things they love to do.
“Although my husband would never ever want me to feel that way, you do carry that worry and stress that they will begin to resent it.
“The emotional toll is the hardest part.”
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said it does not discuss individual cases but have issued an apology to patients.
A spokesperson said: “We would like to apologise to anyone who has had to wait longer than they would have expected to.
“Covid and winter pressures have had significant impact on our elective surgery program in gynaecology. We have now restarted all our surgery programme.
“We have, through this remobilisation started to treat patients and reduce waits.”
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