{"id":814585,"date":"2026-10-26T16:52:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T16:52:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/814585\/"},"modified":"2026-10-26T16:52:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T16:52:15","slug":"how-grimsby-woman-22-is-turning-her-endometriosis-battle-into-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/814585\/","title":{"rendered":"How Grimsby woman, 22, is turning her endometriosis battle into hope"},"content":{"rendered":"

‘I want to show others that you can live past what you\u2019re going through and that there are positives’\"Katie-Mae<\/p>\n

Katie-Mae Swallow, founder of the endometriosis support group Endo Glow(Image: Katie-Mae Swallow)<\/p>\n

A young Grimsby woman has launched a global support group to help thousands of women with endometriosis, as she awaits answers following her own battle with the condition. Katie-Mae Swallow is just 22 years old yet she has endured more than eight years of severe physical pain and healthcare <\/a>hurdles as she struggles with the chronic illness.<\/p>\n

She has shared how her health struggles began, how she coped with medical delays, and how she eventually established the online network Endo Glow, where she and others living with endometriosis can support one another. Katie-Mae\u2019s symptoms first appeared around the age of 13 or 14, with severe abdominal pain and heavy bleeding that seemed far beyond typical adolescent experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything that I was reading online about periods, it just didn\u2019t seem to add up,\u201d Katie-Mae recalled. \u201cI went to the hospital and the doctors, and they gave me ultrasounds and said everything\u2019s fine and that I\u2019ve just got painful periods.”<\/p>\n

Over the years she says her condition has escalated. She began suffering from severe, recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)-contracting 24 infections over a three-year span. She says bosses and colleagues at Humberston <\/a>Park School, where she works with special needs children, have been incredibly understanding, as she sometimes has to go home in severe pain.<\/p>\n

She said: “It\u2019s been a roller coaster. I go to the doctors, I get put on antibiotics and they always say it\u2019s just surface level. But it\u2019s obviously deeper than that and I\u2019m still seeking answers.\u201d<\/p>\n

In April, she underwent laparoscopic surgery at Scunthorpe Hospital<\/a>, where doctors confirmed she had endometriosis. However, days after the procedure, she experienced severe urinary retention and infections, leading to her being placed on three weeks of antibiotics.<\/p>\n

Since then she has had a number of procedures which have indicated other potential conditions, including colitis and suspected bowel endometriosis. Yet she has yet to have a sit-down talk with healthcare workers discuss any of these procedures\u2019 findings.<\/p>\n

\"Katie-Mae<\/p>\n

Katie-Mae Swallow with fiance Kieran Cox(Image: Katie-Mae Swallow)<\/p>\n

When Katie-Mae requested simple documentation from the hospital to complete a workplace risk assessment she received a package of 55 pages containing her full medical records since 2018. She says she was left baffled by the amount of information that suddenly came her way, and she has yet to be told exactly what it all means.<\/p>\n

Now, six months on from her surgery, Katie-Mae is calling for a formal follow-up or direct conversation with a doctor about her prognosis, to tell her if other treatments may help her.<\/p>\n

She says: \u201cI didn\u2019t ask for all that information. There were things on there that I\u2019ve never been told verbally. I found out I had stage 4 endometriosis through a piece of paper. No one\u2019s told me what physical stage it was.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one\u2019s ever gone through any of it with me. I was angry. Why have I not had a consultation about it? Endometriosis is affecting my whole body, and yet it still feels like I’m constantly having to prove how unwell I am. We desperately need better endometriosis training across healthcare.\u201d<\/p>\n

Refusing to let the lack of guidance and negative online stories define her experience, Katie-Mae took action to help others. She founded The Endo Glow, a support community that started as a Facebook group and expanded onto Instagram, reaching nearly 45,500 followers.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cLast October was sitting, googling different symptoms and reading these stories of just negative things, but I needed somewhere where it\u2019s positive. Somewhere to say, \u2018no, you can still live a positive life’.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we\u2019ve had a lot of positives. We\u2019ve just brought home our gorgeous little apricot miniature Labradoodle, Tilly, so our lives are currently complete chaos, but the happiest kind of chaos.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy fianc\u00e9 Kieran and I got engaged in July 2024 at Disneyland Paris, which was one of the most magical days of our lives \u2013 he did a wonderful job with the proposal \u2013 and we\u2019re due to get married at Healing Manor in December 2028. Kieran and I have also just bought our first home together. We\u2019ve been through an awful lot together for two young people.<\/p>\n

\"Katie-Mae<\/p>\n

Katie-Mae and Kieran got engaged at Disneyland Paris(Image: Katie-Mae Swallow)<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I set up the Endo Glow group up there and then. And overnight it got 100 followers, which was amazing and now it\u2019s just growing and growing. The start of this year, I decided to go further and go over to Instagram and I\u2019m pleased I did because we now have thousands of followers. We talk about all different, not just endometriosis – we talk about life in general and all the positives.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have people in America and people in Australia – it\u2019s great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Endo Glow community members share advice, discuss mental health, and have even held a local meet-up, with plans for more in the future. Alongside her personal milestones\u2014such as moving into the new home in Waltham <\/a>with fianc\u00e9 Kieran Cox \u2013 Katie-Mae remains committed to raising awareness and breaking the silence around chronic illness.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cIt takes one person to speak up for other people to speak up. People need to know about it. I want to show others that you can live past what you\u2019re going through.\u201d<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust said: \u201cWe are sorry to hear that Ms Swallow feels she has outstanding questions about her care. While we cannot comment on individual cases, we would encourage her to contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) by calling 03033 306518 or emailing nlg-tr.pals@nhs.net. PALS can provide support and liaise with the relevant clinical teams and Care Groups to help address any ongoing concerns following her review of her medical records.\u201d<\/p>\n

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