Charlotte McCann has been dealing with severe pain from endometriosis since she was 14.
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she → deal → endometriosis
It became so intolerable as an adult she had to leave her chosen career.
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she → become → career
She would wake up in the night vomiting, and on some days Charlotte found she could not stand or get out of bed.
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she → wake → bed
It is a myth that endometriosis is a painful period condition - rather, it is a system-wide inflammatory disease where cells, similar to those which line the womb, start to grow in other parts of the body.
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which → line → body
This can be on the bowel or in the lungs - and the cells multiply, creating raw and angry sores.
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cells → multiply → sores
Those affected can wait years for diagnosis, and there is no cure - meaning women are left grappling with debilitating pain that can affect their relationships, work, education and mental health.
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that → affect → relationships
Now age 27, Charlotte hopes a new pain management programme for the condition, which is being trialled as part of a £2.3m study, might help others in her position.
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which → hop → position
The UK-wide study, led by the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian, will include pain medication alongside other treatments such as physiotherapy, and will investigate whether a personalised plan can improve quality of life.
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plan → lead → life
Charlotte, from Huntly in Aberdeenshire, is currently living with stage 4 endometriosis, external.
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Charlotte → live → endometriosis
She had to abandon her career in corporate finance due to the pain, and now works as a freelance pet-sitter when she can.
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she → have → sitter
"I would wake up in the night vomiting and I was always worried that maybe my appendix had burst or I had a kidney infection or something like that," she recalled.
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she → wake → that
"The pain would come on so strong, I wouldn't be able to even sit up straight, I wouldn't be able to stand up.
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I → come → ?
"It was heavily disrupting my life.
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It → disrupt → life
I couldn't focus on anything, and I couldn't sleep or eat because of the pain.
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I → focus → pain
"There's no way I could continue my nine-to-five job when I could barely sit up."
Charlotte said she had years of not knowing what was wrong, until an MRI scan confirmed endometriosis.
It affected her bladder, and has spread to other parts of her body.
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It → be → body
"I am now on very strong opioid painkillers to try to get on top of the pain, but they make me feel very sick, to the point I can't eat, so I have lost a lot of weight now as well," she said.
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she → try → weight
Charlotte described being in so much pain that there are days when she cannot get out of bed.
She also has to use walking aids to get around due to the pain in her back brought on by her endometriosis symptoms.
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She → describe → symptoms
She tried surgery to remove the tissue in question, but the symptoms returned.
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symptoms → try → question
Asked about the new trial, Charlotte said she was optimistic.
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she → ask → trial
"Endometriosis has had a huge impact on my life, and I am delighted to hear that they are looking at new ways to help the millions of women who are suffering with this every single day.
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who → have → this
"
What does the trial involve?
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trial → involve → What
Preparatory work has now begun for the five-year study, which is being funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
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which → begin → Research
Once participants are recruited, they will take part in a 12-week personalised programme - called an endometriosis-specific pain management programme (e-PMP).
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they → recruit → programme
The project will evaluate whether this strategy can offer more effective treatment for women who find their pain is not adequately controlled by surgery or medication.
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pain → evaluate → surgery
It includes cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)-informed psychotherapy, specialist physiotherapy, guidance on relationships, intimacy and communication, and medication to reduce side effects.
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It → include → effects
Pre-menopausal women will either receive the new programme alongside existing standard care, or existing standard care alone, with the results of each approach then compared.
Eligible participants will be recruited to the study by their specialist.
Consultant gynaecologist Dr Lucky Saraswat, an honorary senior lecturer at the university, and lead for Aberdeen Endometriosis Centre at NHS Grampian, is heading the study.
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Saraswat → receive → study
"Endometriosis is one of the most common yet under researched causes of chronic pain," she said.
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she → research → pain
"Many women continue to suffer even after surgery or medication.
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women → continue → surgery
This study will help us understand whether a tailored, interdisciplinary pain management programme can offer meaningful, long term improvements in quality of life.
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programme → help → life
"If effective, e-PMP could become a vital new treatment option, particularly for women who wish to avoid repeated surgery or hormonal therapies, or who are planning a pregnancy."
'Revolutionise care'
Alongside the clinical results, the study will also aim to assess cost effectiveness.
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study → become → effectiveness
Prof Anthony Gordon, director of NIHR's health technology assessment programme, said many women could face years of "agonising" symptoms with few long-term options.
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women → say → options
"High-quality research is essential to break this cycle and deliver treatment that addresses the full, complex impact of endometriosis," he said.
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he → break → endometriosis
"By evaluating tailored, non-surgical pain management, this trial could revolutionise care - providing desperately needed support, improving daily lives, and offering long-term relief when standard treatments haven't worked."
Emma Cox, chief executive of Endometriosis UK, added: "Symptoms of endometriosis including chronic pelvic pain can have a significant impact on someone's physical and mental health, and research is vital to helping improve management and treatment options.
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research → evaluate → options
We welcome this much-needed research and look forward to working with the team to see how an endometriosis specific pain management programme could support those with the disease in the future."
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programme → welcome → future
The Aporia
