A woman with endometriosis has said she feels she was “absolutely right” to ignore the advice of her Irish doctors and get surgery in Mexico. 

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of a woman’s uterus grows outside the uterus, often causing significant pain. 

Cheryl Rock was diagnosed with endometriosis  four years ago but feels, with hindsight, that she should have been diagnosed 18 years ago. 

“The signs are all there, but unfortunately, I guess the awareness wasn't exactly there at the time,” she explained on Lunchtime Live. 

“But it's been a four year pitched battle to be heard in terms of finding the correct team and the right opportunity for me to treat the disease and to manage it.”

Cheryl Rock

For many years, Ms Rock’s symptoms were minimal and it was only in 2022, when she developed what she assumed was a UTI at work, that she was advised to quickly seek medical attention. 

“I went through three courses of antibiotics and to this day, I've had that pain, it's never gone,” she said. 

“It wasn't until a doctor asked me was there any other symptoms of anything else that we could look into? 

“And I said to her, ‘This may seem strange, but it's just every second day of my period, it's only on day two, I get this sharp pain in my right side.’

“And she said, ‘Oh, it could be endometriosis.’” 

Initially, Ms Rock was sceptical but was diagnosed with endometriosis “quite quickly”, but only because she ‘pushed’ doctors to investigate. 

“This is one thing I think is so important for young women to realise is that you've got to advocate for yourself,” she argued. 

“You've got to be able to translate what you're experiencing into language that a doctor will understand.” 

Cheryl Rock

Now, she is currently in Tijuana, Mexico, having flown in for surgery on 13th September. 

Although she had been approved for Endometriosis Surgery Abroad Interim Scheme, Ms Rock said her experience navigating the system had been a “nightmare”, all the more so while she was suffering from “extreme fatigue” that made even making a cup of tea difficult. 

“I did not want to have surgery,” she said. 

“I did not want to have to travel abroad for surgery, it's a very frightening thing to do. 

“You're then considering things like aftercare, like what happens if something goes wrong?”

Cheryl Rock

Irish doctors advised her not to travel abroad but Ms Rock said she felt that she had no choice. 

While she was offered diaphragm surgery in France by the HSE, she chose Mexico because she wanted pelvic surgery. 

“The gold standard treatment for endometriosis is called excision surgery,” she said. 

“Not everyone's case would indicate surgery, some women can actually navigate a diagnosis of endometriosis and not have surgery.

“But in my case, it had become so severe, having been left for so long, there was no other choice.” 

Overall, Ms Rock said it has been a “really difficult experience”, but she currently has no regrets. 

“I was absolutely right to get here and to prioritise a pelvic surgery over a diaphragm surgery,” she said. 

“Because they didn't find anything on the diaphragm.” 

Now recovering in Tijuana, Ms Rock said things are still “hard” but she is focusing on enjoying the good food and sunshine of Mexico as best she can.

To help contribute towards Ms Rock's medical bills, you can do so here.

Main image: Cheryl Rock. Image: Supplied.