Amid concern for King Charles and Kate, Princess of Wales over recent hospital stays, another member of the royal family has shared details of their own “unbearable” health issues.
Queen Camilla’s niece, Ayesha Shand, revealed she has been suffering from an “agonising” long-term condition.
The 29-year-old is living with endometriosis, an extremely painful condition that occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
Now Ayesha, who is the daughter of the Queen’s late brother Mark Shand, is set to undergo surgery to help treat the chronic disease.
As reported by the Mail Online, Ayesha said: “Every month, I ingest hundreds of painkillers, faint, vomit, spend nights and days crouched on the floor crying.
“This is all followed by intense waves of helplessness and depression.”
Endometriosis is a fairly common condition, affecting around 10 percent of women.
Despite this, it is notoriously underdiagnosed, with many waiting more than 10 years for confirmation that they have the condition.
She continued: “Endometriosis is very difficult to diagnose, treat and, ultimately, cure.
“According to statistics, one in ten women suffer from it, but due to the inability to diagnose the condition, it is likely [to be] double that.
“Most women live this cycle of pain in silence. I am lucky enough to be operated on in a few weeks.”
Symptoms of endometriosis can differ from person to person and can affect some women worse than others.
The NHS lists common symptoms as:
- Pain in your lower tummy or back (pelvic pain) – usually worse during your period
- Period pain that stops you doing your normal activities
- Pain during or after sex
- Pain when peeing or pooing during your period
- Feeling sick, constipation, diarrhoea, or blood in your pee or poo during your period
- Difficulty getting pregnant.
The health body adds: “You may also have heavy periods. You might use lots of pads or tampons, or you may bleed through to your clothes.
“For some women, endometriosis can have a big impact on their life and may sometimes lead to depression.”
There is no cure for endometriosis, however, there are treatments available to help ease symptoms.
These include painkillers, hormone medicines and contraceptives. In more serious cases surgery may be required to cut away patches of endometriosis tissue and even parts of affected organs.