Most of you will know I have endometriosis which has a profound impact on my wellbeing, both physically and emotionally. It can be hard work to keep going with day to day life when it decides to have a flare up, and yes, sometimes my happy mask can slip. But the important thing I have to remind myself is 'I will not let this win' and running keeps me sane. I have nerve issues in my right leg, suspected to be caused by the endo which can make running challenging at times, which makes longer runs very emotional - Matt can vouch for my 'tantrums' usually after a long climb up hill! I'm lucky that I am under the care of medical professionals, some in the EXPPECT team at the Edinburgh Infirmary who are committed to finding out more about endometriosis so women like me can live as pain free a life as possible.

Endometriosis affects an estimated 176 million women. It occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus is found elsewhere - most commonly in the abdomen, on the ovaries, bladder and bowel.

This misplaced tissue behaves like the lining of the uterus, bleeding every month and creating local inflammation. It is associated with chronic pain, heavy bleeding, and infertility, and can impact on mental, and social wellbeing.

There is no cure for women with pelvic pain and endometriosis, and there is an unmet need for better treatments.

The EXPPECT team in Edinburgh aims to provide high quality, evidence-based and patient-centred management of pelvic pain and carries out pioneering endometriosis research.

Your donation today will directly support their vital research work. Thank you 🎗💛