Leah Filley

I was 14 the first time a doctor told me that having a baby would be the solution to the debilitating, menstrual cycle-centred pain that consumed me every month.

I was also told that I would struggle to get pregnant. In the face of my unrelenting pain, this advice, and the warnings, would be given to me repeatedly by health professionals over the next 20 years.

I was naive going into pregnancy. There are innumerable ways in which having a baby is a crash course in the unexpected, but topping m

When Lena Dunham announced that she had undergone a full hysterectomy in an attempt to deal with the pain of endometriosis, I could completely relate. For the past month I have been in a state of profound hopelessness, having experienced the debilitating pain of endometriosis every day. Rather than appearing dramatic, Dunham's story – she went to the hospital and refused to leave until they either eliminated her pain or gave her a hysterectomy – looked like action to me. I felt legitimised, like

is a passionate theatre-maker, producer and pelvic pain advocate living in Naarm (Melbourne), who recently featured in Emily Loe's portrait series. We invited Leah to write a feature blog with Get Well Circus about her experiences with her pelvic pain diagnosis process. These experiences are also set to frame her upcoming documentary 'Pain & Prejudice'. Leah has also written about endometriosis for and we warmly thank her for sharing her voice and personal experiences with medical system and soc