Glasgow Support Group
Upcoming Support Group Sessions
| Date and Time | Details | Place | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 13th August 2019 6:00pm - 8:00pm | Meetings are very informal, we usually just have a chat about anything endo related. Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided. | Garnethill Multicultural Centre, 21 Rose Street, Glasgow G3 6RE | General support |
| Tuesday 15th October 2019 6:00pm - 8:00pm | Meetings are very informal, we usually just have a chat about anything endo related. Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided. | Garnethill Multicultural Centre, 21 Rose Street, Glasgow G3 6RE | General support |
Meet the Support Group Leader(s)
Stephanie
It has been a roller coaster of a journey since my diagnosis in 2009. At first I felt isolated, confused and surprised at the lack of clear information available in relation to treatments and patient options. My response to my feelings was to try to connect with other people. I approached Endometriosis UK and attended one of their patient information days back in 2011. This was my first chance to meet other patients. I then attended training with the charity to get support to set up the Glasgow group.
There was a time where I was in the depths of despair with the illness. Until recently I would regularly experience excruciating pain and other symptoms. I have now reached a place where I love my body and the challenges it presents. Living with endometriosis has taught me to listen to my body and to be confident about communicating my needs with health care professionals, colleagues, family and friends.
Running the group has been a hugely important part of my own health journey and I continue to endeavour to create a safe space for people to come together, share, reflect and grow.
Endometriosis helped develop my curiosity about health and healthcare and I now find myself employed in health promotion as well as working towards a master’s in Public Health. More recently I am sitting on a cross party group for women’s health at the Scottish Parliament on behalf of Endometriosis UK.
I am very thankful to every person who has taken the time to come to the group, attend events and campaign for improved healthcare. Volunteers, patients, health professionals and the government officials in Scotland have achieved an awful lot in relation to local campaigning over the years and we now welcome the development of a British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (BSGE) accredited Endometriosis Clinic in the West of Scotland. We will soon be welcoming two new group leaders to support with the development and delivery of the group and look forward to continuing to advocate for women's health care in Scotland.
Elaine
Sarah
I was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2015, and I discovered Endometriosis UK and my local support group in 2017 whilst researching endometriosis online. I have been regularly attending the group meetings since then, which have been very informative and a huge support to me, as I don't know anyone else who has endometriosis. I volunteered to help with our local showing of the EndoWhat? film to help raise awareness, and look forward to taking part in many future awareness events.
I became a co-group leader in 2018, because I wanted to offer my experience and skills to help support the group and its members, to help others who may be feeling as lost as I did when I was newly diagnosed. I have experience of both NHS and private treatment routes for both endometriosis and infertility, and have recently had successful surgery at the new endometriosis centre in Glasgow, which will hopefully become a BSGE accredited Endometriosis Centre in the future.
I am also exploring other holistic treatment routes, including changing my diet to improve symptoms, and I am aiming to avoid the need for future surgery.
Come along to a meeting and say hello! It's really friendly and laid back. We usually just have a chat, and there are new people there all the time. Send me a message on Facebook if you have any questions or are feeling nervous about meeting people. Looking forward to meeting you!
Come along and chat all things endo!
The support group meeting is a safe space for people to come together in a peer supported environment. Many people living with endometriosis have found real benefits in connecting with others to share the challenges and successes of their health journeys. We have general conversations about many subjects related to living with endometriosis.
The Glasgow support group has been running since 2012 and over the years group members have organised and hosted a mixture of wellbeing and educational events, this includes an endometriosis film screening, a drop in information day and bakesale, a patient information day with speakers from clinical and alternative medicine practice. We often get together for a group meal in November.
Stephanie, the group facilitator is an experienced youth and community worker who has been living with endometriosis for some time. If anyone has any specific topics they want to covered or speakers they would like to hear from then please get in touch
We are normally in the basement room of the centre. Just walk in and go straight ahead and down the stairs. On a rare occasion we are on the ground floor first door on the left. Tea and coffee is available and people sometimes bring snacks to share. The meeting rooms are not wheelchair accessible.
The Glasgow Support Group Facebook page