When Will The Pain End? - Crabb On Endometriosis

Gwen Crabb has had to strengthen much than her adjacent stock of injuries during her rugby career.

The 26-year-old Wales fastener has conscionable had her 4th room and is presently undergoing what she affectionately dubs "knee-hab 4.0".

But Crabb's latest test has been a different blow.

After years of surviving pinch achy periods, she has yet had nan diagnosis of endometriosis.

For a time, she said, she was capable to "get connected pinch it" but matters reached breaking constituent during Wales' excavation lucifer against Canada astatine nan 2025 World Cup.

"All I could deliberation astir was 'when is nan symptom going to stop?'," said Crabb.

"I was successful truthful overmuch symptom that each now and past I was for illustration 'oh yeah, I'm playing rugby'.

"The measurement I effort to explicate it is if you're successful an crystal bath each you tin deliberation astir is that you're successful an crystal bath and really acold you are – that's really I felt pinch nan pain.

"It was really difficult to beryllium successful nan infinitesimal and ore connected what nan adjacent play is, what americium I doing successful this lineout and trying to beryllium afloat present."

That crippled was nan first clip Crabb's flare-ups had affected her playing ability.

Previously symptoms had flared connected remainder days for either Wales aliases nine broadside Gloucester-Hartpury, erstwhile they could beryllium managed better.

"When you're playing an world Test astatine a World Cup, you can't really hide, you've sewage to get connected pinch it. But I really struggled," said Crabb.

"It's almost adjuvant now because I tin person conversations pinch coaches and aesculapian unit to find retired what tin beryllium done to help. You want to beryllium astatine 100%."

Crabb's test came 2 years aft erstwhile Wales team-mate Ffion Lewis revealed her endometriosis almost near her infertile.

The brace said openly astir it connected their Say It How It Is podcast that, successful 1 episode, included an endometriosis surgeon arsenic a guest.

Crabb began to person suspicions aft discussing nan symptoms off-air but admits she was "not mentally prepared" for nan diagnosis.

"I wasn't expecting them to find thing because I've been told truthful galore times nan scan doesn't show anything, but it doesn't mean that you don't person it," she said.

"It really showed a lot. I had a mates of cysts connected my ovaries, 1 of them is rather big, fundamentally they are endometrial tissue."

Crabb is presently awaiting nan results of an MRI scan but is optimistic of her outcome.

"I've known I've had it for a agelong time, truthful now that it's charismatic it goes a agelong measurement towards nan acceptance and guidance of it," she said.

"Being an jock is somewhat adjuvant because nan first 2 things they opportunity is workout and diet."

Like Lewis, fertility is besides thing that weighs dense connected Crabb's mind.

"I was already concerned astir my expertise to conceive and moreover much truthful now," she said.

"There are group pinch endo that don't person fertility problems, particularly erstwhile younger. Equally, having room tin reconstruct your fertility if it's a problem.

"I want to make judge nan prime is location for arsenic agelong arsenic it tin be."

Like galore of her rugby peers, Crabb has a large beingness connected societal media, documenting nan regular ups and downs of being a master athlete.

She believes an unfastened attack to her test is helping some others and herself.

"I really wanted to beryllium a YouTuber erstwhile I was 12 but now I get to usage my imaginative side, whilst besides putting retired accusation which hopefully is helping people," she said.

"It's go portion of my 'why' for playing. Before it was self-driven, to beryllium nan best. Now it's much for illustration I want to show group that you tin spell done adversity and still execute what you want.

"I consciousness really fortunate that I tin beryllium unfastened astir these things. I cognize a batch of group can't and consciousness for illustration they person to vessel things inside.

"I conscionable told everybody consecutive away. If I'm struggling I consciousness for illustration I've sewage loads of group that I tin spell and speak to."

Crabb is still recovering from her latest knee room but hopes to return to action for Gloucester-Hartpury successful precocious December.

"I americium sad astatine missing nan commencement of nan play because it has taken a agelong clip to get backmost to a spot wherever I was enjoying playing rugby and emotion for illustration I'm playing adjacent to wherever I was earlier these injuries," she said.

"I'm disappointment I can't support building connected that but each wounded is different learning curve and I'm excited to still beryllium capable to do that erstwhile I travel back."

Source: NHS, external