Paige Hughes, who is from Manchester, spent much of her adult life battling agonising cramps, fatigue and stabbing pains which were repeatedly dismissed as “just bad periods”
A young woman was left fighting for life in hospital after a mystery condition led to her developing sepsis.
Paige Hughes’ ruptured appendix left the woman in agony and her state deteriorated so much doctors thought she may have had cancer. However, the woman had for years been experiencing agonising cramps, fatigue and stabbing pains for some time before the episode — only for doctors to dismiss these as symptoms of “bad periods”.
Scans eventually identified Paige, now 33, had stage four endometriosis, a severe and often misunderstood condition where tissue similar to the womb’s lining grows elsewhere in the body. It was this which caused the appendix to inflame and cause Paige to spend weeks in hospital.
Recalling her ordeal, Paige said today: “I feel like somebody has stuck a pin in me and sucked the life out of me. It sounds dramatic, but it’s true. I become fatigued very quickly, sometimes within the space of 30 minutes.
“I still have shooting and stabbing pains along with bowel issues, headaches, brain fog and more. Accepting it was a long-term chronic health condition took me a few years to come to terms with though.”
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The campaigner, from Manchester, says the condition had impacted everything from sex to social activities with friends. It became challenging for years until, in November 2018, doctors by chance spotted something unusual on scans when Paige was in hospital. She was only 27 at the time.
“It used to affect my work and I would find a normal 9-5 difficult. I’ve been known to take a hot water bottle into the office. It also impacts relationships, sex and social activities as if I have a flare up, I have to cancel or change the plans last minute,” Paige continued.
“It’s very unlike me to do that, but it’s non-negotiable — addressing the flare up has to go top of the list. A flare up will wipe you out suddenly, so it can ruin a lot of things.”
One in 10 women of reproductive age in the UK suffers from endometriosis — that is around 176 million worldwide. Yet, the cause of endometriosis is unknown and there is no definite cure.
Paige, though, was suggested surgery or hormone therapy may help but, instead, she looked at natural and holistic methods, including cycle-based exercise, nutrition, reflexology, meditation and nervous system regulation.
Within weeks, Paige began noticing a difference. Her energy levels improved, her flare-ups eased, and her scans showed visible improvement. She continued: “I’m much more inclined to that stuff anyway, and so it just feels right for me. I thought, let’s try this [natural healing] first and if not, I will opt for something else.
“I think the natural and holistic approach is the way forward for this sort of thing. I have gained so much more insight into myself, the natural world and what works for me, so I actually feel richer as a result, not at a deficit.
“My symptoms improved within weeks. No journey is perfect and you need to stack it, some things take longer, but I do think it works.”
Having felt the benefits in late 2024, Paige left her job in the charity sector and retrained as a menstrual health coach and personal trainer. Today, she runs The Alternative — a queer-run, feminist-first and trans-affirmative health and fitness space — alongside her business partner Rae.
The inclusive studio helps women and people with periods better understand their cycles and take control of their wellbeing. She said: “My most recent scans have shown visible improvement in my condition, but I also now feel more connected with my body and in control.
“People assume you’re ignoring medical advice. But I’ve done my research, trained properly, and I’m choosing a path that works best for my body. People can’t tell you it’s wrong if it’s working, and equally, it being wrong is just their opinion.
“Last year, I started to feel amazing. I had years’ worth of holistic support stacked up including reflexology, somatic body practices, eating better, vitamins, sleep hygiene, journalling, meditating, education, therapy and physical workouts.
“It hit me around summer how amazing I felt, and that brought with it a sense of grief that I had been depriving my body of this level of connection and care before now. When you feel truly healthy, it becomes clear to you how crap you felt before.”
Now Paige is determined to use her experience to help others living with endometriosis. She said: “You deserve to be listened to, always. You deserve real, qualified support that helps you understand your body, not suppress it.
“There’s so much about menstrual and hormone health we weren’t taught in school. I run my workshops and people are like, ‘I can’t believe I didn’t know this, what the hell?’
“There is always more than one path and you’re allowed to choose the one that feels right for you. Trust your body, it knows what you need better than anyone.”
