A FORMER Dolgellau student has spoken out about her battle with a condition which has left her wanting a hysterectomy.

Anna Cooper, 24, from Aberangell, has suffered with endometriosis since she was 14 and after years of struggling with symptoms she has told consultants she now wants a hysterectomy.­

Anna has decided to speak out while still undergoing consultations, to raise awareness of the condition, which affects one in 10 women, and to urge women who may be experiencing any of the symptoms to seek medical advice as soon as possible.

Anna, who now lives with her husband and daughter in Newbridge in Wrexham, said it was vital that people are aware of endometriosis.

She decided to speak out after writer and actress Lena Dunham spoke about her experience with the condition.

In a Facebook post which has attracted huge support, Anna, a former Dolgellau College student, outlined how the condition had affected her.

Anna has undergone seven surgeries with the latest being in November 2017 and said that she had decided she wanted to undergo a hysterectomy in the hope it would stop her heavy cycles which she said left her “exhausted and anaemic”, but was currently seeing specialists to see what can be done to help.

She said: “A hysterectomy is a very big decision and a decision I have deliberated with for a while.

“Unfortunately it’s not as easy to do a hysterectomy in my case as it would mean going near the bowel which is a really risky surgery.”

Anna’s decision to publicly speak about her experience with endometriosis was sparked as she said it was important to ensure people are fully aware about the condition and what they should do.

She said: “I am very passionate to raise awareness of this condition. It seems to be a taboo subject to speak about women’s health and with it being one in ten who suffer from endometriosis it should be spoken about.

“My advice would be to trust your own body, you know when something is wrong.

“If you’re not happy with the first opinion, seek a second opinion. That’s what I did after being told there was nothing wrong.”

Anna, whose mother was a community nurse in Dolgellau and whose father worked in Gwynedd Council’s highways department, added: “The point in sharing my story is that if you, your friend, your daughter, your sister or anyone you know have painful irregular periods, severe cramps, pain when passing your bowels, pain passing urine, please, please go to your GP and get checked.

“If they had caught my endometriosis earlier before it penetrated the bowel, I wouldn’t be in the position I am in today."

Read the full story in this week’s Cambrian News