Breaking the silence
A colleague is speaking out about the agony she suffered with endometriosis, in a bid to raise awareness of the condition and encourage other sufferers to speak up if they need to.
Business manager Rachael Craven, based in Bournemouth, had to undergo surgery to fight the condition 15 years ago, after experiencing constant pain which forced her to take extended periods of sick leave.
The condition, which affects one in 10 women, is caused when tissue from the womb starts to grow in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. It can affect women of any age.
‘It’s something that isn’t spoken about that much but it can have a huge impact on you,’ said Rachael, who has worked at Royal Mail for 27 years.
Fortunately, the pain was significantly improved for Rachael after surgery, but she had to have a section of her bowel removed and could no longer have children.
‘It can be quite difficult to talk about at work, because you don’t really want to discuss your periods, especially if your manager is a man.
‘I do feel Royal Mail has improved in the time I’ve worked here in terms of people being more open about what they’re going through.
‘I would like any woman living with endometriosis to feel able to speak up and all managers to be more comfortable and understanding of issues that can affect their colleagues.’
Dr Shaun Davis, global director of compliance & sustainability, said: ‘We want to be known as an employer that values the health and wellbeing of our people and are always looking to do more.
‘Stories like Rachael’s remind us all of the differing health issues and challenges that people may have.’
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