Beyond the Waiting Room

Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women, yet the average time to diagnosis is up to a decade. In this episode of Beyond the Waiting Room, Phoebe sits down with her friend Amy to unpack what that delay really looks like in real life.From getting her first period at 12, being repeatedly told her pain was “just IBS,” collapsing from flare-ups, and being dismissed as “too young,” Amy shares her 17-year journey to a stage 2–3 endometriosis diagnosis. She opens up about living with invisible pain, navigating work, relationships, and social life, and the emotional impact of learning one of her fallopian tubes is permanently blocked.The conversation also explores:What endometriosis pain actually feels like (beyond “bad cramps”)Why diagnosis so often only happens when fertility becomes part of the conversationManaging endometriosis day-to-day through diet, exercise, and lifestyleThe reality of hormonal contraception, IUD side effects, and flare managementEgg freezing, future fertility, and “future-proofing” with endoWhy trusting your gut — and advocating for yourself — matters more than everThis is an honest, practical, and deeply validating conversation for anyone living with endometriosis, chronic pain, unexplained symptoms, or feeling unheard in healthcare.

In this first episode of Beyond the Waiting Room, Phoebe sits down with her close friend Kirren — who’s 38 weeks pregnant and about to meet her baby girl — to talk honestly about what it really took to get here.Together, they walk through Kirren’s journey from carefree London life and “are we even sure we want kids?” conversations… to months of trying to conceive, confusing fertility tests, conflicting advice, long NHS waits and finally, IVF.They talk about:Thinking TTC would be “easy” — and the shock when it wasn’tThe month-to-month emotional rollercoaster of trying naturallyAMH testing, turning 34 and the pressure of timelinesNavigating NHS vs private care, wait lists and misinformationFeeling like you have to become your own case manager and advocateThe grief of watching life move on for everyone else while you feel stuckWhy IVF isn’t “exciting” — and how that comment can really landThe strange mix of gratitude, fear and guilt when IVF does workThis is a gentle, honest conversation about the messy middle of TTC and IVF: the parts we don’t often see on timelines or clinic brochures.If you’ve ever felt naive for thinking it would “just happen”, confused by the process, or guilty for how you feel (whether you’re still trying or now pregnant/parenting after IVF) — this one’s for you.💛 Content note: This episode discusses infertility, IVF and the emotional impact of trying to conceive.