Elen Wyn, the lovely Welsh translator who appeared in the most recent series of The Traitors, is using her growing social media platform to speak about her tough experience of being diagnosed – and living – with stage 4 endometriosis.
In a new TikTok video with the following words on screen, Elen looked downcast and contemplative: "My brain after finding out I have stage 4 endometriosis and it's spread to my bowel, bladder, kidney, ovaries and fallopian tubes after spending 10 years asking for help." She received her diagnosis, according to another video, in early 2024.
Endometriosis is a condition that sees cells similar to those found in the lining of the womb growing elsewhere in the body, such as the bladder and bowel. Symptoms can hugely vary from person to person but may include extremely painful periods, deep fatigue, bladder issues, trouble conceiving and pain during sex.
It's estimated that around 1.5 million people in the UK have endo, but the real figure could be much higher – as sadly, like Elen, for far too many it takes years to receive a formal diagnosis despite repeatedly asking for help. In fact, one recent study from the charity Endometriosis UK unearthed that the average diagnosis time in the UK is now nearing nine years, a number which has actually gone up in spite of pushes for greater awareness.
Elen captioned her TikTok upload with an inspiring message: "keep pushing if you're suffering 🤍"
Responding to one comment which asked whether an MRI would help with getting a diagnosis, Elen said she received her endometriosis diagnosis following a laparoscopy (a type of keyhole surgery). "They found nothing in my MRI so I had to push for a laparoscopy after this," she commented, before adding "Hope you get the answers you need."
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Her recent post isn't the first time Elen has spoken about endo online either; in a previous video she opened up about not wanting to be prescribed contraceptive pills in order to possibly alleviate some endo symptoms, but rather just wanted her condition treated.
Often, those with endometriosis find their symptoms are relieved following successful surgery, however, as Cosmopolitan UK recently reported, the wait list is long and many women have gotten into debt after paying to go private. It's something that Elen has also said she would have been looking to do with her prize money had she won The Traitors.
"I'm currently on an NHS waiting list which is up to four years," she told followers in a video earlier this year. "I also really wanted to raise awareness of the condition because it is very common amongst women and very under-studied and underfunded."
Huge respect to Elen for keeping this important issue at the top of the agenda.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
