Home and Away star’s holiday health nightmare
Former Home and Away star Sophie Dillman - who played Ziggy on the soap for six years - has opened up about her ongoing fight with endometriosis, and her experience with the condition on holiday.
Sophie had been travelling through Europe with her partner-in-life-and-screen Patrick O’Connor after the pair had parted ways with Home and Away, and while the once-in-a-lifetime trip had been a positive experience for the most part, Sophie’s endometriosis chose to rear its painful head while the couple were in Greece.
In a column penned for Yahoo Lifestyle, Sophie shared that while she dreamed of having the time of their lives there, she was also on her period, and was in such pain that she couldn’t want - or even eat - properly, and her new holiday clothes were out of the question as her stomach was “so swollen”.
She went on to explain that she suffers from endometriosis, “a disease that affects 1 in 9 women and people assigned female at birth. It is a condition where tissue, similar to the lining of your uterus, grows outside the uterus causing pain and/or infertility.”
As she put it, the condition is “f***ing awful”, and has impacted all areas of her life: “physically, mentally, emotionally, my relationships, work and NOW IT HAS COME FOR ME ON HOLIDAY.”
Sophie’s symptoms tend to occur during her period and ovulation, and range from dull and sharp pains - through her abdomen, lower back, and legs - to nausea, fatigue, and swelling in her torso.
And while Sophie had been nursing her pain and waiting for relief to kick in, she’d taken the opportunity to consider “some tips to make the most of the situation”, for while there was no solution to the problem, there was always the benefit of some advice for her fellow fighters.
Sophie’s first tip was to travel prepared with the likes of “painkillers, pads, and birth control supplies” as irregular periods and bad luck can make for a terrible combination.
She also suggested travelling with “loose flowy clothing”, to ensure an outfit that always fits. Additionally, she recommended taking a pillow along “to restaurants or on trips” to avoid a flare-up from sitting on hard surfaces.
“Don’t overdo it” came next, as rest is crucial when battling endometriosis symptoms.
“I understand the temptation to do 20,000 steps a day and soak up every second of the place,” she confessed, “but either you slow yourself down or the pain will stop you instead.”
And last but certainly not least, Sophie encouraged others not to be too hard on themselves.
“You can’t control everything and punishing yourself will only make things worse,” she said. “Listen to your body.”
Images: Instagram