Liberal MP Nicolle Flint reveals her life changing diagnosis
After years of suffering in silence, Liberal MP Nicolle Flint has revealed to Political Editor Sharri Markson the medical diagnosis she shares with Jenny Morrison.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
When Liberal politician Nicolle Flint learnt of her medical diagnosis, everything fell into place.
The years of period pain that would wake her up at night and saw her use almost a packet of panadeine each month.
The seemingly constant discomfort and bloating that she dismissed as bowel issues while telling herself to “Toughen up Princess.”
And, yes, she thought with regret and sorrow, her inability to fall pregnant. It all made sense now.
The Federal MP has been diagnosed with stage four endometriosis – a condition where the lining of the uterus grows outside of it and, in severe cases, sticks the internal organs together like glue.
It was a confronting realisation.
“I thought that level of period pain was normal. I now know that needing more than Panadol or Nurofen can indicate a serious issue,” she said.
“I am having major surgery in coming weeks to understand the full extent of my endometriosis and to begin to treat it.”
None of it had stopped Flint from doing her job, including long days doorknocking during a brutal and distressing election where she faced misogynistic attacks, a stalker and a well-funded campaign by GetUp and the unions to knock her off her marginal seat.
Flint assumed the symptoms, that had grown progressively worse over five years, were part and parcel of being a woman.
She was finally diagnosed in January, but all elective surgery was put on hold amid expectations of a surge in coronavirus hospital admissions.
Flint, 42, now goes into hospital next week and is anxious about the fairly complicated surgery that will seek to remove the endometriosis.
“What we know so far is that the endometriosis has stuck my left ovary to my uterus and pelvic sidewall and stuck my right ovary to my uterus and my bowel, and there is endometriosis on my bowel,” she said.
“Essentially, the endo has glued almost everything in my pelvis together.”
Protecting her privacy, Flint has kept her pain, and now her condition, a secret from her colleagues and friends.
She hasn’t even told her parents about the diagnosis, desperate not to worry them.
But now she has decided to take the bold step of sharing her story.
In the male-dominated, ruthless world of Canberra politics – where this week we’ve seen a faction leader accuse women of being “f..king useless” and an “awful piece of work” – it takes even more courage than usual to speak about fertility, menstruation and bowel pain.
One person, at least, who will understand Flint’s plight when she eventually finds the words to tell him, is Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Morrison and his wife Jenny were unable to fall pregnant for 16 years until Jenny was diagnosed with endometriosis.
Not long after her five-hour surgery to treat the endometriosis, the couple conceived naturally with a “miracle” baby.
Having children is a dream Nicolle hasn’t given up on, despite the uncertainty of the surgery, and what may need to be removed.
“It explains why I have not been able to have children, and probably won’t, given my age and the severity of the endometriosis,” she said.
“I have gone through the process of harvesting and freezing my eggs, just in case.”
Gynaecologist and pain medicine physician, Dr Susan Evans said there is often misunderstanding about the connection between endometriosis and fertility.
“About two in five women with endometriosis will have difficulty becoming pregnant, so it’s not every woman who has endo has problems but it’s one contributing factor,” she said.
“The infertility correlates reasonably well with the severity of the endometriosis but the symptoms don’t. That’s an important point for people. You can have a big range of symptoms and have maybe only a small amount of endometriosis, or the other way around.”
As Flint prepares to go into surgery, at the forefront of her mind are the one in 10 Australian women who have faced the same endometriosis challenge, including The Wiggles’ Emma Watkins, Jennifer Hawkins, Olympic swimmer Emily Seebohm, radio host Mel Greig and jewellery designer, Samantha Wills.
Endometriosis is an under-diagnosed condition, says gynaecologist, Dr Graham Tonic who is the author of, “Endometriosis 101 for The Significant Other.”
“There’s a lack of awareness about this condition in the community and in health professionals,” he said.
“The other thing is that it has symptoms that overlap with irritate bowel, urinary tract infection and with appendicitis. these diagnosis are often made instead.”
The typical symptoms are heavy periods with flooding and clots, pain that can require more than over-the-counter medication, bloating, bowel and bladder problems, muscle spasm along with fatigue, nausea, anxiety and poor sleep.
But when Flint was diagnosed with endometriosis, she did not need to have the condition explained to her.
She knew all about it already.
MORE NEWS
Daughter pleads not guilty to mum’s alleged beheading
Popular Bondi Cafe XS Espresso accused of racism
In one of those unusual twists of fate, Flint had been campaigning for funding and awareness of the disease she never knew she had.
She even successfully lobbied Health Minister Greg Hunt for funding and a National Action Plan.
“Since I started working on endo back in 2017 with now-retired Labor MP Gai Brodtmann, I have been approached by countless women, their partners and parents who have bravely shared their personal stories of searching for answers to their symptoms, pain, surgery, struggles to have children, IVF, and hysterectomies,” she said.
Flint knows personally of 29 other women within her network who suffer from endometriosis.
“I’m number 30,” she says.
“Endometriosis is literally everywhere.
“We need the facts, the symptoms, the treatment, the research, the support, and the stories of hope, recovery and resilience, to be everywhere, too.”
Originally published as Liberal MP Nicolle Flint reveals her life changing diagnosis