With more than 10 per cent of Australian women suffering from it, endometriosis is often left misdiagnosed or undiagnosed.
But Emma Watkins, formerly known as the Yellow Wiggle, knows all too well what living with this disease is like and has some choice words of wisdom for any fellow endometriosis sufferers.
Endometriosis occurs when the cells in the lining of the uterus (called the endometrium) grow outside of it and it can result not only in pain, but also with fertility issues.
In 2018, Emma spoke publicly about her health struggles while she toured with the Wiggles but a year later confessed that even if you have an inkling that you could be suffering, you should check with a healthcare professional.
“I think in retrospect, I just wasn’t really that aware and I was in pain for a long time but just put it off,” Emma exclusively told Now To Love in 2019.
“But if you don’t feel right and you know yourself intuitively and in your own body, if something isn’t that right it’s best to get it checked and get it checked more than once.”
Emma is urging people with endometriosis to get it checked out as soon as possible.
(Image: Supplied)The ‘bow-tiful’ Yellow Wiggle went on to say that endometriosis is a tricky disease seeing as there’s no diagnosis without going for surgery, but says that it’s still important to see a healthcare professional.
“Go and see someone, that’s all you can do, there’s no other way to help you except to try and eat as well as you can and be on top of your health and go and talk to people,” she said.
WATCH: Celebrities who have opened up about endometriosis. Post continues after video…
Emma suffered in silence for years before undergoing surgery due to frequent touring with The Wiggles, though she admitted she put her health on the backburner due to her hectic schedule.
“I didn’t have time to go to the doctor. I’d book in and then have media interviews and I’d be like ‘Sorry I’ve got to cancel, sorry I’ve got to cancel,'” she confessed.
“I can’t make appointments, that just doesn’t happen to me. I just cannot book anything in advance so I think if people do have the opportunity and even if you’re 50/50 about it just go because you don’t know.”
Emma put off going to the doctor due to her hectic Wiggles schedule.
(Image: Instagram @emma_wiggle)In August 2019, Emma gave an update on her endometriosis to mark just over a year since her surgery via her Instagram page.
“It’s been just over a year since I had surgery for #endometriosis and in the last couple of months I have felt better,” she captioned her post.
“However, the other day I had the chance to visit a Bulletproof Lab in LA and did a series of innovative health, fitness and science-based tests. I discovered that my oxygen saturation was quite low as my body uses it to repair the area that was operated on. Interesting! Really grateful for the opportunity to learn about my body and find ways to help it recover.”
Emma underwent surgery for her endometriosis in July 2018.
(Image: Instagram @emma_wiggle)Aside from endometriosis, Emma Wiggle is also passionate about teaching hearing-impaired children and their parents Australian Sign Language, which Emma frequently uses in her Wiggles performances.
She grew up with two deaf friends who were the brothers of her hearing friend and learned sign language as a child and she has got behind Huawei’s StorySign app to help families with deaf children come together and learn together through reading and technology.
The app works by hovering your phone over the book and the on-screen avatar signs what is on the page. And with so many deaf children being born to hearing parents who have no idea about sign language, everyone can learn together!
Emma Watkins is the official ambassador of Huawei’s StorySign app.
(Image: Supplied)“I can’t express the excitement, we’ve never ever had anything like this before,” she told Now To Love.
“For deaf children or children that are autistic or non-verbal that use sign language, they’ve never been able to have a combination with technology to then integrate with their family who may be hearing and they’re able to learn together.”
Emma Watkins is the official ambassador of Huawei’s StorySign app, which helps deaf children learn to read through the use of AI technology. Visit the StorySign website for more information or follow #StorySign.
