Although Aussie Emily Seebohm claimed two World Championship titles in 2015, the backstroking specialist fell short in Rio, finding herself off the podium in the 100m and out of the final in the 200m. Not specifically stating its effects on her in-pool performances, Seebohm announced today via social media that in June of 2016 she was diagnosed with Endometriosis, an often painful disorder of the uterus in which tissue that normally lines the inside of the organ grows outside. The athlete posted on social media today that she has undergone surgery for the disease.
Back in June I found out I had a disease called Endometriosis and due to timing couldn't do anything about it. pic.twitter.com/UHGiaeVJhi
— Emily Seebohm (@emcbomb) December 28, 2016
Today I went in for my surgery and although I was scared I came out feeling good as I had answer to why things weren't right in my body.
— Emily Seebohm (@emcbomb) December 28, 2016
According to The Mayo Clinic, symptoms of Endometriosis include pelvic pain, potential excessive bleeding, fatigue and nausea, especially during menstrual periods. In Seebohm’s announcement, she not only says she was scared for herself, but she wants to ‘share her experiences for other girls that may have Endometriosis, too.’
Seebohm’s posts read, “Endometriosis affects 1 of 10 women. Today I went in for my surgery and although I was scared, I came out feeling good as I had to answer to why things weren’t right in my body.’
The Mayo Clinic lists medicine and surgery as possible treatment for the disease. The treatment plan is based on the severity of the Endometriosis case, as well as future fertility considerations.
Emily has simply the best teeth in Brisbane if not the whole country . No wonder she smiled through all that pain . Way to go .
Get well soon, don’t worry about trying for Budapest and make your big splash @’a ” hone” Commonwealth Games in ’18,
Get well soon Emily.
I’ve had endo and had 2 surgeries for it, and was told it would just keep coming back, and the pain along with it. It’s genetic, so my swimmer daughter is now on meds to try to preserve her fertility. Best of luck to Emily and thank you for being brave enough to put a spotlight on this painful disease. So proud of the courageous athletes who speak out about issues that were previously hidden.
I suffered for over 20 yrs with endometriosis, 8 of those while swimming. Unfortunately, it was only until after I had my children that I could solve the problem permanently. Taper meets were when it really hit hard. Best wishes to Emily. No one talks about the disease and most people think the pain is in your mind. It’s not- swimmers are tough people!
I know classmates who have had endometriosis & had surgery to clean it out & yes it just keeps coming bk. I hope she has better luck than they did with it.
I hope the surgery was successful and that Emily will be making a strong comeback soon. She seems like a great person and it’s always fun to watch her swim at her best.
It will be very good to have her back. Women backstroke competition needs elite swimmers. She was very unlucky at Olympics: first losing unexpectedly to Franklin at 100 in London and now this misfortune right before Rio.
Third time is the charm
Rio was the 3rd time, she barely missed the finals in beijing