Online ReporterWHEN the sharp, stabbing pain in her abdomen became so overwhelming that she had to be substituted at half-time during a match last season, Katja Snoeijs realised immediately that what she was feeling was not “normal period pains”. And she was right.
The 29-year-old Everton and Netherlands striker has since been diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition that affects one in 10 women. She considers herself fortunate: her diagnosis came within a year, yet she was stunned to learn that the average wait for a woman in the UK is nine years.
Endometriosis occurs when cells similar to the lining of the womb grow elsewhere in the body, causing inflammation and chronic, sometimes debilitating pain. Snoeijs underwent keyhole surgery earlier this year and, now back in full training ahead of Saturday’s Merseyside derby against Liverpool in the WSL, she has chosen to speak openly in the hope that more women will seek help sooner.
Snoeijs, who arrived at Everton in 2022, remembers vividly the moment her symptoms flared on the pitch. “Probably since I was a teenager, I had symptoms around my period, but back then I was like: ‘Oh, it’s normal period pain,’” she says.
“But in the last two years, it would also impact me on the football pitch.
“There was one national team session where I couldn’t run, I was in so much pain. I felt like I had to throw up, and I had to leave the session. But even then, it was so hard to acknowledge something was not right.
“Then here at Everton, there was a game last season where I got my period, and I tried to push through. I was starting that game, but walking out I couldn’t stand up straight so I took a lot of pain medication. At half-time, I had to be subbed off because of the pain. That was the moment where I was like: ‘I need to do something about it.’”
She describes her symptoms as unpredictable and intense. “It’s a little bit hard to predict. Whenever it’s there, it goes from zero to a hundred. It’s like a very sharp stabbing pain in your abs. As an athlete, it’s always hard to acknowledge when you feel something. It’s natural to ‘push through’. In your head, you’re thinking: ‘I can still do something’, but you’re only making it worse for your body. I didn’t want to be weak, so I wanted to try to push through, help the team, (but I couldn’t) physically run anymore.”
The worst episode away from football struck over Christmas. “Suddenly, I could feel the cramps; something was wrong,” she says. “The next three days I had to lay in bed because I was in so much pain. A lot of women either get told it’s normal period pain, or they think it themselves. But we all know it’s not normal to lie in your bed for three days because of period pain.”
With March marking Endometriosis Action Month, Snoeijs says that opening up about her struggles has already sparked important discussions. “Everyone has been really nice and supportive. In our changing room, it opened up conversations about period pain, and I know there are other teammates who have been struggling. It’s helping us to understand each other better.”
Her road to diagnosis required perseverance. Last season, she sought help from the club doctor and private gynaecologists. One specialist initially appeared unconcerned, but a second opinion led to an MRI scan that revealed the likelihood of endometriosis, followed by a recommendation for a laparoscopy. Choosing to have surgery mid-career was not easy. “I had this chat with the team doctor, and he said: ‘Whatever you want to do, we’ll support you in it.’ We went through different scenarios and decided it would be best to do it as quickly as possible.
“It went really well. They found a little bit more endometriosis than expected, but they were able to burn as much as possible away. Initially, I just needed to recover from the general surgery, the anaesthesia and the scars, but once that settled down a little bit, my recovery went really smoothly.
“It’s crazy that it takes so long to get the right diagnosis. Hopefully, talking about it more will help women to understand that their symptoms are not normal and encourage them to go to the GP.”
Emma Cox, chief executive of Endometriosis UK, welcomed her candour. “We’re incredibly grateful and thankful to Katya for speaking out. To have someone of her calibre talk about a disease like endometriosis really makes a difference. For elite sportspeople, endometriosis can be really challenging because you can’t change the fixture date or the dates of a national tournament.
“While period pain is normal, if that is interfering with your day-to-day life we’d say go and seek help from a doctor.
The common symptoms are pelvic pain, heavy period pains, heavy menstrual bleeding, painful bowel movements, pain when urinating, pain during or after sex, difficulty getting pregnant and fatigue when you’ve got one or more of the other painful symptoms.”
Snoeijs is no stranger to physical challenges: born with a hole in her heart and growing up with one leg longer than the other, she endured several major surgeries as a child. “It makes me proud to think what I was able to reach with those kind of challenges,” she says.
“And hopefully that will motivate people who go through the same.”
For now, her focus returns to the pitch and the looming showdown with Liverpool at Goodison Park. The memory of their FA Cup defeat still lingers. “We’re all really motivated. We all feel that was not our best game and that we have something to set right. And the derby is always special.”
Yet her final words are for those silently battling symptoms she recognises too well. “Trust your own feeling and your own body.
“We, as women, are really good at understanding ourselves. Try to be confident and don’t let yourself be pushed away if you feel like you’re not being heard or not getting the right treatment. Even with a condition like this, it doesn’t need to impact your sport career. You can still play at the highest level.” — Guardian Football
