‘I am in so much pain I can’t walk properly.’
Sophie Dillman, a former star of Home and Away, has shared her experiences traveling with endometriosis and tips for managing the condition while traveling.
After leaving the adored Seven soap, Dillman and her partner, Home and Away co-star Patrick O’Connor, have been exploring Europe.Even though they’ve been having a blast, things haven’t always been great because Sophie’s endometriosis pain has occasionally interfered.
The actress claimed in a piece for Yahoo Lifestyle that she was in Greece and sitting on a balcony when she wrote that she wanted to “paint the town red” but was unable to because of excruciating “endo” pain.
“I am in so much pain I can’t walk properly, I can’t eat, and my stomach is so swollen none of my new holiday clothes fit,” she wrote in the column.
“Was this whole week a waste?”
Sophie has been upfront about her battle with endometriosis over the years, wanting to end the silence and stigma in order to help others with the illness.
In her column, she said endometriosis had affected her in all aspects of her life, from the physical to the mental, impacting her relationships, her work, and now her experience of travel.
The pain hit on the Greek island of Paros, and as she sat on the shower floor of her accommodation “waiting for my painkillers to kick in,” she thought about what advice she could give others.
Firstly, she said, “be prepared”.
“I travel with a kit of painkillers, pads and birth control supplies,” she wrote.
Her second piece of advice was to pack loose, flowy clothing for when the bloating kicked in.
Sophie also suggested the idea of taking a pillow to sit on at restaurants or on transport, because flat, hard surfaces often caused pain or exacerbated flare-ups.
She stressed that it was crucial to avoid “overdoing it,” though she acknowledged that this was frequently easier said than done over the holidays.
Holidays are for relaxing, and rest is beneficial for treating endometriosis, she noted.
“I understand the temptation to walk 20,000 steps a day and take it all in, but either you slow down or the pain will stop you instead,” the doctor said.
Finally, she advised endometriosis patients not to be too hard on themselves or try to plan every aspect of their journey.
She wrote, “Pushing things will only make things worse.”
Pay attention to your body.
Sophie was able to publish some breathtaking images from Paros, which is located in the center of the Aegean Sea west of Naxos, despite the suffering she had while she was in Greece.
In one shot, Sophie is posing in a bikini while enjoying the sun, with the text “P A R O S D I S E.”
In another, she is seen standing by a scooter that is parked in front of a floral-adorned archway.
Other images show Sophie swimming with pals and taking in a beautiful sunset.
Fans cherished the lovely images.
“Wow you are in Paros, loved it there it’s so beautiful, enjoy,” one follower wrote.
“You’re Looking beautiful Sophie. I hope you are both keeping well. Sending best wishes to you both,” wrote another.
“Love (that) you’re loving life since you left Home and Away,” wrote a third.
“UK fan, next stop, come to Cyprus!”’
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