The Traitors had one participant dealing with more than just backstabbing liars during their time in the Scottish castle. Banished player Elen was able to keep her ‘invisible’ health condition under control with two important things.
The 24-year-old, originally from Anglesey in North Wales but now residing in Cardiff, was diagnosed with stage four endometriosis. The condition has affected several parts of her body, including her ovaries, bladder and bowel.
Elen, a Welsh translator, has been candid about her struggles with the condition online. She took to Instagram to share how the team helped her manage her endometriosis.
She stated: “I do suffer a lot. It was actually one of the reasons why I wanted to go on the show because I could have really done with the money to fund private surgery. I’m on an NHS waiting list which is up to four years. I also really wanted to raise awareness of the condition.”
She added the the condition is “very common amongst women” but, despite that, it remains “very understudied and underfunded.” Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of it, reports Wales Online.
Symptoms can include painful periods, heavy bleeding or spotting between periods, pain during or after sex and pain when urinating or having a bowel movement. It can also lead to fatigue or low energy, infertility, abdominal or back pain and stomach issues like bloating, constipation or diarrhoea.
Elen, speaking about her experience participating in a television game show, revealed she had no concerns about managing her game plan and her endometriosis. She said: “There is an amazing welfare team on site up in Scotland who were aware of my condition, and they were very accommodating.
“I told them what I tend to focus most on to help manage my endometriosis is sleep and diet. They made sure that the food provided there was very similar to what I consumed at home on a daily basis. They gave me all the herbal teas, all the fruit and vegs and all the seeds.”
Healthline has reported that adopting a largely plant-based diet can help alleviate some endometriosis-related pain and inflammation. Besides maintaining a nutritious diet, taking supplements such as zinc and vitamins A, C, and E might also offer relief for sufferers.
Elen mentioned that eagle-eyed fans of the game show might have clocked that she abstained from alcohol during the evening social time. This is because alcohol consumption can aggravate endometriosis symptoms.
Endometriosis is a very common health condition being identified in women across the world. Around 10% of women in the world are affected – working out to roughly 190 million.
Various famous faces have come forward with their own diagnosis to raise awareness of this chronic condition. Love Island’s Molly-Mae Hauge, former Spice Girls singer Emma Bunton and country music icon Dolly Parton have all spoken out.