Kenyan stand-up comedian, actress, and content creator Sylvia Savai, popularly known as Senje, has opened up about her severe struggle with endometriosis.
Speaking on the Tubonge podcast with host Chris the Bass, Savai revealed the extreme mental and physical toll of the chronic condition, which once drove her to attempt suicide three times in a single month.
Three Attempts in One Month
The debilitating pain and the associated isolation pushed Savai to her lowest point.
"I tried committing suicide three times in a span of one month," Savai shared during the emotional interview.
Behind her bubbly public comedy persona, she was privately battling severe depression and physical helplessness.
Savai's battle with endometriosis began in 2004 when she was in Class 8. Now 37, she has never experienced a normal menstrual cycle. Her periods last for an abnormal seven days, during which she experiences severe clotting and heavy bleeding.
"There's normal period blood but this one it's clotted... It's like it's like liver," Savai explained, describing the painful tissue she passes. On the first day of her cycle, she must change her sanitary pads every 30 minutes.
The condition also causes temporary paralysis.
"The pain when the pain comes mimi paralyze like the right side of my body," she said.
Over the years, this paralysis has spread from her leg all the way to her head. The episodes are accompanied by vomiting, diarrhoea, and severe joint pain.
The financial burden of managing the disease is immense. Savai revealed that she spent 1.3 million Kenyan shillings within a six-month period on hospital visits and medication.
Despite her suffering, Savai has faced intense online hostility. Users on social media platforms like TikTok have accused her of fabricating her illness. "No you don't look sick enough mbona wewe umenona we are supposed to see you with pipes," she recounted.
The situation worsened when a former friend allegedly leaked her private MRI scan to online bloggers to claim she was faking the illness. Savai explained that the MRI was done to check if the endometriosis had spread to her upper organs, such as her chest.
Advocating for Change
Savai, who has also been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), has lost jobs and marriages due to the chronic illness. However, she continues to advocate for better awareness and support in Kenya.
She urges employers to be more understanding of women living with severe menstrual conditions.
"Mwanamke mwenye ako na period painful, it's not normal," Savai stated, suggesting that women suffering from endometriosis should be granted two days of leave each month.
