Nadine Lewis vomited in bed, was overwhelmed by intolerable pain, and knew something was wrong.
I was only 14 years old when I started suffering from menstruation, but I didn’t expect to suffer from menstruation for the next 20 years.
The pain gradually worsened over time, and Nadine also suffered from hot flashes, seizures, and nightmares.
After seeing her GP, Nadine says it was just said to be a menstrual cramp.
Talking to 33-year-old Sun, she says she was finally able to get an answer when an expert diagnosed endometriosis after 12 years of pain.
Through the fight against illness, Nadine says that every part of her body was affected – the condition also makes it difficult for Nadine to start her own family.
Most people associate endometriosis with a painful period, but Nadine said her condition was so bad that it actually meant that it spread to her lungs.
Five years after Nadine was first diagnosed in 2007, she was diagnosed with thoracic endometriosis in 2012. This means that this condition has spread to her lungs.
She suffered from respiratory symptoms in that condition and had to drain water from her lungs.
“I couldn’t do anything myself. I found that I had an intestinal obstruction and my lungs were collapsed,” she says.
“I had to get rid of more than a liter of water. This was a major surgery to cut the abdomen, and I ended up using an artificial anal bag for a year.”
Nadine, speaking as part of the Endometriosis Awareness Week, shares her story to help others suffering from a debilitated condition.
One in ten women worldwide suffers from endometriosis, and despite the seriousness of the disease, it takes an average of eight years to be diagnosed.
Common symptoms include pain during sexual intercourse, severe duration, infertility, and excessive dysmenorrhea.
“I felt trapped in my body. It’s always under attack,” says Nadine.
“I was painfully stuck in bed for four to five days at a time.
“My male general practitioner said it was menstrual cramps. I felt like I wasn’t taken seriously.”
The pain continued and in 2007 Nadine’s parents decided that it was enough.
Nadine from London said she finally felt like she was heading in the right direction only when her father went to the doctor with him at the age of 20 and asked him to refer him to a specialist.
“I had a laparoscopy and was dissatisfied with the time it took,” she says.
“But I wasn’t surprised, I had to do a lot of my own research.
“I was too young to get rid of my endometriosis, even though I was diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis.”
It took another seven years for Nadine, who worked as a career consultant, to be diagnosed with thoracic endometriosis.
This is a rare condition that occurs when an endometriosis patch grows on or around the lungs.
It can cause shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing and, in some cases, lung collapse.
Treatment of this condition includes medications and surgery to suppress female reproductive hormones.
“I have had countless A & E hospitalizations, investigations, surgeries and medically exposed to gas lights.
“I had three diagnostic laparoscopy without removing endometriosis,” she says.
“Endometriosis has affected my mental health, childbirth, bowel and respiratory health.
“No one needs to experience this. It shouldn’t take this long to be taken seriously.”
Nadine wants to reach out to people who are suffering from endometriosis and struggling to get treatment, so she’s talking about her.
Endo spread
In 2010, Nadine stated that she had another operation in a private hospital and that endometriosis was not removed.
When she asked for follow-up, she was told that the surgeon who had the keyhole surgery actually left.
By 2012, her endometriosis had become so severe that Nadine “couldn’t get out of bed.”
She had an intestinal obstruction and her lungs collapsed. In other words, I needed an artificial anal bag.
Nadine reversed the procedure a year later, but the endometriosis was not eliminated.
“I have spent the last eight years managing my condition as much as possible.
How to approach your GP if you suspect you may have endometriosis
Dr. Datta said it can be difficult to track down all the problems associated with endometriosis. Here are her top tips on how you should tackle the problem at your GP.
Keep a diary: Make a note of when you experience pain, and when it happens in relation to your period. Specifically, if you have symptoms related to your period, write down whether the symptoms are getting worse and how they affect your daily life.
Seeking an obstetrician / gynecologist: Asking for a referral to an obstetrician / gynecologist may help you investigate your symptoms further. From there you can request ultrasound and use this information to discuss the risks and benefits of medication and surgery.
Treat symptoms: To avoid unnecessary pain, try treating symptoms with simple means such as fever, gentle exercise, pain relief, and hormonal agents before considering more invasive options such as surgery.
Look at your meal: Fish oil supplements and vitamin B12 can relieve the pain associated with endometriosis. A healthy and balanced lifestyle with regular sleep patterns can also affect symptoms.
Think about pregnancy: If you are considering pregnancy or endometriosis, consult an obstetrician / gynecologist as soon as possible. Start taking pregnancy supplements 3 months before you wish to become pregnant and have regular sex when trying to get pregnant. Most people have no problem imagining it, but it’s worth seeking professional help early.
“I sometimes see GPs and go to the endometriosis center every 6 months.
“The experts there understand my condition, but I don’t want to go down again.
“I’ve been receiving Zoladex injections for two and a half years, which is driving me into premature menopause,” she says.
As a result, Nadine also suffers from hot flashes, mood swings and depression.
“Endometriosis is a systemic illness for me. Initially I couldn’t urinate properly because of abdominal pain, but now it affects every part of my life,” she says.
Nadine wants to be a mother and started IVF treatment in 2017. This was claimed by an endometriosis expert to be the best option for her.
It was a tough journey for Nadine to continue.
“When I went to IVF, it wasn’t really tailored to a person with endometriosis, and we experienced so many setbacks,” she says.
Sadly, Nadine experienced an ectopic pregnancy.
According to the NHS, an ectopic pregnancy is the transplantation of a fertilized egg outside the uterus, usually into one of the fallopian tubes.
The fallopian tubes are the tubes that connect the ovaries to the uterus, and when an egg is clogged, it does not grow into a baby and can be harmful to your health if you continue to be pregnant.
“It was a big shock to me. I could see the fetus and the heartbeat, but they were in the wrong place and it was potentially life-threatening,” says Nadine.
In 2018, she was told that she needed to remove the right fallopian tube and that one of the ovaries might also need to be removed due to the effects of endometriosis.
Nadine was found to have endometriosis in her fallopian tubes and had to be treated further, but her body had a hard time dealing with it.
In 2019, the symptoms of Nadine’s thoracic endometriosis again raised the ugly head, experts discovered that endometriosis had spread to the diaphragm and lungs, and in December to repair the diaphragm further. I had to have an operation.
However, after March 2020, her symptoms finally began to relieve and became easier to manage.
In November 2021, Nadine succeeded in collecting eggs for the third time and is currently surrogate.
However, since December, Nadine’s endometriosis has worsened again and is awaiting consultation with the Endometriosis Center to discuss treatment options.
Long journey
Nadine is fighting endometriosis, even though it wasn’t as intense as it once was.
“If there are young people reading my story and feeling that they are a symptom, I want them to know that their pain is real and effective,” she said. Says.
“Don’t give up, everything you are experiencing is important.
“If you look at another GP and feel you can’t do that, defend your partner or parent on your behalf.
“I had countless hospitalizations in A & E and suffered so much. It was intolerable.
“Endometriosis caused me to have intestinal obstruction, lung collapse and affected my childbirth.
“I have been on an IVF trip for over four years and have had two egg collections, seven embryo transfers and one ectopic pregnancy due to endometriosis.”
Normalize Endo
Awaiting diagnosis, women’s wellness brand INTIMINA raises awareness of menstrual health around the world, normalizes menstrual health conversations, addresses prejudice and prejudice, and raises awareness of conditions such as endometriosis. The campaign has started.
INTIMINA UK Dr. Shree Datta, a professional gynecologist, said:
“In addition, it can be particularly difficult to find out about young teens about endometriosis, because the findings are unspecified and the symptoms of endometriosis vary from person to person.
“Therefore, it may take some time to refer people to the right professionals for further investigation and treatment.
“From the patient’s point of view, it can also be unpleasant to take that first step and find it difficult to talk to your doctor about problems such as pain during sexual intercourse or to explain the symptoms they have.”
Dr. Datta continued. [diagnosis] Delays are wide-ranging, but nonetheless, all possible actions need to be taken to reduce waiting times for people suffering from endometriosis, and education and awareness must be taken to ensure this is achieved. Is essential. “
This story originally appeared Sun Reproduced here with permission.
