Page 32 - March 2022 Issue.indd
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My pain started when I was 15 years old and started out as the
doctors saying that I had ovarian cysts rupturing. Aft er that
my pain just increased and the help and knowledge from the
doctors decreased. My parents took me to so many doctors
and I had more CT scans and ultrasounds than I can count.
All coming back with the results of nothing. How was that
possible? I was in excruciating, debilitating pain that nobody
could seem to help me with. My parents started to believe
the doctors that I was “just trying to get out of school” and
honestly when I look back on it now, they didn’t really have
a choice. Endometriosis not only affects you physically but
by Shannon Pinder Hannawald mentally and emotionally as well. I had severe depression
and anxiety because nobody would listen or help me. I felt so
alone and so dismissed by everyone I truly didn’t know what
I am 1 in 10. I am the 1 who has Endometriosis. The one who
I was going to do.
has to wake up and fight each day because of a disease that so
many women have but nobody talks about. There are over 200 Aft er five years I finally found a doctor that would listen to me
million women worldwide that fight this disease. It takes an and as soon as I told him my symptoms he said “I’m certain
average of 10 years to receive a diagnosis. you have endometriosis.” Endometriosis? What was that and
why had nobody else even mentioned this to me or my parents?
Endometriosis (en-doe-me-tree-O-sis) is defined as a painful
disorder in which tissue similar to the tissue that normally lines The only way to diagnose endometriosis is through laparoscopic
the inside of your uterus — the endometrium — grows outside surgery. No blood work, no ultrasounds, no MRIs and no CT
your uterus. Endometriosis most commonly involves ovaries, scans, just surgery. We scheduled my surgery and sure enough I
fallopian tubes and the tissue lining the pelvis, ligaments had stage 4 endometriosis. That was the first of my 13 surgeries
supporting the uterus, and the area between the vagina and to try and help remove the lesions to help with the pain. One
the rectum. of the other main symptoms of endometriosis is infertility. Th e
longer it takes to diagnose the less chance you have of getting
pregnant. By the grace of God, I was able to have my fi rst son
with no intervention but for my second son I had to go through
fertility treatments.
Endometriosis has taken so much from me. I missed so many
important dates and celebrations with family and friends. It
took away my ability to have children like other women. It took
a baby from me during fertility treatments. I want so badly
to be like everyone else my age but that will never happen. I
wish I had the energy to play with my sons all day or clean the
house without experiencing horrible pain. I wish I didn’t have
to cancel plans with my husband, friends, or play dates for my
kids, but that will never happen.
Endometriosis has no cure, only treatments. Some doctors will
say to have a hysterectomy but that will still not stop it from
growing on other organs. Some women do not experience
the pain from endometriosis. They only find out about their
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410 - 978 - 6322 call or text for your appointment
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