April 25, 2008

Dr. Kanayama is serving such a special purpose on this earth. His brilliant mind and divinely skilled hands cannot be matched by any other physician. I am 36 years old and I was diagnosed with endometriosis 6 years ago. My symptoms were a 6 cm ovarian cyst, painful menstrual cramps and extreme fatigue. The last thing I wanted to do was to have surgery. Instead, I learned as much as I could about the disease. I thought endometriosis could be controlled with proper nutrition and exercise. My symptoms diminished, but they never fully subsided. I chose to take Advil to control my pain. Over the past few years, I sought the advice of at least 5 different doctors, but I never truly trusted any one of them. I never really believed that I had endometriosis because the physicians never explained the severity of the disease. When I look back, I realize that none of them had a thorough understanding of endometriosis. They always blamed my ovarian cysts as my source of pain. I am so happy that I never had surgery to remove the cyst because it never would have solved my problem.

When I turned 35, I finally had the desire to get pregnant. After trying for 7 months, I did not want to waste time, so I scheduled an appointment with a reproductive endocrinologist. My infertility workup revealed that everything was normal. My doctor knew that I was previously diagnosed with endometriosis and he agreed that it could be causing my infertility. Yet, he never recommended how to treat the disease. He rushed into discussing my options to become pregnant artificially. That is the most frightening when I know better that even if I got pregnant artificially, the endo would cause a miscarriage. Needless to say, I obtained all my records and continued to search for the best physician. I FOUND HIM!!!!! Dr. Kanayama instantly earned my trust within minutes of our initial consultation. I was shocked to hear that it looked as if Stage IV endo from my ultrasound. He explained to me that endo continues to spread which causes all kinds of health problems as the disease attacks my organs. I went home that day and I knew that Dr. Kanayama was going to change my life for the better.

On March 6th, 2008 I had surgery and I can honestly say that my experience could not have been any more positive. I feel extremely blessed to have been under the care of Dr. Kanayama and the staff at Greenwich Hospital. My procedure was complex as I had Stage IV on my uterus, intestines, abdominals, colon, ureter and left ovary. I also had reconstructive surgery on my ureter and ovary. Although I had extensive work done, I never experienced any pain and I was back to work in 2 weeks. I only took pain killers for 2 days after my surgery. Dr. Kanayama, his office manager Sabrina and the staff at Greenwich Hospital cannot be thanked enough for making my surgical experience so amazing. They have all restored my faith in people and in the healthcare system. From my first office visit in December 2007 to my post-op ultrasound on April 2, 2008, I always felt like a top priority to Dr. Kanayama. He is the most meticulous, passionate, respectful, professional and empathetic physician. Sabrina accommodated you in every way she can and the staff at Greenwich Hospital treats you like gold. I feel compeled to help other women by referring them to Dr. Kanayama. He truly is second to none and I will be forever grateful to him.

Erin