May 11, 2009 Today is the day I start anew. After living with endometriosis for more than half my life, I am confident that after Dr. Kanayama’s help I have finally found some peace. My pain began at the age of 15. My first surgery was at the age of 18 after a massive endometrioma burst and lead me to the emergency room. My life as I knew it had changed forever. I was a dancer at the time and had to give up many of my dreams due to pain and doctor’s orders. Right away doctors explained I was a unique case, more severe than any they had ever seen. Over the next ten years, I tried birth control pills, Lupron, and two more surgeries. After blood in my stool and the pain became unmanageable, I decided to get an ultrasound to reveal once again I was riddled with multiple endometriomas. At that time, I was engaged to be married so I decided to take council with an infertility specialist in NJ who claimed to have extensive experience in treating endometriosis. He performed a laparoscopy and suggested Lupron again. I had such depression the first time that I declined and continued to tread on. I was given a five-year window before my next surgery was needed, and I only made it to two. The endo was so ramped in 2 years the NJ Doctor decided on a laparotomy in hopes to save my ovaries in order to start the Invetro process (I had lost my fallopian tubes, due to endo in the prior years) After the laparotomy, the pain did not get better, it actually got worse. After taking over-the-counter pain relief medicine on a daily basis, I decided to go back to the doctor for his council. An ultra sound revealed an 8 cm endomtrioma, as well as a few others scattered throughout. The doctor suggested the dreaded hysterectomy, and that’s when I hit bottom. Now, at the age of 31, I realized that maybe the NJ doctor wasn’t for me. I began my research again and found Dr. Kanayama. I knew I had to meet with him and within the week I had an appointment. He performed an ultrasound and found my 8cm endometrioma had grown 2cm in one month. I could see his concern for my health. He was concerned for me, not my “chance” for conception. It was such a welcomed comfort. Dr. Kanayama was fighting for my quality of life! We did surgery 2 weeks later and it lasted 6 hours. The Greenwich Hospital and staff made things very comfortable. Dr. Kanayama came to me after with the shocking news that the endo and scar tissue had completely bound my bowels, ovaries, uterus and urethra together. He felt it had been that way for at least 5 years. This was something my past doctors seemed to neglect to tell me or lacked the ability to diagnose. It was no wonder bowel movements were painful to nonexistent over the past few years. The urethra was being squeezed by the endo explaining why urination felt like it was pulling my bladder apart. My hips were locked up because the muscles were being pulled by the scar tissue and endo. My belly was distend and hard as a rock due to all of this malformation. Dr. Kanayama separated every organ in my pelvis and removed endo that no other doctor had even seen. Today I feel like my past was just a nightmare. This is what my life was meant to be. This is how my body was meant to work. Thanks to Dr. Kanayama and my changes in diet, I have a bowel movement twice a day without blood. Urination is painless and my belly is flat, supple and pain free!!! It’s funny how these simple bodily functions make me utterly ecstatic. I also teach dance and pilates and have found new freedom of movement within my body. My hips are free and movement is a joy rather than struggle. As someone who has been to hell and back with this disease, I wish I had found Dr. Kanayama at the age of 18, but I didn’t. That fact does not sadden me because my past no longer matters. Today is a new day and if my testimonial can help one woman from going down a long unnecessary fight against this mysterious disease then all my pain, all my heartache, and all my tears have not been shed in vain. Thank you Dr. Kanayama, Sabrina, and Greenwich Hospital Nurses and Staff for all you have done. You are my heroes! Coreen Quagliano |