September 4, 2008

Dr. Kanayama changed my life. Over the course of two years I watched my entire world slowly collapse on me as I was increasingly unable to do any activities I loved anymore. I suffered through years of debilitation IBS symptoms, horrible periods and crippling exhaustion and muscle aches. After all those things, nothing prepared me for the intense and relentless pain that landed me in the emergency room on my honeymoon in Hawaii. That ushered in a year filled with pain, frustration and sadness.

Over the following months I would see multiple doctors. I was put on medication for depression and told it was just IBS. When I saw a gynecologist, due to my increasingly debilitating periods, I was informed it was a product of getting older. (I'm 33). I was then encouraged to go on birth control. It did nothing to help me and in fact, I suffered a very bad reaction to it. Soon, I began to experience pain every day. After researching my symptoms online, I began to suspect I might have endometriosis. I then went to a second gynecologist. She again dismissed my problems until I demanded an ultrasound. The test revealed a chocolate cyst on my right ovary. Her solution? Get pregnant, or go on Lupron.

At this point I knew I needed to find an endometriosis specialist. Thank God, I found Dr. Kanayama. His staff is so friendly and actually took the time to listen to everything I was going through. On my first appointment, Dr. Kanayama did a transvaginal ultrasound, actually pointing out to me on the screen where endometriosis was located. I was diagnosed with Stage 3 endometriosis and was scheduled to a laparoscopy to find and excise the disease.

My outpatient surgery was performed at Greenwich Hospital. The staff was very kind and Dr. Kanayama put me at ease. What they found during the three-hour surgery was astonishing. In addition, to all the endometriosis, I had 3 twisted pendulous fibroids suspended from my uterus. All together, they were as big as my uterus. These fibroids were pressing on my spine and my colon and were likely the cause of my lower back pain and severe IBS. Stranger still, endometriosis and chocolate cysts were actually found inside these fibroids - something that is extremely rare.

Today I am 3 weeks out of surgery and the recovery has gone better than I could have hope for. I no longer feel bloated and tired all the time. My body aches are gone and most important of all and I am no longer in any more pain; I am slowly getting used to this new normal which seemed so unattainable years ago and I owe it all to Dr. Kanayama. Thank you so much for giving me my life back.