December 19, 2007

Many women with endometriosis are convinced there's nothing they can do about it. They resign themselves to a life of monthly menstrual difficulty for which they believe there's no solution - that is, other than painkillers and the heating pad.

As a 46-year-old woman who has suffered pain associated with endometriosis, I can tell you how I finally dealt with my endo. I'm a pretty determined person, and when I want something, I will find a way to get it. In the case of my endo, I wanted relief from what had become an intolerable two weeks a month of debilitating pain. I resolved to find an expert and the expert I found was Dr. Kanayama. My recent visit to him and subsequent laparoscopy at Greenwich Hospital have meant the difference between managing my endo successfully - and not.

My situation had progressed to the point where one day in August, I woke up in the morning with pain so bad that at first, I though I had injured my back lifting something heavy. But then my period started and I realized that this along with the discomfort I had experienced for nearly two weeks was beyond what anyone would consider normal. It was just too much, and that's when I made up my mind to find an expert as I mentioned previously.

To further complicate matters, I also have an auto immune syndrome known as mixed connective tissue disorder (MCTD). There are many forms of auto immunity falling under the wide umbrella of rheumatoid ailments, including lupus, scleroderma and Crohn's disease, and these are genetically passed. For instance my grandmother suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and may have passed along a gene for my inherited MCTD. My symptoms range from feeling a little tired each day to extreme fatigue and faintness on other days.

Thankfully, there are a couple of medications I can take to help keep things on an even keel and under control. That said, my MCTD combined with endometriosis had been quite debilitating at times, and it had become a life issue. At this point, I felt like I had no choice by to locate someone who could help me manage this.

Dr. Kanayama had devoted his practice to helping women deal with the often debilitating disease of endometriosis. His focus is strictly on endo and he has perfected the treatment of it. Unlike the series of ineffectual GYNs I saw two years prior, Dr. Kanayama is incredibly knowledgeable about the disease. He knows what it looks like, even in the very beginning stages, and he knows how best to treat it at each individual stage.

Dr. Kanayama was able to inform me about the progressing and severity of my endometriosis even before he actually observed it during my outpatient laparoscopy surgery at Greenwich Hospital. In advance of the surgery, he saw that my endo had been around for approximately 10 years, and that it was at stage on a one to four progression. During the surgery, he was able to confirm all of this.

Dr. Kanayama is most assuredly the country's best endometriosis specialist. I have observed him to be a discriminating perfectionist with every detail. From my initial meeting to my surgery and my post-op visits, I have found him to be not only a gifted practitioner, but also a warm and compassionate person with whom to consult. In addition, I found it comforting to know that he only performs surgery at Greenwich Hospital. Compared to the treatment one might receive at some other hospital facilities, Greenwich Hospital is like a dream.

I would recommend Dr. Kanayama to any woman suffering with endo. You owe yourself the gift of the best possible care. No matter how far your situation has advanced, Dr. Kanayama will be able to help you. And you will be far off knowing where things stand so that you can take the necessary preventive measures to improve the quality of your life in the future.

Tina H.