Painful periods aren't normal
Painful menstruation, painful sex and digestive issues — just a few of the symptoms associated with endometriosis. The condition affects 1 in 10 women worldwide. While there is currently no cure for endometriosis, there are certainly ways to improve the quality of life for those affected. In this heartfelt conversation with Dr. Chinonso Egemba, Ritha shares her journey battling endometriosis.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 On the average, a woman spends about seven years of her life
00:03 menstruating.
00:04 And for some, this might mean endless cycles of excruciating pain.
00:08 This is what endometriosis may look like.
00:11 And so today, we're going to be talking with someone
00:13 who has been through the worst of it all.
00:15 Join me.
00:16 You feel like you are all alone,
00:23 because sometimes you don't know, like, OK,
00:25 maybe it's your mum or your family members,
00:28 but they might understand you, but you don't know, like,
00:31 is that really what they're feeling?
00:33 Or maybe they're just doing that to comfort you.
00:35 So in our safe space today,
00:43 we're going to talk about a condition
00:45 that affects roughly 10% of women in the world.
00:48 And as always, I'm your host, Dr Chinonso Egemba,
00:51 also known as The Broker Doctor.
00:53 And with me to help us on our journey today is Rita.
00:56 Rita, thank you for doing this with us.
00:59 When did your journey with endometriosis start?
01:02 I think it's way back from 2014,
01:05 though it was diagnosed in 2022,
01:09 because I started to get the symptoms from 2014.
01:14 Then I was trying, like, going for medical checkups,
01:18 different consultations, but to no avail.
01:20 Until 2022, when I had laparoscopic surgery,
01:24 then they discovered it was endometriosis.
01:27 So what is endometriosis?
01:28 It's a condition where the lining of the uterus,
01:30 otherwise known as the endometrium,
01:32 can be found outside the uterus.
01:34 Was it a journey of going from hospital to hospital
01:37 before you were told you had endometriosis,
01:39 or was it just your first time you got to the hospital?
01:42 And what led to that?
01:43 Well, I've been in different hospitals,
01:45 and, like, I've come out with different diagnoses.
01:50 Like, the first one was hormonal imbalance.
01:53 Then the other hospital told --
01:56 I was told that I had a mass in the uterus.
01:59 The other one was, like, they said, like,
02:02 there was something like fluid in my uterus.
02:05 The other hospital told me, like, I was fine.
02:08 Like, almost, like, two or three hospitals,
02:10 the results were clear.
02:11 There are some signs and symptoms
02:12 that could help you recognize if it is endometriosis,
02:15 although they are not specific to endometriosis.
02:20 Usually, severe cramps or pain during your period,
02:23 you could also have blood in your urine or stool.
02:27 You could have severe bleeding in between your periods
02:29 or even during your periods.
02:31 You could also have problems conceiving.
02:34 Also, you need to understand
02:35 that insanely painful periods are not normal.
02:38 You need to consult your doctor.
02:40 -I used to overdose myself.
02:41 Like, I would take so much painkillers,
02:43 different medications, just to suppress the pain
02:46 and try to maintain myself.
02:49 But there was this time when I just collapsed.
02:52 -You collapsed? -Yes.
02:54 I agreed to go for laparoscopy,
02:57 and I had to contact my mom, and she also agreed this time.
03:00 Because the last time,
03:02 the other doctor also suggested to go for laparoscopy.
03:05 Yeah, but they all disagreed, including my mom.
03:08 But this time, I talked to her, and she was like, "Okay, fine."
03:11 Because at that point, now,
03:13 she already knew, like, how severe it was.
03:16 So I had my surgery there,
03:18 and then the next day in the morning,
03:20 the surgeon came, and she told me, like,
03:23 they found endometriosis, like,
03:24 and it was behind my uterus, and, you know, they left it over.
03:27 -We have a comment from John Appam saying,
03:30 "Is endometriosis genetic?"
03:35 Well, John, this is not a very easy question to answer.
03:38 Well, because endometriosis can run in families,
03:42 there is some genetic component to it.
03:45 But, however, doctors and researchers
03:48 are still trying to learn more about this disease
03:51 in order to find out what exactly causes it.
03:54 -What I just do is taking some medications again,
03:57 and I'll do things.
03:59 Maybe I'll spend most of the time resting.
04:01 -Very important. -I'll eat well.
04:04 Though sometimes you don't even have the appetite,
04:06 but at least some soups do for me, like, yeah.
04:08 But, yeah, that's what helps me, like,
04:11 feeling a bit comfortable in that situation.
04:15 -I really wish you well. -Thank you.
04:17 -While endometriosis has no cure,
04:19 it can be managed with either medical or surgical methods
04:22 in order to improve the quality of your life.
04:24 And there are a couple of goals --
04:26 relieve pain, remove the endometric tissue
04:29 from wherever they are,
04:31 and to also improve the chances of fertility.
04:34 -I've become more comfortable to talk to different people
04:37 about my situation.
04:39 Maybe God chose me, like, to speak to other people more,
04:41 to let people know about this more,
04:43 'cause I don't want people to go through
04:45 what I've been through.
04:46 It has broken me so much, and you feel like you are all alone,
04:51 'cause sometimes you don't know, like, okay,
04:54 maybe it's your mom or your family members,
04:57 but they might understand you, but you don't know, like,
05:00 is that really what they're feeling?
05:01 Or maybe they're just doing that to comfort you.
05:03 -Thank you.
05:04 Thank you, Rita, for sharing this vulnerable piece
05:07 of yourself with us.
05:09 We really appreciate it,
05:10 and I know that it's going to help someone out there.
05:12 And if you're watching this and you know,
05:15 you suspect that someone around you
05:17 might be going through this condition,
05:18 share this video with them,
05:20 and they just might understand themselves better.
05:22 I'll see you in the next one.
05:24 (upbeat music)