2016: Definitively diagnosed with uterine fibroid, ovarian cysts and endometriosis. Managed with hormonal therapies, frequent imaging, and hospital admissions with inadequate symptom control.
2018: Emergency laparoscopic surgery for ovarian cyst torsion. The surgical findings were more complex than anticipated. The operating team discovered a frozen pelvis – a condition where pelvic organs become adhered together due to severe endometriosis. The surgical procedure was prolonged and complicated, requiring meticulous adhesiolysis (separation of adhered organs), resulting in significant intraoperative blood loss. While the cyst was successfully removed, the fibroid remained, deemed too risky to extract given the extensive adhesions, blood loss and compromised pelvic anatomy.
2018-2024: Progressive symptom deterioration including severe menorrhagia causing chronic iron-deficiency anemia, syncopal episodes, frequent hospitalizations, and blood transfusion requirements. One incident required emergency ambulance transport following collapse and a week-long hospital admission. Despite pursuing all available treatment modalities, symptoms worsened while I navigated personal, career and academic life.
2024: Myomectomy performed for fibroid measuring equivalent to 32-week gestation. Surgery lasted 7 hours due to complications, unfortunately, I could not get adequate support during complex recovery.
My journey through the healthcare system revealed systematic deficit affecting millions of women: absence of education about uterine conditions before diagnosis, years of diagnostic delays allowing disease progression, limited treatment options beyond hormonal suppression or surgery, and no mental health support for the depression and trauma of chronic illness. I experienced profound social isolation without peer support or community understanding, repeated dismissal and minimization of my pain by healthcare providers, a complete information void with no accessible evidence-based resources and the absence of any technology designed specifically for tracking and managing uterine conditions. I founded Uterine Health Alliance in July 2024 because I survived this journey and refuse to accept it as inevitable for other women.
Every aspect of Uterine Health Alliance directly addresses a gap I experienced: AI-powered powered technology for symptom tracking and predictive analytics I needed to identify patterns and communicate effectively with providers; community support networks end the profound isolation I suffered; evidence-based education prepares women in ways I never was; healthcare advocacy prevents the repeated dismissal and delays I endured; evidence-based nutritional guidance specifically tailored for uterine health conditions, including anti-inflammatory diet education, iron-rich meal planning for anemia management and food-symptom correlation tracking to identify triggers, and mental health integration addresses the psychological devastation of chronic pain and illness.