A Happy Adenomyosis Patient’s Open Letter

Dear Dr. Seckin,

My painful periods started in my teenage years. Gradually, I began to miss school, college, and family functions chronically. Year by year, the pain increased, as did my use of painkillers. I am from India, where myths about endometriosis run rampant. I was told not to worry, that my awful periods would improve after I get married.

The first surgery

After three months of marriage, I underwent a polypectomy (a procedure to have a polyp removed). My husband and I continued to try to conceive, but no luck. We started a series of intrauterine inseminations and in vitro fertilization (IVF). I suffered through two miscarriages (one, from an ectopic pregnancy, the other from a failed IVF round). By then, I could barely walk whenever the chronic pains took over me.

The diagnosis

A Mumbai doctor suggested I go for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and I did. The MRI revealed that I had stage IV endometriosis and adenomyosis. I’d never heard of either condition. I went home and thoroughly researched both and searched for someone who could help me. Finally, I came across DrSeckin.com and quickly realized that you’d be the one to help me feel better. Still, the journey from India to New York City seemed like an impossibility.

The trip to New York to see Dr. Seckin

My colleagues were super supportive of my journey, and I’d soon land a project job in Canada. By then, I had five laparoscopies and hysteroscopies. In August, I finally made my way to New York City for a consultation with you. When we met, I felt like you fully understood my concerns. You told me I was very sick. Even so, I had never been more hopeful than the day I met you. Just one day before surgery, I remember you patted me on the cheek and told me: “You’ll be okay, my dear.”

The last surgery with Dr. Seckin

My surgery was complex and took nearly five hours to complete as your all-star Seckin team, removed 19 endometriosis lesions. Afterward, you told me I’d see a considerable difference in my quality of life. Just one month after the surgery, I’d realize that those days of nightmarish periods were long gone. My first post-op period meant no painkillers. Not one! I could cook and go to my office. After 15 years, I knew what it was like to feel like a normal woman. I cried tears of joy.

Thank you, Dr. Seckin, for giving me my life back.

-Parul