Finally, A Happy Ending To A Decade of Pain
“There’s nothing wrong with you.” “That’s just part of being a woman.”
Catherine Fulford heard those words from countless gynecologists in her nearly decade-long search to uncover the cause of her excruciating period pain, kidney and back pain and discomfort during exercise and sex.
She finally learned about endometriosis from her ninth doctor – no other physician had thought to mention it as a possibility.
Unfortunately, Catherine’s troubles were far from over. Following a failed ablation, her doctor prescribed Lupron, a medication used to manage endometriosis symptoms. Things only got worse. “All my pain was back and, on top of that, the medicine caused horrible menopausal symptoms. I was fatigued, crying multiple times a day, had hot flashes. I didn’t feel like myself.”
Another doctor switched her to a different version of Lupron, which requires a number of medications to counteract its side effects. Catherine was fed up. “The band-aid approaches started making me angry,” she says.
Research led her to Dr. Patrick Yeung and the beginning of the end of her ordeal. “Upon first meeting Dr. Yeung, you can tell how truly invested he is in treating patients with suspected or confirmed endometriosis,” she says.
Dr. Yeung performed endometriosis excision on Catherine. Her body, previously infiltrated with endometriosis, is now clear of the disease. “My uterus and tubes are clear and my adhesions are gone,” Catherine says. “I no longer have daily back pain or pain with urination, sex or exercise. I’ve never felt better.”
Dr. Yeung continued to provide guidance and care as Catherine and her husband began their journey to parenthood. He taught Catherine to chart her cycles using the Creighton Model. When blood tests revealed a low ovarian reserve and anovulation, Dr. Yeung prescribed medications. The very next cycle, Catherine conceived twins.
“Today, I have vivacious twin girls, and I am still pain-free with regular monthly cycles,” Catherine says. “I enjoy being able to live my life to the fullest.”
