Specialist excision surgery is a term used to describe a surgical method for endometriosis. Although up until now it’s the best treatment method, it is not done for all cases. Over the world many sufferers go through multiple incomplete surgeries until they have excision surgery. We caught up with Amanda, 2 and half years later after her excision surgery with Dr Kyriakopoulos. Her story is a lesson for many of us.
It took her 5 years to get diagnosed and many more until her specialist excision surgery
Amanda started her symptoms at the age of 17 and at the age of 23 she was diagnosed with endometriosis, by a well-known doctor. People around her told her that she overreacts and some of them believed her. The ones who were compassionate could not understand what its happening. Amanda did not know either.
“They could not get that I was not able to go out for a drink, or coffee and that is ok, they did not know what endo was. I didnt know!”
She had her first ablation surgery at 23 and she also lost half of her ovary
I had 3 ablation surgeries, with the first one taking place at the age of 23. Needless to say, that 3 months after each surgery, the pain was coming back, each time worse than before. During first surgery my doctor at the time cut half of my left ovary. He did not tell me. I found out 3 years later from a different doctor. I did not know better. I was young and in so much pain. I didn’t know a lot about endo at the time. This doctor supposed to be a famous one, with so many credentials. He was the one that diagnosed me. I trusted him completely, never doubted him, never second guessing him. That was my biggest mistake at the time.
After her symptoms started, she was in pain for at least 3 weeks
Amanda symptoms started at first during her periods, and later on they lasted for 17-18 days. After her first ablation surgery, she was told by the doctor who operated on her, that she was cured, so endometriosis was removed from the possible causes. Something else must be wrong with her she was told. She saw several doctors and after her each surgery was told the same thing: “this time you are done; you have no more endometriosis”
From pregnancy will cure you to let’s stop your periods, Amanda heard it all
As in many cases, Amanda was told that pregnancy will help her to have a normal life, she was told about hysterectomy as well, but was too young to have it done. She had her periods stopped in the hope that she will be ok. Nothing worked.
After years of ignorance and wrong surgeries, she sees Dr Kyriakopoulos, and she couldn’t be happier
“Both me and my husband were full of hope. But it was until later (after the surgery) that we TRULY understand what kind of doctor Dinos was. The BEST kind!”
2 and half years since her specialist excision surgery
What is specialist excision surgery and how is Amanda now?
Dinos gave us our lives e back (and yes, I am talking for me and my husband, cause his life was wrecked too. Endo does that, it will not just affect the patient life, it will affect all people surrounding them, especially the ones who really cares and love us. And that is why endo awareness should be about these people too, cause endo does not only wreck patients’ lives, but it also affects people around them.
It’s been 2 and a half years post-surgery and oh my God I am living my life like a normal person. I can attend my job, I can plan fun things, I am full of energy, I work out and the list goes on and on! Stuff, that most of the people take for granted, for me were a “no’ “no”. And now being able to do these things it’s a bless!!! I owe EVERYTHING to Dinos!!! His expertise, his love for what he is doing, his human approach, his humour and his endless thirst to learn more and more. I am used to say that him and his team is … “ivy league”
