‘I woke up to find my uterus had been REMOVED without warning’

By Liam On Apr 20, 2023

A woman had her reproductive organs removed without warning, in an attempt by doctors to resolve her unbearable periods.

Zoe Bailey, 31, from Manchester, has suffered from debilitating menstrual cramps since she was a teenager, but claims doctors had always told her it was ‘normal’ and ‘just her period’.

It wasn’t until 2013, after she couldn’t conceive and again sought medical advice, that she was diagnosed with endometriosis.

But in 2015, to help reduce her symptoms, she underwent temporary menopause — when medication is used to reduce estrogen production — without success.

Forced to give up her job as a carer as the pain became too much, her condition took a turn for the worse in 2018 and Ms Bailey was rushed to theater at St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester.

Zoe Bailey, 31, from Manchester had suffered from debilitating menstrual cramps since she was a teenager but claims doctors had always told her it was ‘normal’ and ‘just her period’

Forced to give up her job as a carer as the pain became too much, her condition took a turn for the worse in 2018 and Ms Bailey was rushed to theater at St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester. Doctors performed a hysterectomy, removing her uterus and cervix, drastically reducing her chances of pregnancy

Despite undergoing surgery in 2018, Ms Bailey also had to have her bowel removed and an ostomy bag fitted in 2019 following a routine checkup by medics. She claimed that the ostomy bag would be removed after six months, but due to a blockage of endometriosis in her remaining intestines, this is no longer possible

Doctors removed her uterus and cervix, making it impossible for her to conceive a child naturally.

However, she still has ovaries, which means she’s still producing eggs that she could freeze.

It is unclear whether Ms. Bailey was informed that she could have her vital reproductive organs removed as a complication of surgery.

Speaking of the ordeal, she claimed, “I didn’t expect anything to be removed from my body that day, but the doctors said they had no choice because of the severity of my condition.”

Endometriosis: what is it, what are the symptoms and how can it be treated?

Wwhat is endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue that lines the inside of the uterus, the endometrium, appears in other parts of the body, causing chronic inflammation, scarring, and pelvic pain.

The endometriosis tissue outside the uterus will bleed just like the lining of the uterus. According to womenshealth.gov, “this can cause swelling and pain because the tissue grows and bleeds in an area where it can’t easily get out of your body.”

According to the NHS, it can occur in many different places ‘including the ovaries, fallopian tubes’. Endometriosis tissue can also appear in the stomach, in or around the bowel, and bladder.

The condition usually affects girls and women of childbearing age and is less likely to affect women who have had menopause. Endometriosis is more common in women between the ages of 30 and 40.

The condition affects 6-10 percent of the general female population in the US, according to a scientific paper published in the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics.

Endometriosis UK says one in ten – about 3 million – women of childbearing age in the UK have the condition.

endometriosis causes

There is no known cause of endometriosis, although one theory states that family genetics play a major role.

Other possible causes that have been investigated include problems with the immune system and complications due to menstruation, where the tissue shed during menstruation eventually travels down the fallopian tube to other parts of the body, such as the pelvis.

Endometrial cells can also spread throughout the body through the bloodstream or lymphatic system.

Endometriosis symptoms

The main symptoms of endometriosis include chronic pelvic, lower back and abdominal pain that can be worse than usual during a period; experiencing pain during intercourse, painful bowel movements; bloating and nausea.

Painful periods and difficulty getting pregnant are other major symptoms. Experiencing heavy periods and infertility are considered symptomatic of endometriosis.

The NHS recommends seeing a GP when symptoms manifest, especially if they ‘have a major impact on your life’.

Endometriosis diagnosis

The doctor will perform a pelvic exam and possibly an ultrasound, but a laparoscopy is currently the only way to confirm a diagnosis of endometriosis.

A laparoscopy is a procedure in which the doctor makes a small incision in the skin and passes a tube through it to see if there are any pieces of endometriosis tissue.

Endometriosis treatment

There is no cure for endometriosis. However, the NHS offers treatments that can ease symptoms.

Think of painkillers such as paracetamol, hormone medicines and contraceptives such as the pill, the contraceptive patch and an IUD. Surgery to cut away the endometriosis tissue or parts of the affected organ are also options.

However, the NHS says doctors sometimes don’t start treatment immediately to see if symptoms improve on their own.

Ms Bailey added: ‘Some days I feel like a failure – I’m a woman who can’t do what women should do, which is carry a baby.

‘It breaks my heart. It affected me so much that I lost four kilos in weight and I became seriously depressed, as well as suffering from anxiety.

“I’ve wanted to be a mother all my life and when I found out this wasn’t possible, it broke me.”

She said, “It’s made me question my relationships why anyone would want to be with someone who can’t have kids.”

Endometriosis causes tissue similar to the lining of the uterus to grow in various organs around the body.

It affects one in ten women, with the lifelong disease more common in those who experience painful periods – about six in ten.

Lesions can develop throughout the reproductive system, as well as other organs, including the bladder, intestines, and even the brain.

It can cause impaired fertility, severe pelvic pain, and bladder or bowel problems, and takes an average of seven and a half years to diagnose due to the variety of symptoms it causes.

Despite already undergoing surgery in 2018, Ms Bailey’s bowel was removed the following year during a ‘routine checkup’.

She has not explained why doctors performed this procedure.

But endometrial tissue can grow on the surface or in the intestines, rectum, or other parts of the intestine.

Surgery is usually needed to remove the affected part of the intestine.

Endometriosis UK says this may require a temporary colostomy – when one end of the colon is diverted through an opening in the abdomen and covered with a pouch that collects stool.

Ms Bailey said she woke up to find her bowel had been removed and an ostomy bag fitted.

She was told there was “a chance” her bowel could be removed, she said.

But she ‘never’ saw a nurse or ‘talked to anyone’ about the possibility of a stoma ‘prior to surgery’, Ms Bailey claimed.

She also claimed that the ostomy pouch would be removed after six months, but due to a blockage from endometriosis in her remaining intestines, this is no longer possible.

She said, “When I woke up with the bag on my side and saw the scar, knowing this was my life now, I deflated.

“It affected my self-confidence and I hated looking at my body.

“It really surprised me how it all worked, but eventually I got used to the bag being there and it’s become part of me now.”

But Ms Bailey warned she now needs to be careful about what she eats to avoid stoma blockages.

‘I’ve been hospitalized a few times because of this,” she said.

“I’ve also had to change the way I dress to make sure you can’t see my bag through my clothes.

‘In addition, I also have to take trips or days out into account, because I have to see if there are toilets and if I can empty my bag.’

Despite having two surgeries, Ms. Bailey says she still has excruciating pain on a daily basis.

But doctors have told her the only way Relieving her symptoms is having a full hysterectomy, she claimed, which would prevent her from producing eggs.

In an effort to raise £5,000 to freeze her eggs, she has launched a GoFundMe page.

She said, “I don’t want anyone to have to go through what I went through.

“I had to wait so long for a diagnosis and to be seen.

“All of this could have been avoided if I had been listened to in the beginning and everyone should have the chance to be a mother.

“I hadn’t even heard of endometriosis [before I was diagnosed]but I was relieved that it really had a name and that it wasn’t just bad periods.’

She added, “If going through this and sharing my story means other women don’t have to suffer, then it’s all worth it.”

A spokesperson for St Mary’s Hospital said: “We understand Zoe has contacted PALS about her concerns.”

They added: ‘The PALS team are investigating the matter further with St Mary’s as part of their standard complaints process and will provide feedback to Zoe once the investigation is complete’.