New beginnings

An endometriosis misdiagnosis gave SHRADHA SHAHANI a renewed appreciation for life

- SHRADHA SHAHANI

You don't have endometriosis.

It was a harmless dermoid cyst," the gynaecologist whispered. Lying on a surgery table in the recovery room and still a little woozy from the anaesthesia, I felt disbelief like never before. Three years ago, I was misdiagnosed with endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside it. With every menstrual cycle, the tissue breaks down and bleeds. And with nowhere to go, it forms cysts and scar tissue in the ovaries, fallopian tubes and beyond.

I had hopped helplessly from one doctor to another, praying this wasn't my fate. Still, three sonologists and gynaecologists confirmed that my right ovary had pocketed an endometrioma: a cyst the size of a billiard ball. Now, as the truth unfolded, relief mingled with shock. On any other day. I would have been livid at the suffering I'd endured. But as I lay there, only gratitude prevailed. I'd been given a second chance at life.

About 24 per cent of women have experienced a misdiagnosis of a gynaecological condition, including endometriosis, PCOS, ovarian cysts and period pain, as per a survey by Higgs LLP. Endometriosis is at the heart of this issue, with nearly 10 per cent of women of reproductive age affected globally. Yet, the condition remains underfunded and underresearched.