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The woman that inspires me is my twin sister.

An Endo Warrior!

By Cerra WhitePublished 4 years ago 4 min read
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The woman that inspires me is my twin sister and I’ll tell you why! My sister Kierra is a warrior, an endometriosis’s warrior, a fighter and advocate. Many women may know that March is Women's history month, but do they know that March is also Endometriosis awareness month? I didn’t either at one point. Until three years ago when my twin sister began experiencing unusual and painful symptoms before and around her menstrual cycle. Consequently, I can only hypothesize that a great majority of women don't know what endometriosis is or haven't heard of it yet. So if we are going to shine the spotlight on amazing women. Then let’s talk about something that has impacted us all, at one point or another. Our periods!

So between the two of us, Kierra was the twin that had the most difficult periods. She would have crippling menstrual cramps, and a heavy flow that extended to seven or eight days. But when she started noticing a sharp mild pain on her left side of her body, anytime she took a deep breathe. Which began in the late winter of 2017. She thought it was a sinus problem, because she had associated having difficulty breathing, along with the occasional stuffy nose and malaise, to what people experience with sinusitis.

So Kierra set-up an appointment with her primary care physician. Her appointment was set for an early date in February, of 2018. When her appointment arrived, her physician stated that it’s probably just indoor allergies. Being that she was experiencing all this in the middle of winter, in Michigan. However, being both recent graduates from the University of Michigan-Dearborn with a BA in Health Policy Studies, class of 2017 here. And being a women of color, rearing the age of thirty, settling for a prognosis of indoor allergies, would not suffice.

We were both well aware of the health care disparities in the U.S health care system. Thus, Kierra want to make sure she was using all the components of her health insurance plan and receiving top quality care from her physician. So she eminent on ensuring that she was covering all aspects of her care. As a result, she requested to have blood work done and an x-ray. The next day her doctored called her fanatically and told her to immediately come up to the hospital to head to the ER. The x-ray revealed that her left lung had collapsed. Upon arrival she was quickly admitted into the hospital. A thoracic surgeon assigned to her care inserted a chest tube, into her left lung. So that the lung could naturally re-inflate. Successfully it worked and she was released to go home; after a short few days in the hospital.

However, over a span of several months, her lung kept collapsing and her symptoms became even more severe. She was losing noticeable amounts of weight, missing work, and having multiple trips to the ER. Kierra had come to the realization that she probably had thoracic endometriosis. She has explained her findings to the thoracic surgeon that was treating her. An older male surgeon, who was so assured that it was not thoracic endometriosis, or endometriosis period. He stated that “thoracic endo is rare, and been a surgeon in the field for more than twenty years.” “I would know what that looks like and you don’t have that”. My sister was livid, all of the signs pointed to endo. So she did what everyone should do when they are feeling sick, and their doctor isn’t listening to them. She got a second opinion.

After nearly dying four times due to having a repeating pneumothorax. She found an experienced thoracic surgeon with a reputable track record for assisting patients with endometriosis. Dr. Kumari N Adams, who’s a Michigan based physician and resident. She treated Kierra’s fourth and final pneumothorax, by performing minimally invasive thoracic robotic surgery to repair her lung. In doing so, Dr. Adam found endometriosis scar tissue on Kierra’s lung, diaphragm, and even more rare, her chest cavity.

Something her original surgeon refused to look for or even acknowledge. By simply ignoring my sister’s concerns. Endometriosis is an invisible disease, which can only be found internally. It occurs when the tissue lining of the uterus grow outside the uterus, latching on to other organ, causing sever pain, and even a collapsed lung. If a collapsed lung is left untreated it can cause premature death. Due to her will to thrive, consistency, and self-advocacy my sister is alive and well today. She’s an endo warrior and survivor. So if you or someone you know is having unexplained health issues, and their doctor isn’t listening, get a second opinion. Do your own research online by tying the symptoms to a disorder or disease. Be sure to search for a reputable physician. As women we know our bodies best, and our women’s intuition will never steer us in the wrong direction.

Author,Cerra R White

A story for my sister.

siblings
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About the Creator

Cerra White

Hi its Cerra! I'm a Coffee Feen, Mental Health Advocate, Tarot Card Reader & Optimistic Queen. I have a philosophical mind. So I'm always on the search for insight. So stay tune!

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