need to know
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Woman thought she had appendix problem but was told she had two uteruses after surgery
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Ellie Curran, 21, finally received a formal diagnosis of complete uterine disintegration – a rare condition that only affects about 0.4 per cent of women
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“Women, you know your body better than anyone. If you think something is wrong, don’t stop seeking answers,” she told People
A woman who had experienced period stress once thought she too had an appendix problem. She was shocked when doctors told her that much of the pain she was experiencing was actually caused by the fact that she had two uteruses.
Ellie Curran from Ireland was 12 years old when she got her first period. “What I noticed after that was that they were very sore and heavy,” she tells People. “I mainly had to stay in bed for long periods of time, I was so tired and it also affected my social life.”
One night, Curran, now 21, said she had “extreme pain” in her lower abdominal area, which she thought was appendix pain. She underwent surgery to remove her organs, and that’s when doctors unexpectedly discovered she didn’t have one uterus, but two, SWNS reported.
“[The doctors] Said it was like having two uteruses, but didn’t say much when I had my appendix removed,” Curran recalled.
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Curran underwent further tests and was eventually given a formal diagnosis of a complete uterus dominis, meaning she had two different uterine cavities separated by a wall of tissue. (Only about 0.4 percent of women are born with this rare disease, according to the Cleveland Clinic.)
She also told SWNS that further scans revealed she had two cervixes and that she “may have an extra kidney.” Curran was also diagnosed with endometritis, which doctors said could cause her period pain.
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According to Curran, “[There are] I haven’t been told much about the treatment options yet, so it’s a waiting game now. “
She is currently on the waiting list for additional tests and is scheduled to undergo surgery in May.
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Curran tells PEOPLE that pregnancy would pose challenges if she chose to have a baby.
“I had to get pregnant mostly on the left side of my uterus because it’s bigger than the right side and it’s safer on the left side,” she explains.
Call center worker Curran is sharing her story in hopes of helping others. “I want to spread awareness and find girls who are going through similar experiences to what I’m going through right now,” she said.
As for her best advice for other women dealing with the same or similar situations? Curran told People magazine, “Women, you know your bodies better than anyone. If you think something is wrong, don’t stop looking for answers.”
Read the original article on People