Dear Dr. Zahn.

Dear Dr. Zahn,

I am one of the 176 million women with Endometriosis. I just read your reply to the petition that over 6,000 of family, friends and fellow Endometriosis sisters have signed. 6,000 is a huge number. That is 6,000 voices that are now disgusted by your response. When you replied you replied to 176 million women. I reiterated that because I don't think you understand how many women you have dismissed in your response.

I will give you a little snapshot of my history with this disease. I was diagnosed at 22, after being in pain since 11 years old. My first doctor I ever came in contact with was a pediatrician who told me I had bad periods and to take naproxen and put me on birth control. That obviously didn't even touch the pain or the periods that would last for well over a week. At 16, I met with an OBGYN who again put me on various types of birth control, diagnosed me with IBS and put me on narcotics. At 16! narcotics?! I missed the majority of my senior year and almost did not graduate because of absences. At 21 I found another doctor (we are now at doctor #3), who talked about possibility of endometriosis and that we would have to do laparoscopic ablation and then I would be back to resume normal life. At 22, I had my first ablation surgery. I woke up in worse pain then I did before surgery. A year later, another doctor, (we are up to #4 in case you lost count). This doctor explained how ablation is the best course of action and also an IUD should "fix" everything. Well, surgery #2 at the age of 24 and again the same situation, pain was far more worse this time, to the point that I was out of work every month during my period and some days beyond that because the pain was too much to even function. At 26 I had excision and at 31 a hysterectomy from adenomyosis. I gave my uterus to this disease. To tell someone at 31 that you can't ever have your own children is not only devastating, it's heartbreaking. 

I am now faced with yet another surgery at 32 years old. There were symptoms that went unnoticed by different doctors. So if you count all the surgeries this is #5. This surgeon is out of network and out of pocket. It would have cost me $7,000. Even with out of pocket deductibles from insurance. I got United Healthcare to approve a Gap Exception, and they listened to me talk about Endometriosis. I had an insurance company understand Endometriosis and approve me in under 24 hours. You couldn't even give us a proper letter and explanation? I know that if I had a proper diagnosis early, as well as a trained and skilled expert that was covered then I wouldn't be where I am today. 

I am 1 in 10 women that are waiting for change. I will not stop until you listen. We are awaiting a more valid response.


Respectfully,

Allison Monteiro