Nikki Crosby shares her pain dealing with endometriosis

COMEDIENNE Nikki Crosby, known for her upbeat attitude and positive disposition, shared the difficulties of dealing with endometriosis.

She was speaking at the second of a series of seminars for nurses on endometriosis on Sunday. The second focused on pain management.

Endometriosis is an often-painful disorder in which the endometrium (the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus or womb) is present outside the uterus.

Crosby, an advocate for the disorder, said while there is certainly more information available about endometriosis, not enough emphasis is placed on the psychological effects of its symptoms.

Crosby recalled going through symptoms of menopause and depression to the point of thoughts of suicide.

“As a teenager I was always told that painful cramps were normal. As a Caribbean girl learning from my mother and grandmother, I was told it is a part of womanhood.

“I have memories of excruciating pain, missing school, and for me this was an accepted form of pain."

Crosby said in one instance, she almost passed out from the pain. She spent a lot on tests after being told the problem was her kidneys, only to be told it was not. Eventually she was directed to a gynaecologist.

“One of the disadvantages of the disease is you can’t just walk into a doctor’s office and take your temperature and get a diagnosis.”

She said she had to have three laparoscopies before getting a definitive diagnosis, after years of painful periods.

A laparoscopy is an abdominal operation using a small incision to insert a camera.

She said at 34, she was told if she wanted to have a child, she needed to get pregnant right away.

“I wasn’t married yet. (It was) a lot of pressure.”

Crosby was married at 36, tried for eight years to have a baby and suffered several miscarriages. She said she needed therapy to accept that pregnancy was not going to be an option.

“I went through an emotional rollercoaster, a psychological rollercoaster. We talk to doctors, but we don’t talk about the psychological effects this (disorder) has on you.”

Crosby said she also struggled with explaining to her bosses why she had to take time off every month.

“It’s worse with female bosses who never get a cramp in their life or have normal pain and cannot understand why your pain is so bad you can’t even come to work. It affects you psychologically every single month.”

Crosby said she was happy with the work being done to shed light on the disorder, saying when she was younger, she did not have much support.

“It’s awesome that we have our own month now,” she said.

Endometriosis Awareness Month is recognised in March.

For more info on endometriosis, visit the Endometriosis Association’s website: https://www.endott.org/