Living in Barbados, Katrina was 29 when she was diagnosed with Endometriosis. Today she’s 34 years old and shares her Journey with us. She truly is a Warrior!
Katrina’s Journey: Life started out normal like any teenager but it soon came to an abrupt hault when I started to mature a bit more then the pains associated with my period was terrifying on the onset of my menstruation. As I grew older the pain got worse at age I was hospitalized for a low blood count due to the amount of blood I had lost in that one cycle it was terrifying.
In 2012 and I remember it like yesterday cause that where it was at its peak the pain was unimaginable having being hospitalized twice for a rupture ovarian cyst treated and sent home not knowing I would return two months after the last discharge. On my outpatient visit I was in crippling pain to the point where I couldn’t walk there and the doctor at the time who was my physician, Dr. Chatranni, decided that a laparoscopy was needed because of the severity of the agony that I was in . When I came back from surgery the next day they came to my bedside to break the news of the finding my world change for the worse because I was discovered with the condition endometriosis that has no cure.
I cried I couldn’t cope because it was the first time I heard of it which took me 20yrs to find out what was causing so much havoc in this body of mine.
In 2013 I had a DNC to see if that would stop the bleeding as I was losing so much blood and also became anemic that didn’t work. In 2014 under the team of Dr. Chase and Dr. Bayo I had a surgery done that brought me some comfort, but it didn’t make sense removing my reproductive organs as the Endo had has spread to various parts of the body.
I live daily with pain but I also learn to fight when I want to give up most ’cause most people don’t understand how I do it most days especially the ones close to me ’cause friends on the outside looking in only see a smile but behind closed doors are the cries and the grimacing the hospitalizations, but most of all the long for a cure so you can be comfortable.
In 2016 after meeting so many women with the condition during hospitalizations and the passion to get the public in the know I created the Katrina Endometriosis fund association of Barbados registered charity #1281. It became the focus on teenager and women with this dreadful condition and since then we have done a great job getting them in the know ’cause even though we have a small country, many people are not aware of the condition. So my passion is to bring about sensitization to Endometriosis and being the ambassador for Barbados is a privilege because I can speak out for the women who are afraid to speak about the journey with endometriosis because of the stigma associated with endometriosis. The infinite fight is far from over in my ongoing journey with endometriosis, but giving up is not an option #iamanendolioness.
Words of Advice: Endometriosis is our weakness, but let our weakness become our strength .
The Last Word: Having the endometriosis foundation give me something to look forward and that’s to fight for our Endo community and get our voices heard .
If you wish to contact Katrina, you can email her. And check out the Katrina Endometriosis Fund Association’s Facebook page.
I want to send a special Thank You out to Katrina for being brave enough to share her journey with us today. And congratulations are starting up the Katrina Endometriosis Fund Association and spreading awareness! Thank you for ALL of your efforts! Yours, Lisa.
And if YOU would like to share your story, please let me know. The best part about this disease is the strong network of love and support from our fellow EndoWarriors, and our friends and family, too.
Yours, Lisa.
Bloomin' Uterus 