LEXINGTON, Ky. — Chronic pelvic pain was something that Tamarra Wieder, Planned Parenthood’s Kentucky state director, endured through her teen years. The pain got worse when she was 23 years old.

What You Need To Know

  • March is Endometriosis Awareness Month and advocates hope to grow public knowledge about the condition

  • 1 out of 10 people with uteruses have endometriosis, but this only accounts for those who get diagnosed

  • Diagnosing endometriosis requires the person to get laparoscopic surgery

  • Tamarra Wieder had a very severe case of endometriosis and felt that her experience was invalidated prior to her seeking help from Planned Parenthood

The pain was so bad that there were times she couldn’t get out of bed. This prompted her to save up her tip money she earned from working at Olive Garden to afford to see a gynecologist.

However, that appointment did not work out for her the way she had hoped. The doctor dismissed her altogether.

“I was like, ‘No, I’m having a lot of pain,’” said Wieder. “And he said, ‘Oh, well maybe you and your partner don’t fit.’ And my partner and I had been together for about three years at the time… we’re now married, almost 20 years together now. And [the doctor] said, ‘Or it’s your detergent… you’re just searching today… just go back home.’”

Even though the doctor invalidated her experience, Wieder considers herself to be one of the lucky ones. She reported to work after the appointment and her boss noticed she was upset. Once Wieder explained her symptoms and what had happened at the doctor’s office, her boss, who also had endometriosis, was able to give her the support she was desperately looking for.

“I’m thankful that I opened up because she immediately took me into her care and drove me to Planned Parenthood,” said Wieder.

It was this act of kindness that ultimately changed the trajectory of Wieder’s long journey with endometriosis.

Not everyone gets that kind of intervention, particularly people of color. Because of the difficulty of being diagnosed, the number of people with endometriosis may be much higher than one out of 10, which is the statistic often used for this disorder.

“Unfortunately, because of different systems that have been put in place, disproportionately impacted populations typically may not be appropriately diagnosed or may be misdiagnosed based on their presenting signs and symptoms,” said Shawana Moore, a women’s health nurse practitioner who is also on the women’s health advisory council for the organization, HealthyWomen.

Stories of doctors dismissing patients, like what happened with Wieder, is an issue, among others, that Moore believes needs to be addressed.

“When a woman comes in to her health care provider to report signs and symptoms, sometimes providers... they don’t listen to women and they don’t validate what women say and then they don’t act upon this,” said Moore.

It took years, but with the support of health care providers at Planned Parenthood, Weider consulted with her doctor and they both concluded that it would be best for her to get a full hysterectomy. She still does physical therapy to treat the endometriosis, but her life has changed for the better.

“I feel amazing,” said Wieder. “I do feel so much better. I don’t have the same pain, and I do feel like I have a little bit more control over my life.”

Now she works for the organization that supported her through her struggles with endometriosis, and she uses her experience to let others with the debilitating condition know that they are not alone.

Even though there isn’t a cure for endometriosis, there are ways to treat it to manage the pain. Birth control and pelvic floor physical therapy are among some of those treatments. There are physical therapists across the state that specialize in this area.

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