Allison Swinehart, a surgical physician assistant at AdventHealth Porter, shared her personal experience with endometriosis in a statement released on Mar. 18. Swinehart, who works with gynecologic surgeon Olga Muldoon at AdventHealth Medical Group Complex Gynecology and Surgery at Porter and Lone Tree, described how her own symptoms began in high school and intensified through college.
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, often causing severe pelvic pain and sometimes fertility challenges. The disease can be difficult to diagnose and may take years before patients receive confirmation.
Swinehart said, “I think I really started to know something wasn’t right in high school, but definitely by the time I got to college. I had friends who had cramps with their periods, but mine just seemed extreme.” She added that during physician assistant school she relied on ibuprofen to manage her pain: “By the time I was 26, even without knowing what I know now, I was pretty confident I had endometriosis.”
Dr. Muldoon said, “Endometriosis can take years to diagnose. Patients may have ongoing pain or fertility challenges but still question whether something is truly wrong.” When Swinehart underwent surgery performed by Dr. Muldoon, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 endometriosis—the most advanced stage of the disease.
“Finding out I had endometriosis was a strange mix of grieving and relief,” Swinehart said. “It can be incredibly validating to learn that you are not crazy and that not everyone else feels like this during their periods.” She explained that becoming a patient herself gave her more empathy for those she treats: “As a health care professional, it gave me an extra layer of empathy… being a member of this terrible club increased that understanding to another level.”
Dr. Muldoon reflected on performing surgery for her colleague: “As much as I see her as a patient, I also see her as a friend and colleague. I cared deeply about what we would find and about her outcome.”
Both Swinehart and Dr. Muldoon hope Endometriosis Awareness Month will encourage more women to recognize symptoms and seek care. Dr. Muldoon said, “I want patients to know they’re not alone and that they deserve to feel better.” Swinehart added: “Endometriosis is unfair… But what I want people to know is that you are not crazy, your body is not broken, and what you are going through is not your fault.”
AdventHealth Orlando—located in Orlando, Florida—was founded in 1908 and serves as both a pediatric hospital and training facility under its current president Terry Shaw according to AdventHealth Orlando.
