Help Lem from Cameroon get Endometriosis Surgery

Endometriosis is a reproductive disease that affects approximately one in ten women worldwide. It happens when tissue similar to the tissue that makes up the uterine lining is found outside of the uterus. This tissue can be found sticking to the ovaries, fallopian tubes, colon, abdominal wall, and even as far up as the diaphragm and lungs. Like the uterine lining, it responds to female reproductive hormones, building up and breaking down according to a woman’s cycle. Endometriosis can cause a number of life-altering symptoms, most commonly pelvic pain and infertility. Depending on its intensity, endometriosis can be debilitating.

 

If you have known me for the past ten years, you know I suffered extremely painful menstrual periods due to endometriosis and adenomyosis, which is the same type of tissue, but buried in the uterine lining. After thousands of dollars spent on two surgeries, dozens of medications, and other forms of treatment, I have finally found relief in the form of a hysterectomy and surgical removal of endometriosis (laparoscopic excision) with a wonderful surgeon here in Boston.

 

Why did it take ten years for me, a privileged American woman, to get relief? The answer is the state of endometriosis care is sorely lacking all around the world. My story is not uncommon at all.

 

I met Lem, a 32 year-old woman in the Bamenda region in northeast Cameroon on the Facebook support group Endometropolis. She told me about her eight surgeries, each of which only offered temporary relief. And about the severe, hormone-suppressing medications that made her feel crazy, and the morphine that’s not touching her constant pain.

Lem got in touch with a highly skilled surgeon in Dubai who offered to operate on her, suspecting that she still had endometriosis that was not removed. The doctor offered to operate on her for free, but she needs a Dubai residents’ visa. She cannot afford the $4000 for the visa and travel expenses. So that’s why we’re asking for your support. I hope we can help her before she loses hope.

 

GoFundMe requires a US bank account, so I am collecting funds to send to her. You can also send money to Lem directly by downloading the app WorldRemit. Thank you so much for reading this far. I have cut and pasted Lem’s story below in her own words. 

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My Name is Bugah Cidorine Lem, and I am a 32 year-old lady. After 5 surgeries, with no diagnosis in Cameroon, I was later diagnosed in Nigeria of endometriosis, in 2017. This gave me a year of relief, and in 2019, my pain was so bad I was put on Zoladex which didn't touch the pain, and drove me crazy, with hallucination, bone pain, severe heat and mood swings. This was changed to Leuprolide, and I still didn't get any form of help. A the end of 2019, I got a total hysterectomy, I had just about 6 months of relief.

Then I found an excision doctor, who found endometriosis and a lot of adhesions.

 

I had about 8 months of relief, and now my pain has been ongoing for over 6 months now, constant pain with no relief. I am on very strong pain killers, including morphine and it's not touching the pain.

 

Through Nancy’s Nook endometriosis support group on Facebook, I found doctor Arnoud Wattiez at Latifa Hospital in Dubai. I spoke to him on a Zoom call, and he thinks I have endometriosis on my colon, or diaphragm.

I also did an echography about 2 weeks ago and they found gall stones. But my doctor here in Cameroon refuses to operate on me because I have been operated on 8 times, and he can't advise me to go through an open surgery, especially if they won't be treating the endometriosis during the operation.

So after hearing my story, Dr. Wattiez agreed to operate on me as charity. However, in order to receive the proper care, he advised me to obtain a Dubai residents’ visa, which is going to cost me $4000 USD.

 

I know we all have a lot of difficulties in our personal lives, but please your donations, are my only hope of surviving and having a may be pain-free life. I have been in so much pain for so long that I have come close to taking my own life. I know I still want to live, and only your donations can grant me this wish. Thanks so much for reading this far and for your donations.