Help Restore Health and Hope Through Surgery

Hi, I'm Candice.

I never wanted to write this. I've always told myself, you'll figure it out, right? Unfortunately, that's not what life handed me in this situation. This means the world to me. More than my words here could ever describe.

Here is my story...

When I was 23 years old I had exploratory surgery because my ovaries were the size of a grapefruit. Flash forward after surgery I'm told I have Endometriosis. I wasn't told anything further about this. My naive young self thought, okay, I'm all good now. Wrong. So, being the curious person I am I start researching this disease. What I find, shocks me. Endometriosis has no cure. It's a whole body disease that can attack all organs on the body. It grows much like cancer but it isn't. It's a extremely painful disease the debilitates many interfering with daily life.

2019 I have my 2nd surgery with a general surgeon not knowing at that time you should have an Endometriosis specialist for any surgeries with endo. I'm told, if you want kids you better have them now. 29 years old, never told to freeze my eggs, never told anything. Infertility strikes me. My pain returns instantly.

Infertility consumes my life for almost 6 years with 6 miscarriages due to my endometriosis.

2022 I have my 3rd surgery with a doctor I thought I did my research on. My surgery was filmed live for the Endometriosis Summit in Celebration Florida. 6+ hour surgery. I wake up with extreme pain going down my right leg. They check it out. Say nothing. I'm released from the hospital on day 3. A month later, I'm having issues again. Getting a million tests done for my surgeon to say I have a Endometrioma on the outside of my uterus. My doctor is confused, I'm confused, my partner is confused. How is this? You were JUST in there. My leg pains continues for 6+ months then goes to my left as well. It is now October 4th, 2024 and I still have the extreme leg pain that now goes down into my feet.

In between 2022 and now I am in communication with a doctor in NY. Dr. Andrea Vidali who is also apart of the Endometriosis Summit in FL. He looks through my MRI in 2022 and finds that I also have Adenomyosis. I'm shocked, I'm confused, I'm worried, I'm anxious. How? So many questions race through my mind. How did the doctor before NOT see this. Dr. Andrea Vidali has been there for me to look over MRIs, tests, talk to me, walk me through things. This is what he does. Endo surgery day in and day out bringing relief for so many people.

This is what I'm longing for, relief. My life has been on hold for years because of this horrid disease leaving me feeling broken, alone, confused, anxious, sad, all of the above. I've lost my left fallopian tube, my appendix, and now I'm having issues with my left kidney. Endo is a silent killer of kidneys. I can't say for certain what I will wake up to after this surgery as I might need a bowl resection surgery as well during this surgery. I can't say if I will loose more organs or not. What I can say is I desperately need and want this surgery. I have put my complete faith into this doctor and I feel confident in this decision.

This is what it's all about, my 4th surgery with this amazing doctor.

I don't like asking for help. It's not who I am. I'm a I'll figure it out kinda person. I'm a I'll struggle for awhile before reaching for help. This is foreign to me. I know there are great people out there that would like to help others. This is the world I'd like to live in.

Symptoms for endo and adeno in pictures so I can spread more awareness, even if that's all this brings, that would make me happy.

Thank you all for your support and for reading my story, it means the world to me!