Melissa Money, a registered nurse, was diagnosed with endometriosis after bad rectal pressure and stabbing pain during a period resulted in an ER visit. Valley News/Courtesy photo
CALIFORNIA – Endometriosis affects 10%, or 190 million, of women and girls globally. It is a chronic disease associated with severe, life-impacting pain during periods, sexual intercourse, bowel movements and/or urination, chronic pelvic pain, abdominal bloating, nausea, fatigue and sometimes depression, anxiety and infertility. Treatment is usually aimed at controlling symptoms. Treatment depends on the extent of the disease, symptoms and whether there is desire to preserve fertility. Endometriosis may be treated with medication, surgery or both.Melissa Money, a registered nurse and case manager in the emergency room at Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center, said she had always experienced bad periods.“Debilitating periods where I felt like I could not walk,” she said.
