Page 12 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 2

ISSUE TWO | SEPT/OCT
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decision I ever made was medical insurance was covering everything.
The doctor said, “You know, I think it could be something different, I think
I’m going to send you to a gynecologist.” Now gynecologists at this time “I have seen painful
are for pregnant women, married women, not young girls (I was 18) and affliction and I have seen
there’s a particular side-eye that’s given to girls at the gynecologist. After the Lord’s healing hand.
more tests I was told it could be endometriosis and that they were going And you know sometimes
to book me in for surgery. This is Wednesday and he says we’re going in you want healing to be
on Saturday. The good news was that he actually found endometriosis instantaneous but I’ve
on my left ovary and my intestine. It wasn’t all in my head. also seen the process
of healing and it’s God
After years of painful, heavy periods, constant fatigue, healing my body and
constipation, migraines, extreme pain in between her periods, also God healing my mind
strong enough to cause her to faint on occasion and just as well, God healing my
sheer frustration from the misdiagnosis, heavy medication, emotions; those parts
lack of answers, Esther finally had a clearer picture of what of me that have been
was going on. Some form of redemption from the stigma she fragmented”
had faced from people around her who could not understand.
Endometriosis is a condition where the cells similar to the there was some peace.
One day when I was trying to shed
the kilos that I added during this
menopause, I felt a pain in my
abdomen. It was like a tugging
from within. I went back to see
the doctor and he said, “I think
your appendix has burst, so now
we need to go in for surgery. A
general surgeon and I will come in
to do the adhesions.” So I ended
up having surgery again. I woke
up and found the surgeon didn’t
with her husband Peter Kimemia use the same incisions, he made
his own and the stitching was like
so inconsistent. The first guy was
lining of the uterus (endometrium) are found outside of the
really really neat the second one
uterus. The symptoms include excruciating period pains,
was not so neat. So I woke up and
cramping, pain during or after intercourse, pain with bowel
I’m like this is definitely not what I
movements or urination, heavy periods or bleeding between
signed up for.
periods, infertility, fatigue, constipation, diarrhea, bloating
Meanwhile, I’m missing school,
among others.
people at school don’t understand.
There’s something about having
Another thing that you’re never really told is how normal bowel movements
an invisible illness that makes it
are supposed to feel. I probably had my first normal bowel movement
harder to receive mercy and grace.
in my 20’s, because I was constipated all my life - but it was my normal.
In school I’m missing so many
I never knew. I’d be more constipated closer to my periods but I just
classes I’m just barely making it.
thought, you know these things are not even connected, so I always
I wish I had a semester break or
treated them in isolation. I treated the fatigue in isolation as well. After
something, that would have been
surgery the doctor put me on this drug that puts you into menopause.
really good.
So at 19 I had menopause symptoms. So no periods, I’d get hot flashes,
Afterwards I just kept having
I added five kilos, was experiencing depressive episodes, and that was
ovarian cysts. They’d grow then
horrible. All this time I was just like “God, this is not what I signed up for.
when you’re told it’s time to go for
I know there’s supposed to be hardship but this is quite hard hardship!”
surgery, you start shaking. And
I finally started to feel a little better; there were no periods, so at least
12 HEALING - RESTORING - REBIRTHING - AFRICA