Endometriosis, PCOS, PMDD: How Her Hysterectomy Brought Relief

This is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Kirklyn began experiencing symptoms of endometriosis when she was just 10 years old. While many young girls anticipate mild cramps and occasional discomfort with their menstrual cycles, Kirklyn’s experience was drastically different. Heavy bleeding, debilitating pain, and a range of unexplainable symptoms dominated her early years.

As Kirklyn sought help, she quickly experienced medical gaslighting. Her doctors often dismissed her concerns, attributing them to her young age rather than investigating further.

The Challenge of Delayed Diagnosis

Kirklyn’s path to diagnosis was anything but straightforward. Her symptoms progressed over the years, including recurring ovarian cyst ruptures that began in her teens.

“The pills more than anything, masked the symptoms. They shut down your system in a way."

She vividly remembers an incident at 14 when she passed out in her family car after a cyst ruptured during a basketball game. At 16, Kirlyn's mom, alarmed by her escalating pain, took her to a gynecologist. The solution the doctor offered her was birth control, which she feels ultimately masked her symptoms for a while but didn’t address the underlying issue.

“I stayed on birth control from the time I was 17 until I was 22 when I had my hysterectomy,” Kirklyn explains. “The pills more than anything, masked the symptoms. They shut down your system in a way.”

The Onset of PMDD Symptoms

Amid her struggles with endometriosis and later PCOS, Kirklyn began experiencing symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), an often misunderstood and underdiagnosed condition. PMDD affects mood and mental health, creating severe emotional and physical symptoms tied to hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle.

“I developed premenstrual dysphoric disorder. That has only been a diagnosis since 2018 and not a lot of people actually know what that is,” Kirklyn shares. Her symptoms escalated to the point where she experienced dissociative episodes, memory loss, and panic states.

“There would be days that would go by when I knew my period was coming, and then I would just wake up one day and it was like my period had already started and it was over, and I didn’t remember a three-day span,” she says. These episodes frightened her husband, who feared for her safety during the most severe incidents.

Living Through the Worst of PMDD

Kirklyn’s experience with PMDD took a toll on her mental and emotional health. She describes waking up in a doctor’s office with no memory of how she got there. Her husband explained to the doctor that she was having an episode. “They asked me if I was having thoughts of hurting myself, and I just broke down crying. I said, ‘No, I want to live. I want to go on tomorrow.’”

“PMDD is a demon that I never even had heard of. So when I experienced it, it was a different level of scary.”

The unpredictability of PMDD left her constantly on edge, with severe anxiety and physical symptoms that mimicked heart attacks. Trips to the emergency room became common. “PMDD is a demon that I never even had heard of. So when I experienced it, it was a different level of scary,” Kirklyn admits.

The Decision for a Hysterectomy

As her symptoms worsened, Kirklyn began considering a hysterectomy as a last resort. Despite facing judgment and criticism—even from some members of a hysterectomy support group—she pressed forward, knowing it was her best chance at regaining her life.

“I signed the paperwork that day and left the doctor’s office. I was all but using a walker. I was hunched over. My mom and my husband helped carry me out,” she recalls. The surgery, which removed her uterus, ovaries, tubes, and cervix, marked the end of years of suffering.

For Kirklyn, the procedure was life-changing. “I just get up and I go to work. I go to school. I do my thing,” she says, describing the freedom of no longer tracking her cycle or dreading monthly episodes.

Turning Endometriosis Pain into Advocacy

“If you find a doctor that dismisses you, then you get your booty up and you go find somebody else who listens."

Today, Kirklyn channels her experiences into advocacy work. As the Rocky Mountain Regional Area Coordinator for the PEACH Corps, she educates and supports others dealing with endometriosis, PCOS, PMDD, and adenomyosis. Sharing her story has been empowering, not just for herself but for others who feel isolated in their struggles.

“It doesn’t get better unless you speak up,” Kirklyn says. “If you find a doctor that dismisses you, then you get your booty up and you go find somebody else who listens.”