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Actress Lena Dunham has decided to take permanent measures to deal with her long and painful battle with endometriosis.
In the March issue of US Vogue the 31-year-old revealed she made the tough decision to have a hysterectomy – the removal of the uterus and cervix – after numerous surgeries to help alleviate pain caused by endometriosis, according to the Endometriosis Foundation of America.
The Girls star, who’s been open about her struggle with the disorder in which tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside it, has tried pelvic-floor therapy, massage therapy, pain therapy and even acupuncture.
But doctors discovered Lena’s health issues were far more serious than they initially thought.
“In addition to endometrial disease, an odd hump-like protrusion and a septum running down the middle, I have retrograde bleeding, also known as my period running in reverse so that my stomach is full of blood.”
The Golden Globe winner went on to say, “My ovary has settled in on the muscles around the sacral nerves in my back that allow us to walk. Let’s please not even talk about my uterine lining.
“The only beautiful detail is that the organ, which is meant to be shaped like a light bulb, was shaped like a heart.”
In April 2017 the writer and producer thought she’d won the battle against endometriosis but was rushed to the hospital one month later after the Met Gala, according to E! News.
“To be perfectly honest I’m in the greatest amount of physical pain I’ve ever experienced.
“After being told I was endometriosis-free after my last procedure, more disease was found in deeper spots that required immediate surgery and now physical therapy,” she wrote.
Although Lena, who recently split from musician Jack Antonoff (33), is now unable to get pregnant, the actress said she’s open to exploring other options, including adoption and surrogacy.
“I may have felt choiceless before but I know I have choices now,” she writes.
“Soon I’ll start exploring whether my ovaries, which remain someplace inside me in that vast cavern of organs and scar tissue, have eggs. Adoption is a thrilling truth I’ll pursue with all my might.”
Sources: eonline.com, nydailynews.com, endofound.org
