For 12 years, Crystal Richardson went from doctor to doctor to understand what was causing the debilitating period pain she’d been living with since her late 20s. “I had very sharp pains during my period. It felt like my whole pelvic region was being squeezed,” says Crystal, who is now 40 and lives in Brooklyn with her 19-year-old daughter and partner. “It was excruciating.”
Over the years, Crystal’s pain became chronic. It was not uncommon for her to visit the emergency room for cortisone shots and pain medicine to ease the clenching feeling and tightness during her periods. Her menstrual flow was so heavy that she was anemic, making her fatigued, dizzy, and light-headed.
An appointment with gynecologic surgeon Dr. Eung-Mi Lee changed everything.
