When Nora Kjetså (19) from Kristiansand was nine years old, she got her period for the first time. Since then she has been plagued with severe pain. After reading on the website of the Endometriosis Association, and she recognized the symptoms of endometriosis, she went to the gynaecologist. Endometriosis is a female disease that causes great pain. The reason is that tissue grows outside the uterine cavity. Endometriosis tissue can grow on many different organs, but the most common are the ovaries, fallopian tubes, the outside of the uterus and the peritoneum. The disease also makes it difficult to get pregnant. In recent years, more attention has been paid to the disease. – The gynecologist thought that it could not be endometriosis that I had, says Kjetså. – I was given a choice. Either I could wait in line at the public service, which would take several months. Or I could seek private help. Many people with endometriosis experience severe pain and are bedridden when they have their period. Photo: Seline Larsen Unfair Kjetså called the private healthcare company Aleris in Oslo. She got an appointment there right away. A week after the consultation, she was lying on the operating table. She is happy that she had the opportunity, but thinks it is stupid that she had to resort to the private sector. – It is unfair that you have to be financially privileged in order to get help quickly enough. For Nora Stabell from Tromsø (21), it took six years before she received a diagnosis. Stabell did not experience being taken seriously by the public health service, and therefore went to Volvat. From there she was referred to the public health system. She was with Volvat in September, and had surgery in June. It had then been postponed by three months. – People told me that “it’s just three extra months”, but to me it means three extra cycles, three extra months of “hell”. – I know that my endometriosis got worse during those months. Nora Stabell (21) waited six years for a diagnosis. Photo: Hannah Bøthun / news Increasing trend Aleris feels that more women want their help. – More and more people are coming to us with women’s diseases, including endometriosis. In the Oslo area, we have had growth so far this year of 60 per cent compared to last year, says managing director, Anita Tunold. – Most people tell the same story: it took too long to get the treatment they needed in the public sector. We are happy to help. Anita Tunold, managing director of Aleris Norway Photo: Aleris Waiting time of up to two years Anne Veddeng is a senior physician at the Women’s Clinic at Haukeland University Hospital. She has overall responsibility for severe endometriosis and investigations into it. Veddeng confirms that they have long waiting times. – For the simplest operations where we make the diagnosis, we have a waiting time of around five months. For major operations, there is a six to seven month wait. Veddeng explains that it happens that people have to wait longer, and that some find the waiting time to be very long due to additional examinations to plan surgery. – We have had patients who have been in the operating queue for up to two years. The pandemic has led to delays, and in the summer we do not have the capacity to prioritize these patients. Facts about endometriosis Endometriosis is a condition where tissue grows outside the uterus. It takes an average of seven years to be diagnosed. It is usually detected during peephole surgery Because the symptoms can be very different, misdiagnosis is common Common symptoms can be pain in connection with menstruation, heavy bleeding and fatigue Endometriosis occurs in up to ten percent of women Among women who cannot have children, the occurrence is more frequent , with cases in up to 50 per cent The tissue can grow on fallopian tubes, ovaries, peritoneum, intestines, ureters and bladder The most common form of treatment is peephole surgery and contraceptives such as birth control pills or spirals Sources: The Endometriosis Association and NHI She still wants to warn some people against resort to private healthcare: – If you have severe endometriosis, you have to be operated on in the public sector, because it is one of the most advanced forms of surgery we carry out. – If they find serious changes, they withdraw and refer to the public authorities. Then it may have only led to delays of half a year. Senior doctor Anne Veddeng believes it is important that everyone in the health service has knowledge of endometriosis. Photo: ANETTE BERENTSEN / news Demands that the politicians clean up the Endometriosis Association is working to improve health care for people with endometriosis. They think it’s a shame that more people feel they don’t get help quickly enough in the public sector. – In Norway you should not have to pay dearly for help with severe pain that affects the quality of life to a large extent, writes board chair Elisabeth Raasholm Larby to news. – Here we expect our politicians to clean up and find solutions. If they need tips or advice, we are happy to arrange a meeting with them. The Endometriosis Association likes to talk to politicians about solutions to the problem, says board chair Elisabeth Raasholm Larby. Photo: Martine Mørk Hjelseth / X Marketing Worth it Kjetså spent a total of NOK 50,000 on surgery, consultation and travel. – It was worth it. If I hadn’t had the operation, I wouldn’t have been able to work in a nursing home this summer, or study in the autumn. For her, it was a relief to receive the diagnosis after the operation. – It is nice to know that it is not in my head, and I hope that the operation will enable me to get rid of chronic ailments.
ttn-69
Paying thousands to skip queues in the public sector for an endometriosis diagnosis – news Vestland
