My name is Anna, and for ten years, I lived with a pain that no one could explain.
Not a dramatic, screaming kind of pain. The quiet, exhausting kind. The kind that follows you into every morning, that makes something as simple as going to the bathroom feel like a battle you never signed up for. For ten years, I dealt with chronic constipation so severe that I had to take laxatives every three days just to feel like a functioning human being. Ten years of that. And nobody could tell me why.
I want to share this story because I know I am not alone. And because for a long time, I felt completely alone in it.
- The Years of Searching
- Finally Feeling Heard
- The MRI That Changed Everything
- The Hard News
- Moving Forward, One Step at a Time
The Years of Searching
I did not sit still and accept the discomfort. I tried everything I could think of. I went to two different hospitals. I tried traditional Khmer medicines that had been passed down through generations. I visited Chinese herbalists who promised relief. Each time, I walked in with hope, and walked out with nothing but more disappointment.
The symptoms never went away. My frustration grew with every failed attempt, but I refused to give up. Something inside me kept saying: there is an answer. You just have not found it yet.
So I kept looking.
Eventually, I made the decision to go to Calmette Hospital, one of Phnom Penh’s leading public hospitals, for a thorough examination. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Finally Feeling Heard
From my very first consultation at Calmette, something felt different. The doctors actually listened. They took my symptoms seriously, asked detailed questions, and recommended that I stay in the hospital for two to three days for proper observation and testing.
I remember sitting in that hospital bed thinking: this is what I needed all along. Someone to actually take the time.
The diagnostic process was thorough. It started with blood tests, then moved on to an abdominal ultrasound. That ultrasound was the first moment anything unusual showed up. The scan revealed cysts on both sides of my uterus, and it appeared that my uterus was tilted backward. Because I was on my menstrual cycle at the time, the doctors were careful about drawing conclusions too quickly. They scheduled an MRI for the following day to get a clearer picture.
The MRI That Changed Everything
When the MRI results came back, the mystery I had been carrying for ten years finally had a name.
The doctor explained that my chronic digestive problems were caused by endometriosis and severe pelvic adhesions.
Here is what was happening inside my body: my uterus had been suffering from significant inflammation caused by retrograde menstruation, a condition where menstrual blood flows backward into the fallopian tubes instead of leaving the body normally. Wherever that blood touched, it caused irritation and tissue to stick together. Over time, this created what are called chocolate cysts on my ovaries. And most critically, my fallopian tubes had adhered to my large intestine, which was physically preventing my intestine from functioning properly. That was the cause of my ten years of constipation.
Ten years. One MRI. Finally, an answer.
The Hard News
The diagnosis brought relief, but it also brought news that was very difficult to hear.
Because of the complexity of my condition and the high risk involved, the doctors concluded that surgery was not a safe option for me. The only path forward was hormonal therapy, either through injections every three months or daily medication, to stop my menstrual cycle, reduce the inflammation, and prevent further adhesions from forming.
The doctor recommended the injections for convenience. But he was honest with me about what this treatment would mean. I would experience a form of medical menopause. My periods would stop. And during this time, I would not be able to conceive.
Hearing those words was the hardest moment of my life.
I sat with that information. I let it be heavy for a moment, because it deserved to be. And then I made a choice: I chose to smile. I chose to accept the reality of my situation and move forward. My health and my quality of life had to come first. I could not keep living the way I had been living for the past ten years.
Moving Forward, One Step at a Time
I left Calmette Hospital with a treatment plan and a follow up appointment scheduled for three months from now. For the first time in a decade, I walked out of a hospital feeling like I had real answers, a real plan, and real hope.
I am sharing this story not because I have everything figured out. I do not. I have a long road of treatment ahead of me, and I know it will not always be easy. I am sharing it because I know how lonely it feels to carry unexplained pain. To go from doctor to doctor and leave with nothing. To wonder if you are imagining it, or exaggerating it, or if it will ever get better.
If that is you right now, I want you to hear this: do not stop looking for answers. Your body is telling you something real. Keep going until someone listens.
I finally found my answer. And now, for the first time in ten years, I know what I am fighting.
Stay tuned. In my next post, I will share more about my daily symptoms, how I am managing life during treatment, and the care routines that are helping me stay strong. 💛
Anna KH 
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