Nadine has both pelvic and thoracic endometriosis. The latter is a rare form of the condition that occurs when endometriosis tissues grow on or around the lungs. Recalling the incident that led to her thoracic diagnosis, she says: “I tried to get out of bed one morning, and I realized I couldn’t move. I tried all sorts of ways, but I just could not move.” A paramedic arrived, and she was taken to hospital, where she was told that there was fluid on her chest. “They had to drain the fluid from my lung, so they made an incision, and they put this very thick, hard tube inside — there was no kind of pain relief, nothing. I was in so much pain, thinking, ‘Please, can someone hold my hand?’, but they just looked at me. It felt very inhumane. I thought, I’m 25 and I’m really scared — is there anyone with compassion to support me through this?”
