Racer Hanna Zellers recently had to undergo surgery after being diagnosed with endometriosis.
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Zellers, a driving coach and a racer with experience in multiple series, provided the update via Instagram. She explained that she had been dealing with considerable pain since a young age and that she had been on hormones since the eighth grade. Zellers added that she had been told that her pain was just "bad periods."
She also noted that it took her 14 years to get a diagnosis after dealing with different symptoms and that this is something that affects roughly one in 10 women of reproductive age.
"I was officially diagnosed with Endometriosis Stage 2/4 yesterday," Zellers wrote on Instagram. "Yesterday I underwent Laparoscopic Endometriosis Surgery with possible appendix removal as well as my tubes/ovaries. The damage inside did not result in me losing them.
"Endometriosis occurs when endometrial-like tissue grows outside the uterus, most commonly on pelvic organs like the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and ligaments. It has also been found on the bladder, intestines, bowel, diaphragm, abdominal surgical scars, and in rare cases, in distant areas like the lungs, brain, skin, and even in men.
"...Recently I have been in the ER a few times with extremely painful abdominal pain, extreme GI issues, nausea/throwing up, more...Which eventually led to needing to see a specialist to finding the underlying cause. I feel so incredibly grateful to have answers this many years later."
The Indiana native will now recover from the surgery and continue to provide updates about her journey. She explained that she had debated posting about the procedure, but she knew that many women did not have answers.
As an example of this, she posted a chart highlighting a staggering number of symptoms ranging from poor circulation to mobility issues and organs sticking together.
