This team of doctors has shown me exactly what TRUE medical care

MY REVIEW: Seckin Endometriosis Center team has shown me exactly what TRUE medical care, empathy, knowledge, and respect for their patients are.

Thank you so much! Been trying to post to Google and it’s not working but I’ll get it done! My review is a little lengthy but I think it’s all worth it.  Thanks for asking what you guys have done. See my review below: 

Dr. Seckin and the team understand the struggles and turmoil we go through every day and their devotion to their craft shows this. If you haven’t read Dr. Seckin’s books, I will also personally recommend it; as many of you may be staring in the mirror of your life, and will also feel the same comfort and confirmation that you are in the best hands with people who understand you; as I did. This includes my daily pain and even the struggles experienced throughout this journey chasing the ghost of an answer that is an endometriosis diagnosis. 

If there was a way I could show my gratitude on a daily basis, I would. Thank you to all of you for saving my life in ways I cannot describe or express. YOU have changed my life. I will be forever grateful.  

MY STORY/EXPERIENCE: In order to provide the most accurate and comprehensive review of Seckin Endometriosis Center and their amazing team, I think it’s important to share the back story and struggles in order to understand the magnitude at which they have helped change my life. I hope this resonates with someone and you feel the comfort in this sisterhood; please know YOU are not alone!

My story begins in 2003 at age 13 when I was at my great-grandmother’s funeral and I had such terrible stomach cramps. No matter what I did, I couldn’t go to the bathroom. Hours into the reception I finally begged my mother to take me home. The following morning I had no ability to get on my feet. So I slid onto the floor, pulled at the carpet to move my body, and as I released my bladder I screamed and cried until my parents rushed me to the ER. After ER physicians indicated that I had ruptured an ovarian cyst and needed immediate surgical removal, seven days later and I’m still in the ER recovering. Little did I know, this was the beginning of my experience with endometriosis, although no one would tell me this for 17-20 years. 

The following year the same thing happened again and another surgery occurred and I ended up on birth control to try and control my PCOS. Fast forward through 15 years and my pain was so bad that it didn’t matter what I did or didn’t do, my pain debilitated me to the point I was using a cane and a wheelchair on occasion because of how severe it was. Going to the bathroom would make me cry, sitting too long gave me such terrible tailbone pain that I couldn’t sit in the same position for more than five minutes at a time. My husband told me that it was time for him to be relocated to Georgia and I decided to start over medically. All the doctors I have been seeing completed endless costly testing with NO answers. Ever. Not one. Just pain management for undiagnosed chronic pain; “that’s all they could do” or are you sure you don’t need therapy or are depressed? I was called a hypochondriac by a close family member once, to my face. So we joined pain support groups and tried to cope and manage a life of undiagnosed pain. 

I was finally referred to a Pelvic Pain Specialist who diagnosed me in the first office visit with Rectovaginal Endometriosis and the only way to achieve a relatively pain-free life was to have a hysterectomy. I was provided an alternative of doing nothing, but she indicated that the only way to fix this situation for the type of endo I have is a hysterectomy. As a 32-year-old woman with no kids, no pregnancies, or “any chance of getting pregnant” (her words not mine) I thought about it, did a ton of research, got another obgyn’s opinion, and put myself first and nervously decided to move forward. Two months after surgery I felt like a million bucks. I was kayaking, walking, and lost 45 pounds and for the first time in my life, I felt like I was in control. 

Throughout the next 18 months we had multiple changes and now lived in Florida. One day I screamed out in pain and my husband took me to the ER. And just like that, every single symptom was back. With a vengeance, I might add. I had a 3-inch cyst on one ovary and a 1.5-inch cyst on the other and the ER doctor says, “for your sake, I just hope it ruptures”. I said that’s actually the worst thing that could happen if you understand Endometriosis and how it develops. Honestly, at that time I didn’t even fully understand Endometriosis compared to how I do now. Florida doctors didn’t believe me, didn’t acknowledge my medical records, and talked to me like a drug addict. It didn’t matter what I showed them, what I’d been through, asking any doctor in South Florida to help me was an impossible task. I couldn’t believe it. I was disgusted, in pain, and still holding down a full-time job to make ends meet and hoping I don’t lose my job again. Every month for three solid months I ruptured cysts in my abdomen. Even my CT scan and MRIs showed this, along with a pool of abdominal blood and no one batted an eye. End of April, here comes my consult with Seckin’s office. At the same time, the Florida ob-gyn canceled my surgery because he “can’t help me”.  

The surgery was on June 23, 2022, and I can’t remember a time when I was treated like a human being at a doctor’s office until I met this team. It didn’t matter how many times I cried (which was a lot, right Dr. Chu? lol), how many questions I asked, what concerns I had… she/the whole team consistently and effectively put me first. They are probably the busiest office I’ve ever seen in my life of visiting doctors and yet they were always on time, treated me with respect, and did an amazing job on top of it. For example, as I’m in the OR, about to be put under, I start to have a panic attack. Being that this was my 8th surgery, I was very familiar with how my body responds so I warned them. Dr. Seckin saw me on the table shaking and crying, ran into the OR, and held my hand alongside the anesthesiologist until I went under so he could show me I was protected and not alone. That blew me away. No office has ever provided me such care on an emotional level before. Every nurse, every anesthesiologist, and every surgeon introduced themselves and had a pre-surgical discussion with me to ensure they knew MY and their goals before putting me under. Unbelievable treatment. 

Dr. Chu, my leading doctor, has been transparent, direct, and patient with me as I navigate this situation. She held my hand, listened, allowed me to get personal with her in a very private way so that she knew what was most important to me, and ultimately gave me CHOICES; I was never given before and ensured that I knew that this is all my decision. Ultimately, they found 23 out of 27 lesions testing positive for endometriosis and adhesions involving multiple organs and a few other things that needed attention. 

Let’s not forget the ladies out front – Holli, Kim, and Leah to name a few – they monitored emails, and phone calls, and multi-tasked in ways I’ve never seen an office run before. Finding this team has made my life better, more than just physically. It’s made my husband’s life better and most importantly it gave me the knowledge of the disease on a level that I can confidently explain what it is to share my story and educate others. I have applied to be on the EndoFound team to share awareness. No one should struggle with this, not in the way that I have. Not in any way. 

God Bless each of you and the partners who are standing by your side through this! Remember they are also part of this disease and will one day be survivors of Endometriosis too!

Again, Thank You, Dr. Chu, Dr. Seckin, the entire Seckin Endometriosis team, and the Lenox Hill Hospital staff from the bottom of OUR hearts!

Debbie & Scott S.