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After Years of Excruciating Pelvic Pain, Las Vegas Woman is on the Road to Recovery

In 2007, Teana Barbour’s pain was so excruciating that she was on approximately 32 different medications and would pass out seven to 10 times a day. She had gained more than 90 pounds, developed paralysis in her legs, lost bladder function, underwent a hysterectomy and lost her memory for nearly seven months. Her physicians exhausted their resources and referred her to St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix for a neurological assessment. That’s where Teana, 30, who resides in Las Vegas, finally found the hope she never thought she’d live to see.

At 19-years-of age, Teana was told that she had endometriosis and a form of dysplasia that leads to cervical cancer. Over the next several years, Teana underwent numerous procedures to remove multiple adhesions and she began experiencing chronic pelvic pain.

Once at St. Joseph’s, neurologists ruled out neurological impairment and contacted Michael Hibner, MD, director of Gynecological Surgery and the Pelvic Pain Center at St. Joseph’s. Dr. Hibner, who is a leading surgeon in pelvic pain, examined Teana and discovered a great amount of scar tissue related to her endometriosis and previous surgeries. The muscles around Teana’s pelvis were spasming from the scar tissue, causing her excruciating pain. Dr. Hibner performed surgery on Teana to remove the scar tissue and weaned her off the medications.

“Throughout all of the years I suffered from pain, I was told many times that it was in my head because pelvic pain can be a mystery to many gynecologists,” says Teana. “I want to let women with this disorder know that they’re not crazy and that there’s help. This condition almost killed me.”

“Pelvic pain can be a debilitating disorder and many gynecologists are not trained to recognize or treat the condition,” says Dr. Hibner. “When I first saw Teana she was in a wheelchair and was unable to function normally. When she came for her surgical follow-up, I did not recognize her because she looked much healthier and relieved of the pain.”

Teana is still going through treatment but is feeling much better and remains hopeful. She recently got married and although her hysterectomy prevents her from having children, she and her husband, Scott, hope to adopt. After years of living with life-altering pelvic pain and multiple surgeries, Teana is looking forward to living life again and is writing a book about her experience.

“I am thankful for Dr. Hibner,” says Teana. “I wouldn’t be here today without him. No one thought I would make it until I found help.”

Visit Dr. Hibner at http://www.stjosephs-phx.org/Medical_Services/Womens_Services/196314