Endometriosis hell: A hysterectomy saved me from a life of agony

At just 20 years, Tahlia Keirs has already gone through menopause twice and had eight surgeries in four years. The results of the final one means she will never have children.

• Cost pain: Plea for Medicare coverage

Tahlia Keirs is just 20 years old, and she has already gone through menopause twice.

She has had eight surgeries in four years. She will never have children.

That is after a life-changing decision six months ago, when she took the extraordinary step of having a hysterectomy after a harrowing battle with endometriosis.

It all began from the moment she had her first period.

At 15, Ms Keirs and her mother knew immediately something was wrong – she got her period and did not stop menstruating for four weeks.

A laparoscopy a year later revealed widespread endometriosis and multiple adhesions throughout her abdominal region.

“My ovaries were stuck to the back of my pelvis, on to the abdominal wall, and my uterus was tipped really far back. But I was very grateful they found no cysts,” Ms Keirs explained.

Endometriosis, a chronic and often debilitating condition, causes tissue similar to the lining of the uterus to grow outside the uterus.

The condition causes pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, fatigue, depression, anxiety and bowel problems, affecting around one in seven Australian women by age 44-49.

Tahlia Keirs, 20, had a hysterectomy six months ago after suffering through more than four years of chronic pain. Picture: Adam Head

To help manage the pain – which escalated to chronic pain by the time she hit 17 – Ms Keirs was offered several methods, including a trial of chemical menopause and spinal nerve stimulation.

“They put me through chemical menopause, which was an injection every 28 days, as well as being on the pill and the IUD,” she said.

“At 17 years old, going through menopause was interesting – trying to deal with doing my Year 11 exams and getting these hot flushes while I was sitting in a big exam hall was a unique one.

“The funny thing was I ended up going through menopause at the same time as my grandma.”

The menopause provided mild relief but it wasn’t enough to keep her pain at bay and, after four years of trialling methods to manage it, Ms Keirs’ options were quickly exhausted.

The conversation about having a hysterectomy was initially brought up by Ms Keirs when she was 17 and was revisited again at 20 after four laparoscopies.

From 2014-15 to 2022-23, Queensland Department of Health data shows fewer than 10 (0.1 per cent) endometriosis sufferers aged 17-21 underwent a hysterectomy, a surgical operation removing all or part of the uterus.

While the need for the life-altering surgery was extremely rare, Ms Keirs opted to have a hysterectomy to improve her pain and overall quality of life.

The 20-year-old said she even underwent menopause at the same time as her grandmother. Picture: Supplied.

“They asked me about children. And I said I did want kids, I always have but I don’t need to have biological children – there are other ways to have them,” Ms Keirs said.

“I knew I didn’t want to bring a biological child into the world if it meant they could go through the same thing. It didn’t feel moral in my books.

“This procedure was going to essentially save my life because, at this point, my depression was worse. I was getting suicidal because of the pain, I was just a mess. I was taking almost 30 tablets a day all relating to endometriosis and chronic pain.”

The pain affected her final year of high school so much that she had no other option but to drop out.

“Education is a huge thing in my family, and it’s a huge part of my personal goals. So it was devastating when we had to make that decision,” Ms Keirs said.

Tahlia Keirs said she had been begging for a hysterectomy since she was 17. Picture: Supplied

National Association of Specialist Obstetricians and Gynaecologists president and associate professor Gino Pecoraro said a hysterectomy to manage endometriosis for young women was very uncommon and was not a cure for the disease.

The surgery, while appropriate for some people, should only occur after extensive consultation, consideration of all options, and the support of a multidisciplinary team.

“(Ms Keir’s medical team) have clearly gone through all the available options and there was nothing left to offer her. So the decision to have a hysterectomy is made lightly, it is uncommon but it has been done,” Professor Pecoraro said.

“By definition, you have to say she has severe symptoms … if nothing is working (to manage pain) then you have to say that she got severe pain.”

The gynaecologist agreed to a hysterectomy in five years, as further surgery would only worsen Ms Keirs’ abdominal scar tissue and lengthen her recovery.

Her cervix then prolapsing in her bathroom changed everything.

“My gynaecologist finally said, ‘OK let’s get a hysterectomy’, because at this point my pain level was an eight out of 10 every day,” she said.

“I booked my surgery in and one month later I was admitted to surgery.

“I had my right ovary and my uterus taken out.”

Tahlia Keirs had a "life-saving" hysterectomy at just 20 years old. Picture: Supplied.

Now six months on, Ms Keirs is slowly teaching her body how to live without chronic pain.

Her medical team advised her that, while her pain may be reduced, it might not go away entirely.

“I have dropped down from 30 tablets a day to 10 and I would say my pain had reduced to a three out of 10. But it is a long recovery process – I get exhausted quickly,” she said. “I did have to go through a second menopause after the hysterectomy because the surgery triggered it.”

Now the nursing student is a year from graduating university as a registered nurse.

“I went into nursing purely because I had been in the hospital so much, I was watching nurses and doctors and I saw the way that they helped me and changed my life,” she said.