Jessica Harper spent weeks in ICU care after the surgery that was meant to help her … and says doctors dismissed her pain

After months of doctors dismissing her symptoms, this teenager was in so much pain she couldn’t function. Then she ended up in ICU.

After months of doctors dismissing her symptoms Jessica Harper was admitted into ICU care after she underwent a surgery that was meant to finally relieve her of debilitating endometriosis pain.

The 19-year-old has suffered with constant abdominal pain throughout year 12.

It wasn’t until December 2022, a month after she was forced to abandon her final year exams and six months since her symptoms started, doctors discovered she had endometriosis and adenomyosis.

“I was in so much pain,” the Nuriootpa teenager said.

“It would come out of nowhere and just knock me out … I couldn’t function.

“For those six months I was continuously brushed off and it was really horrible to be made to feel like I was making it up.

“It’s really painful to be told it’s all in your head.”

Jessica’s mum Ros Harper said doctors kept thinking her daughter had appendicitis or was suffering with anxiety.

Ros Harper with her daughter Jessica Harper after battling with an endometriosis diagnosis - and being dismissed by doctors. Picture: Matt Loxton

On February 6 2023 Jess was finally scheduled for a laparoscopy where doctors attempted to burn the endometriosis in Jessica’s pelvis.

During the surgery doctors inserted a mirena, a hormonal contraceptive medication, they said would help prevent endometriosis growth.

But rather than recover, Jessica’s nightmare was about to get a whole lot worse.

“Jess’s body went into a bit of a meltdown and from what we can tell her body started to reject the mirena,” Ms Harper said.

Jessica Harper after her first surgery in February 2023. Picture: Supplied by family

Jessica was admitted into ICU care after the mirena was inserted during the first surgery. Picture: Supplied by family

Jessica was admitted into her local hospital and then the Lyell McEwin for ICU care.

“She spent two weeks sedated … screaming the place down,” Ms Harper said.

“It took them four days for them to listen to me to take the mirena out because they insisted it wasn’t the problem.

“There was a lot of crying, yelling and swearing at the doctors because no one was listening.”

The doctors finally removed the mirena and Jessica started feeling better but continued to deal with pain and suffered non-epileptic seizures.

“It was a really traumatic and horrendous time.”

But this wasn’t the first time doctors struggled to believe Jessica.

When she was eight Jessica began complaining of joint pain. It took doctors four years to discover Jessica was suffering with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

“For those four years she was told by many doctors that she should see a psychiatrist, it was in her head and she was needy,” Ms Harper said.

“She now has some pretty big trust issues with doctors when it comes to pain.”

Jessica’s mum Ros tried to find a doctor who’d believe her daughter. Picture: Supplied by family

After Jessica’s first surgery she started feeling pain again only months later. Picture: Supplied by family

Jessica was feeling better following her February surgery until October when the familiar pain came back, only worse.

“We just went straight back to, ‘no it can’t be endo, it doesn’t regrow that quickly’,” Ms Harper said.

“We fell apart because we’re back on that roller coaster again.”

Jessica has been admitted into hospital 12 times for pain management since October last year.

She even spent Christmas and New Years sedated in hospital.

Jessica Harper and her mum Ros Harper in hospital on Christmas Day 2023. Picture: Supplied by family

It wasn’t the way she wanted to be celebrating Christmas. Picture: Supplied by family

Ms Harper and her daughter discovered a specialist who could help her, only her waitlist was 18 months and Jessica couldn’t wait.

“We rang and begged … she couldn’t possibly fit us, it was too hard,” Ms Harper said.

On Jessica 12th hospital admission Ms Harper “cracked it” and rang the specialist again.

“I actually cried and begged and they listened and by some miracle this specialist decided that we’d been through enough and to book her in for surgery in two weeks time,” Ms Harper said.

Jessica Harper before her second surgery in March 2024. Picture: Supplied by family

Jessica Harper after her second surgery in March 2024. Picture: Supplied by family

On March 15 Jessica underwent surgery again.

The specialist found severe endometriosis throughout Jessica pelvis and a large cyst on her ovary doctors suspected was missed in the first surgery.

“She pulled out so much,” Ms Harper said.

“She said, you made the right decision, the surgery needed to go ahead because you were full of it and you can’t live like that.”

Now Jessica is focused on her recovery as she looks forward to enrolling in a nursing degree at university next year.

“She was so relieved that someone had listened and validated her pain,” Ms Harper said.

“She’s only one week post-op but the difference between this time and last time is chalk and cheese.”

Originally published as Jessica Harper spent weeks in ICU care after the surgery that was meant to help her … and says doctors dismissed her pain