In a shocking revelation, a Liverpool woman has been battling a severe and rare form of endometriosis that causes her lung to collapse every time she has her period.
Jennifer Pickering, 39, initially thought she had injured her shoulder blade at the gym in September 2023.
However, after enduring two days of pain, an x-ray uncovered a collapsed right lung.
The Unfolding Nightmare
Jennifer, who previously led an active lifestyle as a former Pilates instructor, has since been plagued by monthly lung collapses that coincide precisely with her menstrual cycle.
While she hasn’t received an official diagnosis, doctors informally suspect she has thoracic endometriosis—a rare variant of the condition where tissue from the uterus spreads to the chest cavity, affecting the lungs.
Normally, endometriosis affects the abdominal and pelvic areas, but in this rare form, the tissue impacts the lungs.
What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the womb’s lining grows outside the uterus, on organs like the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and bowel.
Each month, these cells react like those in the womb, building up and breaking down, but unlike menstrual blood, this cannot escape, leading to inflammation, pain, and scar tissue.
This condition affects around 1.5 million women in the UK and can cause severe pain, bowel issues, fatigue, difficulty conceiving, and pain during urination.
The Impact of Thoracic Endometriosis
Thoracic endometriosis behaves like the uterine lining, building up and shedding monthly with the menstrual cycle.
Symptoms can include chest pain, lung collapse, coughing up blood, or blood in the chest cavity.
Without treatment, this condition can be life-threatening.
However, many women remain undiagnosed for years, according to Endometriosis UK.
Jennifer’s Journey to Diagnosis
Jennifer’s ordeal began when she was cooling down after a gym session and felt a sharp pain in her right shoulder blade.
Initially thinking she had pulled a muscle, she later drove herself to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, where an x-ray revealed her lung had collapsed.
After surgery and a period of recovery, her lung collapsed again in October 2023, and she spent another week in the hospital.
In November, despite not experiencing typical pelvic endometriosis symptoms, Jennifer was referred for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) to address her lung collapse.
This surgery involved inserting a camera and surgical tools into the chest to treat the issue.
The recovery was arduous, including the use of a painful chest drain and strict limitations on physical activities.
Discovering the Connection
Despite ongoing treatment, Jennifer’s lung collapsed monthly, leading her to suspect a connection with her menstrual cycle.
In April 2024, she was re-diagnosed with cyclical lung collapse, and an MRI revealed nodules around her chest cavity.
A biopsy is pending, but doctors believe these nodules are likely endometrial tissue.
Raising Awareness
To combat the lack of awareness and diagnostic challenges associated with thoracic endometriosis, Jennifer has launched a GoFundMe campaign.
She aims to organize a training day for doctors to better recognize this condition, as it often goes undetected in scans.
Her goal is to improve diagnostic accuracy and treatment for others suffering from this rare condition.
Jennifer’s experience highlights the critical need for increased awareness and better training for medical professionals to identify and treat rare forms of endometriosis effectively.
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