Amanda’s New Lease on Life

Everything was going along normally for TriHealth patient Amanda Luman, until she started experiencing unusually painful menstrual cycles following the expiration of an IUD.

Upon removing the IUD, Amanda’s CNP at TriHealth Kenwood found a small lesion on her right ovary — and due to a family history of ovarian cancer, Amanda agreed to monitor the lesion, checking on it via ultrasound 6 weeks later to see if it had grown.

“In that six-week period,” she said. “The cyst, as we had started to call it, had effectively doubled in size and the other symptoms were not slowing — they were getting worse.”

Three months, two CT scans, and a contrast MRI later, Amanda made her decision — she would get a hysterectomy to remove the cyst.

“From the beginning, my CNP Bonnie, Dr. Saraf, and Dr. Neff started collaborating to ensure that I was kept up to speed on any developments,” Amanda said. “Dr. Saraf has been helpful in encouraging me to continue to be active and focus on my health goals, and Dr. Neff’s team was happy to discuss results and allay any concerns I had, as well as helping me manage menopause.”

She discussed the difference in care even further, as well:

“I had been to other physicians for painful menstrual cycles and heavy bleeding, but I was ignored and told to lose weight. The primary reason I came to TriHealth was to find a healthcare provider that would actually take me seriously,” Amanda recalled.

“Not only did Bonnie take me seriously when I explained what was happening, but she was compassionate and swift to refer me to the next level of care when the tests showed possible cancer. I could tell from our first appointment that she wasn’t going to let me just NOT take care of myself, and she was happy to provide me with resources for additional concerns.”

Amanda also remembered having a good feeling about her surgeon, Dr. Neff, right away.

“I picked up right away that he’s a total nerd about saving lives and super curious about how best to help, both qualities that I find incredibly important in a surgeon,” she said.

But that care didn’t stop in the operating room.

“From the nurse who checked me in, to the Chaplain that laughed at my ‘Holy Hand Sanitizer’ joke after our prayer, to the anesthesiologist that giggled when I called him an alien right before passing out,” she listed off. “TriHealth has the most joyful and HUMAN care providers I’ve ever encountered!”

Today, Amanda is back to doing what she loves!

“Since having this hysterectomy, I have lost weight, stopped drinking, recovered lost relationships, and even picked up some new creative methods,” she said. “Menopause aside, my moods are more stable, and best of all I’m able to show up in my life the way I want to!”

Looking for Amanda nowadays? You won’t find her sitting around, that’s for sure!

“I have a new lease on life,” she said. “Daily nausea, pain, and fatigue was keeping me from truly living my life in a way that aligns with the vision I have. I’m an active person who loves to dance, hike, swim, lift weights… And I spent close to 3 years not being able to do anything — I plan to be a TriHealth patient for life.”