Endometriosis Awareness Month: My Journey to Answers – and the Doctor Who Changed Everything – with Dr. Nicole Donnellan
So many women live with debilitating pain that no test can explain. This is Leanna’s story and her journey to finding answers and solutions.
Despite multiple ER visits, specialist referrals, scans, and procedures, everything continued to come back “normal.” With no clear answers, she began to question her own experience—and eventually, like so many women, started to accept the pain as something she might have to live with.
In this deeply personal episode, Leanna shares her six-year journey to a diagnosis of endometriosis and adenomyosis, and the moment everything changed when she was finally referred to a doctor who listened differently and was able to determine the underlying issue and provided a solution.
She is joined by that doctor: Dr. Nicole Donnellan, a minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon and Director of the UPMC Magee Women’s Endometriosis and Chronic Pelvic Pain Center. Dr. Donnellan specializes in the treatment of complex pelvic pain conditions and is a leading advocate for advancing research and care in women’s health.
Together, they explore the challenges of diagnosing endometriosis, why so many women go years—sometimes decades—without answers, and the limitations of current diagnostic tools. They also discuss the wide range of symptoms associated with endometriosis and adenomyosis, the role of pelvic floor physical therapy, and the importance of patient advocacy.
This episode sheds light on a condition that affects millions of women, yet remains widely misunderstood and underdiagnosed.
For anyone navigating unexplained pain, questioning “normal” test results, or seeking answers, this conversation offers both validation and hope.
Connect with Dr. Donnellan.
Connect with Leanna
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MD
Dr. Donnellan is a busy gynecologic surgeon with a strong commitment to patient care and surgical training. She has devoted her career to improving women’s health through the practice of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery and the education of trainees in this important surgical modality.
Dr. Donnellan has also founded and directs the UPMC Magee-Womens Endometriosis and CPP center. This center serves the women of western PA and beyond in evaluating and treating common causes of pelvic pain. She has also established a large biobank of endometriosis tissue and collaborates with fellow MWRI investigators regarding the role of the immune system in the pathophysiology of this common and often debilitating disease.
