A FERMANAGH woman has been left with permanent health complications after waiting nearly two years for urgent surgery, only to discover her name had never been added to the colorectal waiting list.
Despite a confirmed diagnosis of deep infiltrating bowel endometriosis in late 2023 and a clear clinical need for urgent intervention, a series of administrative errors and systemic delays forced Nadia Stenson to seek private surgery abroad.
By the time she received treatment, significant and preventable damage had already been done, damage that now requires further major surgery, and faces possible permanent nerve damage.
“I was fortunate to be seen by a specialist quickly, who immediately recognised that I would need a bowel resection and possibly a stoma,” Nadia Stenson told the ‘Herald.
In April 2024, Nadia was told she had been placed on the urgent complex surgery list and was reassured that she would be seen soon.
However, months later, she discovered that due to an administrative error, she had never been added to the list.
The issue was eventually corrected, and Nadia eventually met with her consultant. The outcome was devastating – she was informed that the complex surgery list had been suspended.
“From there, my health declined rapidly. My pain became unbearable, I developed incontinence and prolapsing, and my dignity and quality of life were severely impacted. Despite my GP’s repeated urgent referrals and ongoing support, no treatment was offered,” Nadia said.
Nadia was forced to take out a loan and, with support from a community fundraiser led by her friend Niamh Carney, travelled abroad for private surgery – an option she says was not a choice.
“The surgery itself was thankfully very successful in treating the endometriosis, and I avoided needing a stoma at this time. However, my surgeons confirmed I had already developed a 40 per-cent bowel stricture and that, without surgery, my bowel would likely have perforated within months,” she said.
She added, “Because of these delays, my bowel obstructions went untreated for too long, and the chronic constipation that resulted has permanently weakened the muscles.”
As a result of the delay, Nadia now requires a rectopexy with surgical mesh to repair the damage. The impact has been not only physical but deeply emotional.
“The waiting, the uncertainty, and the knowledge that my condition is worsening while nothing is being done has been psychologically devastating. It leaves you feeling trapped in your own body.
“I have experienced intense isolation, anxiety, and depression. It makes you stop making plans for the future when you can’t trust your body to get through a single day without severe pain.”
Nadia now hopes to raise awareness about the need for ongoing care and specialist services for women’s health.
“In my own case, I am already prescribed strong long-term medication, yet even that wasn’t enough, and when I went to A&E in unbearable pain, I was refused anything stronger despite begging for help. It makes you feel invisible and dismissed,” she said.
“Timely treatment is crucial. The longer women wait, the more damage is done.”
Nadia praised her GP and medical staff for their compassion but said the system itself is failing patients.
“It is about lives being destroyed, physically and mentally, and financially by a system that doesn’t treat endometriosis or any women’s health conditions with the seriousness they deserve.”