Liverpool businesswoman Anna Khanna, best known for being the owner of Socialista Media, battled with endometriosis for months before she received a diagnosis.
Hailing the NHS for eventually getting to the bottom of her crippling period pain which left her unable to leave her house for days, severe bloating, night sweats and excessive bleeding, Anna was put on the waiting list to receive life changing surgery.
Anna waited for NHS treatment and because of the wait, her endometriosis had spread to her womb meaning that she also developed adenomyosis (endometriosis of the womb).
With years to wait, and being rushed to A&E in an ambulance after fainting from the pain, in March 2021, Anna made the decision to go private and undergo much-needed surgery.
Anna did extensive research and a friend recommended Dr Edmund Osagi of Aurora Healthcare in The Alexandra Hospital in Cheadle who helped Anna reclaim her life and now she wants to help others do the same. Dr Osagi is also the surgeon who operated on Molly Mae Hague for endometriosis. Molly fell pregnant with her daughter Bambi shortly after her surgery.
Anna, 39, explained:
“In my experience, endometriosis is a serious condition which is often overlooked. There are years of waiting lists on the NHS and most patients should not wait to be seen as it can have lifelong effects including infertility and ovarian cancer. I completely understand that the NHS is doing all that it can and have the utmost respect for the doctors and nurses, but because of the wait time, so many women are being forced to borrow or loan to go private and fund their treatment.”
March is Endometriosis Awareness Month, and last year with Dr Osagi, Anna held an Instagram live that saw thousands tuning in to learn all about the condition, listen to advice from Dr Osagie and hear Anna’s first-hand experience and tips on how to deal with the disease.
Anna and Dr Osagi teamed up to sponsor a listener, offering private surgery to help them overcome endometriosis. Private treatment costs £15,000 and Anna funded £7,500 of the treatment, with Dr Osagi sponsoring the other half.
Civil Servant Lauren Burcher, 32 from Fazakerley, who had stage four endometriosis, received the complimentary treatment after applying for the sponsorship.
Lauren had been struggling to conceive for three years before having surgery and had been experiencing severe period pain, bowel issues and fatigue since her twenties. She had three MRI scans and had undergone two rounds of IVF which had been unsuccessful, one of which led to an infection relating to her endometriosis and saw her hospitalised for two weeks.
She had been on the NHS waiting list for years and felt completely hopeless, even submitting a Freedom of Information request to find out how many patients were on the list to work out when she might be operated on.
Lauren underwent surgery with Dr Osagi in April 2023 but due to the infection from her unsuccessful IVF round, her left ovary was measuring at 12cm and was full of puss and she was advised to abandon the surgery and wait. Laura’s surgery was rescheduled for October 2023 and was successful.
Lauren said:
“Since my surgery, I’m symptom free and I finally feel like I’ve got my life back. I’m hopeful that it’ll help me on my fertility journey and I just can’t thank Anna and Dr Osagi enough for this everlasting impact they’ve had on my life.”
Anna is bringing back her Instagram lives for the second time this year and will host a daily live on Monday 4th, Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th March to raise awareness around endometriosis. Anna and her guests will share essential facts, insightful statistics, valuable tips and secrets about endometriosis so listeners can learn how to effectively manage symptoms and achieve a period pain free life.
Monday 4th March at 8pm, she’ll be live with Dr Osagi, offering another patient sponsorship for complimentary private surgery.
On Tuesday 5th March at 8pm, she’ll be live with Lauren Burcher who will share her experience of the surgery with Dr Osagi and how it’s had such a positive impact on her life.
And on Wednesday 6th March at 8pm, Anna will be live with supplements expert Kate Living who will share secrets on the right supplements to support endometriosis.
Anna is encouraging as many people as possible to watch the Instagram lives and discover as much information around endometriosis as possible.
The lives are available on Anna’s Instagram account.
READ MORE: PLANNING SUBMITTED FOR NEW PRIVATE HOSPITAL AT LIVERPOOL WATERS
