00:00On some days, just making it to the clinic is a win for paediatric worker Amy
00:07because on other days she can barely leave the house.
00:10It literally feels like your insides are swelling,
00:15twisting in knots, are being pulled in every single direction,
00:19there are hot knives.
00:21Despite her hysterectomy, countless surgeries and medication,
00:25Amy's endometriosis is still unpredictable and painful.
00:29I just was in the kitchen and got hit with a big wave of pain
00:34and ended up crawling on the lounge room floor.
00:37In late 2023, one Canberra doctor began offering pelvic Botox injections
00:42through the public health system.
00:44Advocates had been waiting for years for the procedure to arrive in the ACT.
00:49The relief I had from that was nothing like anything else I'd had ever before
00:54in my 20 years of having these problems.
00:56But earlier this year, the doctor was suddenly directed to stop.
01:01The decision to cease the procedure was a precaution due to unknown risks.
01:05There is limited evidence to support injections for chronic pelvic pain,
01:09the ACT government said.
01:11Pelvic Botox doesn't work for everyone and the relief only lasts for up to a year.
01:16It means patients like Jess and Amy are now due for another round of injections,
01:21but now their only options are to travel to New South Wales
01:24or turn to the private system, which can cost thousands.
01:28Pelvic physiotherapy is also another option, but the ACT waitlist is nearly a year long.
01:34Financially it just was never an option for me unfortunately, as it is for a lot of people.
01:40It's very frustrating that someone else can make this decision for me
01:43that has probably absolutely no idea what it's like to live with this.
01:46CHS says it's open to reintroducing the procedure if the doctor submits a research proposal.
01:53And the wash is not open to the public.
01:53Our human being is the right answer.
01:54So what CHAOS looks like...
01:55Yes, yes, yes.
01:56We spent the concertsanter credit
Comments