Dawn Jemison Ends 32-Year Pelvic Pain With 2 Stents After 76% Vein Compression Found
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Sep 5
Dawn Jemison Ends 32-Year Pelvic Pain With 2 Stents After 76% Vein Compression Found
1 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Sep 5
Summary
Fort Wayne resident Dawn Jemison, 43, said her daily pelvic pain fell to zero a year after doctors diagnosed pelvic congestion syndrome and placed two stents to reopen blocked veins.
A venogram found several blockages, including 76% compression in one iliac vein and 52% in another, explaining decades of pain and leg swelling that earlier tests had missed.
January 2025 changed her course when, while serving a group of medical presenters at work, she heard a case matching her symptoms and postponed a hysterectomy scheduled after years of failed answers.
Interventional cardiologist Abigail Qin-Nelson later placed one stent near a kidney vein and another along the left groin, followed by a second procedure to cauterize backup veins.
The case highlights how pelvic congestion syndrome can be hard to diagnose because doctors must rule out many other conditions, and Jemison will continue routine monitoring to watch for recurrence.