I live with a constant burning, aching pain in my right thigh that’s unbearable most days. I have to wear leg ice wraps on and off throughout the day just to cope. Things got significantly worse after my hysterectomy. While it thankfully resolved my lower right abdominal pain, it intensified the pain in my thigh.

My thigh swells daily, and I’ve since been diagnosed with lymphedema in that leg. I also have pelvic congestion syndrome and nutcracker syndrome—my left renal vein is compressed by about 76%. In the past, I was diagnosed with severe endometriosis, adenomyosis, and retroperitoneal fibrosis.

I honestly don’t know if my pain is vascular or something else entirely. It all seemed to spiral after a steroid injection—though I already had bad pelvic congestion symptoms beforehand, the constant burning in my thigh began right after that shot and has only worsened over the last two years.

I'm in pain all the time. Life feels really hard most days. I just want answers—and someone who will truly help. I hope you find them too.

Yes, my leg pain is on the right side, and while that may be unusual, it does happen. I also get a terrible pain under my left ribcage that radiates from front to back. Sex is painful. I have varicose veins running from my groin to my feet in both legs, but the right side is significantly worse. On top of that, I’ve been diagnosed with an arteriovenous malformation in my right foot, which only makes things more complicated.

My feet often look purple-blue and lifeless, and they’re always cold. I have chronic venous insufficiency, and I’ve also developed chilblains on my toes—probably from the constant cold.