Is That My Beauty? Patricia Kazadi on Living with Endometriosis
The actress has come a long way – from being misunderstood to finally being diagnosed and taking up the fight. All this amidst immense pain and a sense of isolation. Today, as an ambassador for the fight against endometriosis, she promotes diagnosis and supports other women suffering from this insidious disease.
Well-known and beloved, yet incredibly lonely – at least at one stage of her life – actress and singer Patrycja Kazadi has been struggling with endometriosis for years – a painful, chronic condition that has long gone undiagnosed. She shared her experience with endometriosis at the end of July in the Sejm (lower house of parliament) during a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee for Women. And with good reason – new regulations have come into force in Poland to facilitate the fight against the disease, and above all, to facilitate the financing of its treatment . She was among the experts who appeared before the committee, as she has suffered from endometriosis since her early youth.
The problem is that for years she didn't even know it.
The pain was so intense that I asked my mom if she had experienced it too. She said maybe at first, but it would go away later. The gynecologist told me it was just my appearance. So, since I have painful periods, I have to accept it and not act weird," Patricia Kazadi recounted. She added: "I figured this is how it's supposed to be, this is what life is like for young women."
Patrycja Kazadi is now 37 years old and has established herself as an actress and singer. However, it was during a rehearsal for the physically demanding program "Dance Dance Dance" in 2018 that it became clear that the disease was progressing rapidly.
"We had dance training every day, and I started noticing new aches and pains. When I jumped up really quickly or made any sharp movements, I felt like something was tearing in my stomach," she recalled.
Her symptoms worsened—she couldn't walk, felt a pulling sensation inside her body, and felt increasing pain. Over the next few years, she tried to find a specialist who could make a diagnosis. There were many dramatic moments.
In the hospital emergency department, I was crawling on the floor in pain because I couldn't walk. The doctor suggested cutting open my abdomen to see what was wrong. I checked myself out – I didn't want random surgeries in the middle of COVID," Patrycja Kazadi told MPs.
This led her to depression:
"Ultimately, I decided I was probably mentally ill, I made something up, since everything else was normal. I had my heart checked, I had a gynecological exam, I had my stomach checked – I'm healthy, I'm clearly making things up. If everyone tells me I'm healthy, but I don't feel healthy, then there's something wrong with me. I quit my job and locked myself in bed," she wrote.
A friend turned out to be the saving grace. Thanks to her network of friends, she finally found a specialist in Wrocław who diagnosed endometriosis .
My mother cried during the diagnosis, too. She didn't believe me anymore because it had taken so long. She doubted my symptoms and the intensity of my pain. What I couldn't understand most was how it had happened that I—someone with access to doctors, who had seen so many specialists, and who had spent hundreds or even thousands of złoty on diagnostics—couldn't get to the bottom of the matter. What are people supposed to do who don't have these opportunities, who can't afford to take time off work and live off their savings?
However, more difficult emotions awaited her. The main question boils down to what's next after the diagnosis. Neither removing parts of the organs nor hormone therapy are the solution for the actress, for a simple reason: the endometriosis may return.
To this day, we don't have a solution, or effective treatment. I'm convinced that if it were a male disease, this wouldn't be a problem. But because it affects a minority, i.e., women, we still don't have a solution. I'm very irritated by this. I thought this issue was unique to Poland and that perhaps people abroad knew how to deal with it. However, a visit to a specialist in Munich proved to be another disappointment.
A very important aspect worth mentioning is the mental health of women suffering from endometriosis . I'm in a very bad state right now, because it's been going on for a very long time, and I would like some solution, some hope. I'm very glad that you are here today, that you are looking for a solution, and that together we are fighting for a better tomorrow for us patients, because most women with endometriosis suffer from depression," the actress told MPs.
Patricia Kazadi's story is a shocking testament to the weakness of a system that, for years, failed to connect physical symptoms with psychological support. It also offers a clear voice emphasizing that endometriosis is not just a medical problem—it's a social and educational challenge that requires systemic solutions. Such as the National Health Fund program, launched on July 1st, which has included endometriosis treatment in the guaranteed benefits package.
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Updated: 05/08/2025 06:30
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