My unbearable pain was dismissed by doctors as bad periods and pregnancy - but my arteries were wrapping around my veins
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A woman who has spent years in 'constant agony' has been diagnosed with an incredibly rare condition which causes her arteries wrap around her veins and cut off blood supply to her organs - but claims her symptoms were dismissed as 'period pain'. Katie Shalka, 28, from East London, has had pain in her sides for nearly a decade - and although she had long lived in discomfort, the pain became 'horrendous' in 2018 and she passed out at work, which led her to seek advice from a GP.
![[Katie has had flank pain for nearly a decade but first started visiting the GP about it in 2018 - when it shifted from 'bad' to 'horrendous']](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/20/11/93349591-14213555-image-a-2_1734693096163.jpg)
After months of appointments which saw her in and out of hospital as she underwent various tests, Katie was told her results were normal and the symptoms were likely just down to bad periods - or even pregnancy. It wasn't until her family demanded more scans - after roughly a year of uncertainty - that a specialist finally diagnosed her with nutcracker syndrome (NCS).
![[Eventually, Katie's family demanded doctors conduct an internal scan - which Katie describes as 'excruciating']](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/20/11/93349589-14213555-Eventually_Katie_s_family_demanded_doctors_conduct_an_internal_s-m-19_1734693990657.jpg)
The incredibly painful condition causes arteries to wrap themselves around veins and cuts off blood supply to the kidneys. Since her diagnosis, Katie has had numerous medical procedures - but she says none have relieved her pain and many have only exacerbated it.
![[She spent months going in and out of appointments and visiting hospitals for tests - and was consistently told her results were 'normal' and the pain was likely 'just bad periods']](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/20/11/93349599-14213555-image-a-4_1734693189166.jpg)
She had begun to lose hope of ever living a 'pain-free life' until a few days ago when she visited a new specialist who is confident he can help her. However, the surgery she desperately needs costs an eye-watering £50,000 - so her partner Romy Ben-Hur, 32, has set up a GoFundMe to help raise the money needed.
![[The surgery she desperately needs costs an eye-watering £50,000 - so her partner Romy Ben-Hur, 32, (left) has set up a GoFundMe to help raise the money needed]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/20/11/93349593-14213555-image-a-5_1734693197649.jpg)
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