Server found no answers after 3 decades of pelvic pain and asked her doctor for a hysterectomy — then one table conversation pointed to a solution
Unanswered health questions can lead individuals to seek any possible solution for relief. After struggling with pelvic pain from the age of 11, Dawn Jemison decided to ask her doctor to consider a hysterectomy. In a report shared by CBS News on September 9, 2026, Jemison, who works as a server, explained that she had had the pain for over 30 years and had tried everything, but nothing worked. Just as she was in talks for the procedure, one shift at a restaurant led her to the answer. She overheard one table’s conversation, and it quickly became life-altering.
Jemison said her pain was either dismissed or misdiagnosed. At the age of 11, it was deemed puberty; later, endometriosis; while some told her it was just in her head. It felt like her pelvis was being twisted, and the stabbing aches became more frequent. After visiting multiple doctors and trying possible medication and procedures, in December 2024, she asked her doctor if a hysterectomy would solve the issue. “Let's get rid of the organ that I thought was causing me the most problems,” she said. In January 2025, she happened to serve at a table of health professionals. During their discussion, one person mentioned a case just like Jemison's and shared how a stent resolved the problem.
"It was completely by chance that I was the server in this room, that I was actually paying attention to what they were discussing,” she recalled. After the meal, she went to the team and spoke to them. She met with Interventional cardiologist Dr. Abigail Qin-Nelson the next week. After checking, the server learned she had a rare condition — pelvic congestion syndrome. According to Cleveland Clinic, the long-term disease is caused by blood build-up in the pelvic veins, leading to intense pain and swelling. According to Cedars-Sinai, the condition is often misunderstood as it is hard to diagnose and requires ruling out several other causes. Right enough, the imaging confirmed Jemison had around 76% and 52% of blockages.
While it was concerning, the woman was relieved she finally had answers. From being told she was just seeking drugs, to even being asked to have a child to “regulate the system,” she had reached her breaking point. Dr. Abigail was able to place two stents — one in the vein by her kidney and one in the vein by the left side of her groin to get rid of the blockages. Following the procedure, she only had a few days of discomfort from the stents. The “game-changing” experience ended all her pain. Now thriving, she cannot imagine what the missed opportunity would have led to. She noted that had she not overheard that table that night, she’d likely have proceeded with her scheduled hysterectomy and would have been in bed, asking, "What did I do, what did I do wrong, how do I fix this, who do I talk to next?” The coincidence gave her a “complete 180 on life.”