Research

The long-term goal of my research to identify targeted non-pharmacological and non-surgical treatment to ease the suffering of women with chronic pelvic pain. I have a specific research interest in the treatment of women with pelvic congestion syndrome, regardless of medical/surgical treatment status. 

I am currently working on two funded studies. Initial funding was granted from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Faculty Funding for Excellence. The first study aimed to characterize the pain experienced and pain phenotypes of women diagnosed with pelvic venous disorders (PeVD). The study was being guided by the UCSF Symptom Management Model to incorporate the person, health and illness status, and environment on the symptom experience, symptom management, and outcomes impacting an individual. Initial results were published in the Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing. A secondary study with the FFE funding aimed to describe the lived experience of adult women suffering from PeVD. Guided by phenomenology, my goal was to evaluate the direct experiences of women from their diagnosis to quality of life. 

After my initial study identified two unique presentations of PeVD pain (mild but consistent AND intense and debilitating), I received the Every Women, Every Baby (EWEB) Association of Women's Health, Obstetrics, and Neonatal Nursing (AWHONN) Novice Researcher award to continue delineating the phenotypic profiles of pain perceived by women living with PeVD. This study is ongoing, with the hope to investigate multiple characteristics and potential covariates of pelvic venous pain.