Traveling for Treatment: One Patient’s Adenomyosis Journey with Focused Ultrasound
- Dr. Vanda Corbett managed debilitating pain from adenomyosis for decades.
- She found focused ultrasound thanks to a popular podcast and traveled to China for life-changing treatment.
For most of her life, Vanda Corbett, a Doctor of Chiropractic, thought her pain was simply part of being a woman.
From the time she began menstruating, her periods were severe and included heavy bleeding and pain.
It wasn’t until six years ago that Vanda finally received a name for what she had been living with: adenomyosis, a condition in which tissue from the lining of the uterus grows into the muscle wall. Even then, the diagnosis felt minimized. During an internal ultrasound, a technician casually told her, “Oh, you just have adenomyosis.”
“I remember thinking, okay, it must not really be that big of a deal. It’s just adenomyosis.”
Over the years, Vanda’s symptoms slowly escalated, until they became unbearable. What had once been episodic pain turned into a relentless presence.
“In the last year, I began having debilitating pain at least a third of the month. It was a nine or a ten out of ten level pain that kept me bedridden, on pain medication, and basically incapacitated. The days before and during my cycle were dominated by agony, but even outside that window, the pain never fully disappeared. The rest of the month, it was just this constant nagging pain that was continually there.”
As a healthcare practitioner, Vanda understood the diagnosis of adenomyosis, but what she didn’t expect was how few treatment options she would be given. After new imaging confirmed the progression of her disease, doctors presented her with two choices: powerful opioid painkillers or a hysterectomy.
“I was a little shocked. How is it 2025 and my options are either drugs or losing an organ? I was absolutely flabbergasted.”
She met with as many as five doctors for other opinions, but every gynecologist and surgeon told her the same thing.
“It wasn’t until one physician validated my experience saying that patients with adenomyosis and endometriosis do not exaggerate their pain, and what they have is very, very real. I thought there has to be something else out there.”
Discovering Another Way
The breakthrough came through conversation and curiosity.
“A close friend, Dr. Fiona Lovely, invited Dr. Suzanne LeBlang from the Focused Ultrasound Foundation onto her podcast to discuss focused ultrasound as a treatment for uterine fibroids. I wondered if it could work for adenomyosis too.”
She began researching and quickly discovered how limited access was in North America. Only a couple of centers offered focused ultrasound for adenomyosis. Overseas, however, it was a different story.
“In Asia, the treatment for adenomyosis is very popular. I researched treatments in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and China. When I found Chongqing Haifu Hospital in China, I realized that site was integral in developing the technology. So, that seemed like a good place to go. I gathered my medical records and imaging scans, obtained a visa, and coordinated care through the hospital’s patient liaison.”
Then, she got on a plane.
Traveling for Treatment
From the moment she landed in Chongqing, Vanda felt cared for. Hospital staff picked her up at the airport, brought her to lunch, and escorted her to her hotel. She spent two days exploring the city before her treatment.
“Haifu Hospital is dedicated entirely to high-intensity focused ultrasound. It’s this beautiful little place, and everyone was so friendly. All of the doctors spoke English, as did about half of the nursing staff. Translation apps bridged any gaps, and I never felt lost or overlooked.”
After pre-procedure testing and imaging, Vanda underwent her treatment on a Tuesday morning.
“I was awake but sedated and lying on my stomach. The treatment took three hours, and I felt moments of pressure, but no pain. A nurse stayed by my side the entire time, offering reassurance and ice chips to keep me comfortable. They took excellent care of me. I felt like a person, rather than just a disease with a body.”
Waking Up Pain-Free
The real moment of transformation came afterward.
After the procedure, Vanda slept for several hours. When she woke up that evening, something felt different. The next morning, when her doctor asked how she was feeling, Vanda didn’t hold back.
“I woke up and had no pain. I had no discomfort. I just felt like a completely different person. I told the doctor, ‘I am 100% elated and happy, and I’m pain free. But I’m also 100% incredibly angry. I’m angry that nobody knows about this. Why is this almost like a secret?’”
Life After Adenomyosis Pain
Months later, Vanda experiences only mild cramping for a few hours before her period begins. Traveling halfway around the world was one of the best decisions she has ever made.
“I’ve gone from more than a week of debilitating pain to about eight hours of very mild cramping ahead of my period. My bleeding has significantly decreased. It’s an incredible difference. Even if I had only gotten a 50% decrease in my symptoms, it would have been worth it. But I think I’ve gotten an 80% or 90% decrease.”
Now, she’s made it her mission to share her story—through podcasts, social media, and a YouTube vlog documenting her journey—so other women know they have options.
“There is help out there, and it’s life changing. If you are a candidate for it, my advice would be to just do it.”
This profile was adapted from Vanda’s Curing with Sound podcast episode.