Share and Follow
Actress Jess Impiazzi has shed light on her journey with the NHS following her recent announcement of expecting her first child through IVF. For Jess, becoming pregnant was no easy feat, as she battled persistent health challenges before finally undergoing the IVF process. In a conversation with Express.co.uk, ahead of her upcoming film “Jitters,” she revealed that her struggles were more than just related to IVF. She shared, “I was extremely sick, suffering from lupus, and without a clear diagnosis. The stress from various issues took a toll, and my body just couldn’t cope.”
Despite her severe symptoms, initially, doctors struggled to pinpoint the cause. Eventually, Jess was diagnosed with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI), a condition where the ovaries lose normal function before age 40, affecting about 1% of women. She noted that lupus can often lead to this condition.
Jess elaborated, “The doctors hadn’t initially checked for POI, which felt like a gap in understanding what was wrong. During my numerous check-ups, I had different specialists, including a gynecologist and a heart doctor. Yet, it seemed disjointed, as I had to personally ensure that each specialist had the necessary paperwork, which wasn’t always shared properly.”
She added, “My experience has shown me how chaotic the system can be, and I doubt I am alone in this.”
Jess emphasized, “Nowadays, it’s crucial to advocate for yourself and thoroughly research your health issues. Doctors should have access to all patient records and should aim to piece together the health puzzle. Unfortunately, this isn’t the norm.”
Jess explained that she was asked by one doctor how she knew she had lupus, despite it being in her medical files, because when she moved area her notes weren’t sent over, so she’s in the process of doing it manually.
She continued: “It’s hard because the NHS are so stretched, I can’t blame the doctors, but I think when you’re in the room, when you have that 10-15 minutes, really look into it. I feel like in the beginning I was brushed off a lot, I was told, ‘you’re young, you’re healthy,” but I wasn’t.
Jess added: “I’d like to see more budget put into women’s healthcare, to fix problems like this.”