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MACEE SWAFFORD Staff Writer
WILLIAMSBURG— For Casey Nicole Rose, the last several years have been marked by pain, uncertainty and a long search for answers. But through surgeries, setbacks and the emotional weight of still not having a full diagnosis, the Williamsburg mother says she is holding on to hope.
Rose, who has lived in Williamsburg nearly all her life, said her health struggles began in February 2020 after she underwent surgery to remove her gallbladder. During that procedure, she said an umbilical hernia was also repaired, unbeknownst to her, while she was under anesthesia— something she believes changed the course of her health.
“ That right there ruined me,” Rose said.“ I’ ve lost 85 pounds. I have been so, so sick.”
Since then, she said her daily life has looked very different. Once active with her children, Allyssa, 14, and Bailey, 9, coaching cheer and staying constantly on the go, Rose said she now battles symptoms that have affected nearly every part of her routine.
“ I was, like, human. I felt human before,” she said.“ I played with my kids all day, cheer coached, we’ d go out and go to the park— like, it was just everything. And now they just see me laying around.”
Over the years, Rose said she has seen specialist after specialist in an effort to understand what is wrong. She described being“ prodded and poked” by doctors across multiple fields— including rheumatology, endocrinology, neurology, urology and gynecology— only to keep hearing that her test results looked normal.
“ I’ ve been to every specialist possible,” she said.“ And they’ re like,‘ You’ re fine. You’ re fine.’ I’ m like,‘ No, there’ s no way.’”
Even without a clear diagnosis, Rose said she knew something was wrong. She described waking up with intense hot flashes, freezing throughout the day, struggling to eat or drink without bloating, and watching her weight continue to drop. She said the physical symptoms were only part of the battle.
“ It just affected me completely— my mental, my physical, like everything,” she said.
Rose recently underwent another surgery in Louisville, one she said brought at least some answers and some relief. During that procedure, she said doctors found a hole in her stomach, found that her intestines were being choked, removed scar tissue and completely removed the hernia tissue.
While she said she is still searching for a full explanation for all of her symptoms, she has noticed improvement in at least one important area.
“ I have been able to eat a lot more,” Rose said.“ I’ ve actually been able to eat a whole plate of food and keep it down without throwing up, without bloating.”
That progress, she said, has helped restore some hope after years of feeling
Rose talked about her uncertainty with healthcare and doctors during her first surgery, but expressed how her experience with her most recent surgery went smoothly.
Photo courtesy Casey Rose dismissed and discouraged. She spoke positively about the doctor who handled her most recent surgery, saying she finally felt listened to.
“ This doctor was so nice. He listened to me. He understood everything. He was willing to go above and beyond to help me,” Rose said.“ Ever since surgery, I feel more hopeful.”
That hope matters, especially after years of fear and uncertainty. Rose admitted she was terrified going into her latest surgery and nearly talked herself out of it more than once. But she went through with it because she felt she had reached a point where she had no choice but to keep fighting for answers.
“ I’ m stronger than I thought I was,” she said.
Through it all, Rose said her biggest sources of strength have been her mother, Rhonda Hamblin and her children. She described the ways her kids have stepped up to care for her, from bringing her water to helping make lunch and reminding the family dog not to jump on her while she recovers.
“ They’ ve been really
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Although she has yet to receive a definitive diagnosis, Casey Rose’ s health has improved since her latest surgery. | Photo by Macee Swafford
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