I remember the first time my first period came. I was at my friends house for a sleepover and all of a sudden I was calling my mum in tears to come and collect me because I had this sharp, stabbing, cramp pain in my stomach. I was in so much pain I thought I needed to go to hospital.
From this, every month I was getting this pain, mainly when my period was due. Other times was during the ovulation stage, or when I had bowel issues along with the random cramping and I always feeling tired. I went to the doctor about this and they passed it off as IBS and told me to carry on with my life. A while later I went on the contraceptive pill as I was beginning to be sexually active. I noticed that a lot of my symptoms were more manageable / suppressed although, as sex was new to me, I discovered it wasn't the most comfortable feeling. I thought maybe it was because it was my first time so I waited until I was familiar with it, but I just had pain almost every time.
I continued on the pill for about seven years before coming off it and having all these symptoms, plus more, come back and they came back worse. I figured it was just my body getting back to 'normal' after being on the pill for so long but once two years had passed, I knew it wasn't right and went to see a doctor about it. I saw a few different doctors and unfortunately most just pushed me aside and said "go back on the pill" or "period pain is normal". I even had a male doctor write me a script for antidepressants and rushed me out the door.
Eventually I saw my current doctor who listened to every word I said, I told her all my symptoms from painful sex, fatigue, cramping and bloating, to even the heavy and irregular periods. This doctor, (Dr Lim) made me feel so comfortable about discussing this topic and gave me a variety of options. She recommended me to a highly rated endometriosis gynaecologist who I then waited months to see (waitlists are long in this industry).
After seeing gynaecologist Megan, I felt heard and understood. She made me feel so validated and like my doctor, gave me different options rather than just forcing something on me. She believed my pain and booked me in for a laparoscopic surgery a few months later, where she diagnosed me with stage two endometriosis. After the surgery was over and I was awake, Megan came and spoke to me and explained what she found and how everything was going. She had made the whole process so calm and to hear I actually had a diagnosis and it wasn't just all in my head, was the biggest relief. From my story, the biggest advice I have is to be your own biggest advocate. Do not settle for doctors who invalidate your pain and be aware that medical gaslighting is, in my experiencee, a harsh reality. Keep pushing for answers and the specialists are worth the wait.
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