To find it totally shocking that a girl of 15 wants a hysterectomy?

[agabimou]

Because of the horrendous way that female hormonal issues are treated. I don't doubt that this poor girl is suffering but honestly is the best medical science can come up with is 'the pill' or 'hysterectomy' ??

Someone needs to start a research charity for female hormone/gynaecology issues like cancer research.

'Why my daughter wants a hysterectomy at 15' www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-44439735

agabimou I’m definitely interested

Some fab ideas! I like the idea of doing research on the affect of female hormones on mental health. It's just horrendous what some women have to put up with.

So I can do science side, not so good at charity side (as don't have any experience). I am going to see who is currently researching stuff

I had horrendous periods from aged 13. Saw lots of GPS over the years who said it was part of being a woman and just get on with it.

Could not go on the pill for medical reasons. Tried mirena coil which caused a massive infection causing me to collapse in a pool of blood, rushed into A&E on new years eve.

It took 2.5 weeks out of every four out of my life.

I had other medical issues but I noticed they were much worse around period time.

I needed a kidney transplant and mentioned to my renal doctor I was having issues. He suggested a hysterectomy as they would be reluctant to operate again after my transplant and sent me to gynae.

Gynae did all the scans and said it "may" be endometriosis but scans were inconclusive.

They did my hysterectomy and said I had severe endometriosis and adenomyoesis which were not obvious on the scan and asked why I had not tried to seek help sooner. I told him I had requested help since I was a teen and he was horrified and said no woman should need to suffer like that in this day.

I used to have the most painful bleeds from cysts on my kidneys followed by infections. I was on fentanyl patches for pain and IV lines at home for the infections every month just after my awful period.

That was 18 months ago and I have not had a kidney bleed or infection since my hysterectomy.

Please if you are having painful and unusual periods insist on a referral and do not take no for an answer. I wish I had not wasted 25 years in so much pain.

Xx

Maggie I'm so sorry it took 25 years to get a proper diagnosis. It really goes to show that, if I'm really honest, either the vast majority of GP's are really uneducated about what's normal, or as women we downplay how crippling periods can be. From experience I'd say it's a fair bit of both.

When I was younger I just thought I was being over dramatic.

Last year I looked back on my online gp records and noted I had been to see them at least once a year regarding how bad it was.

I started to use a femmecup and found it was overflowing constantly. I counted I once emptied it 12 times in a day and it was full every time. This was not unusual but not obvious how much blood I was passing when using a tampon and night time towel together.

My haemoglobin was always around 7 and they still did not see it as a problem, it eventually dropped to 5.4 and they then questioned it.

I look back now and feel very angry unfortunately.

Xxx

I didn't understand how poorly gynaecological issues are treated until I experienced menorrhagia. I was bleeding through a super tampon every hour for more than three weeks, so anaemic I was out of breath just walking to the bathroom. I saw two doctors and they couldn't have been more dismissive, even when I broke down and cried at the second one. All I got was a casual, "Yeah, that happens."

Hopefully the increasing numbers of female medics will change things??

I had horrendous periods from aged 13. Saw lots of GPS over the years who said it was part of being a woman and just get on with it.

This is exactly how I felt, and I'm in awe of you coping with that for years. I was at the end of my tether after a few weeks of it!

Maggie you're with your rights to he furious. It's not fair. That could potentially be 1/3 of your life spent feeling like utter shit because of your pain being 'normalised' by medical professionals.

Endo diagnosis takes far too long, as do most gynea issues. I think the average is over 10 years?

Daily I'm not sure it does. I saw dozens of female doctors and nurses over the years, and they were all really dismissive about it. I'm sorry you were treated so poorly too, it's not right that you got to the point where you were reduced to tears and they couldn't even think of a kind or compassionate thing to say.

We probably save the NHS a fortune by just 'putting up with it' !

Has anyone else had the 'just have a baby and that'll fix it' crap thrown at them? I was told that DS made things even worse!

Yes they told me it would get better after I had a child. I had DS but was really poorly due to kidney failure. The consultant who looked after me in pregnancy ( I was in hospital for 6 months) rang me when DS was 6mths to say he had a cancellation 2 days later and did I want sterilising, he was doing it for the right reasons but wish I had been offered a hysterectomy instead.

For the next 12 years I kept being told I was too young for a hysterectomy when I begged for one even though I was sterilised already . They kept suggesting mirena coil again even though I had terrible issues previously.

My niece is 21 and exactly the same. I really hope she gets an understanding doctor.

Xxx

I have PMDD. If someone walked in here right now and offered to rip my womb and ovaries out with their bare hands, I'd whip my knickers off and say go ahead!

A typical cycle starts with the most heaviest period you have ever had. I was soaking through night time pads with 1-2 hours. I'd just cramp and the blood would gush out soaking through my clothes. I was scared of sitting on other peoples chairs and sleeping on a puppy training pad to protect my bed. The pain was horrendous. That would last 2-3 days and really wipe me out. I'd have another 3-4 days bleeding like a normal period then it would tail off.

I'd be fine for a couple of days.

Then I'd ovulate. As soon as that happened, I went bang straight into that crappy day you have before your period comes when your mood drops, you have sore swollen boobs, light bleeding, bloating, really irritable etc. Only it would last about two weeks until my period came again. On the worst days I'd feel tearful and suicidal and would struggle just to function.

I tried several types of progesterone contraception - pills, mirena, depo but they all made it worse. I've since found out I'm sensitive to progesterone.

I've tried three anti-depressants but none of them really worked either.

I've had abalation surgery. This is where they burn off the lining off your womb. The bleeding is much lighter, but the cramping pains have increased dramatically and it didn't do anything for all the other symptoms.

I'm currently on analogue injections that have switched my ovaries off and put me into menopause. I'm having some mild hot flushes but other than that, I feel better than I have done in years. I'm more active and I can cope with everyday life. As it's working so well, they've decided that my ovaries are a problem and they have told me to consider having surgery to remove my womb and ovaries once I'm finished the course of injections. I think I am going to go for it as I don't want to end up as ill as I was before I started the injections.

I hope the girl gets the treatment she needs as it really is a horrible condition.

PS I agree with the comments about normalisation.

I've had to fight hard to get people to take me seriously. My GP's brushed it off as "just being a woman" and "something you just have to put up with."

I've also moved NHS trusts as the first one I was under refused to give me the analogue injections as they said they would not help.

I almost cried reading the article, since I started having periods I’d have a week each month where I was angry, aggressive and just vile. I felt everyone was out to get me and couldn’t see things from other people’s point of view at all, and I knew it was related to my periods but I just thought it was just the way it was and there wasn’t anything I could do about it.

I lost friends and got in trouble at work because of my foul moods.

The year I was breastfeeding, so didn’t have periods, was the best year of my life, I felt like a different person, so calm and empathetic all the time, I couldn’t believe the difference.

Wow something needs to be done about this! It sounds horrendous

The pill does seem to get handed out as a catch all cure for any hormone/period related issues. Women should be allowed to have more autonomy over their bodies and if they want to be sterilsed to prevent pregnancy/horrendous periods, doctors should be taking them seriously. It makes no sense to me that someone can decide to start hormone therapy to change gender at 17, yet I know many women in their 30s who have to suffer every month because no Dr will refer them for sterilsation on the off chance they may want to have children in the future (when they certainly don't want them).

I'm almost crying reading this. Since I started my periods aged 13 I have been at war with my hormones. I've self harmed, felt suicidal, struggled with relationships, study,work. It took me a long time until my thirties to realise exactly how badly they were affecting so many areas of my life. I've been to the doctors many times scared of what is happening to mentally but nothing has ever been done. I'm quite angry about how the doctors treat this. It's very poor. I would love to help though I'm not sure what I can do x

Bauble

You shouldn't have to live like that. Where abouts are you based? Maybe we can recommend a decent gynea who will take you seriously?

On the off chance anyone reading this is Wiltshire based, The Ridgeway in Swindon has a fantastic gynea department there.

I was about to suggest the gynae dept at the ridgeway. If anyone wants the recommendation of probably the most human,kind,professional and fight tooth and nail for their patients - message me. Trust me, they’ll listen.

They are fab there, aren't they glue?

I'm trying to persuade my cousin to come stay with me for a few weeks and register as a temporary resident at the GP's so she can get a referral there no one in her area seems to take her seriously. And she's a lot worse than I've ever been!

She can self refer if she wants to pay- they’ll take a self referral privately no prob.

She's 17 she's been saving up from her Saturday job, but honestly, it's so rare she makes it in she doesn't earn a lot. Certainly not enough to self fund.

She won't let me pay for it either... sigh ... again though she's another one who's been told forever that her fainting monthly, saturating her clothes, and unable to even pass wind without being in agony is 'normal'.

I'm hoping if I keep wittering on about it she'll eventually take me up on either offer. It's no way for a teenager to live. She should be out having fun, not doubled over at home with a hot water bottle fretting about having to repeat a year at college because she's so far behind.

I am lying typing this in bed, sobbing my heart out not wanting to live any more. I have argued with my husband all day. Again. Have disengaged from my son. Period will come tomorrow I would guess. This is absolutely killing my marriage, my job (i barely function one week a month), all my significant relationships. Pill hasn't worked. I am reluctant to take ADs again after bad experiences with citalopram following a PND diagnosis. If I could rip my womb and ovaries out with my bare hands I would. I will go to my GP again this week and put forward the case for a hysterectomy but I doubt they will listen. I am at my wit's end.

Gemma

I have zero idea how it works, but could you potentially see a therapist to see if they would maybe write a letter of referral to take to the GP with you about how badly it's impacting on your mental health? I know a GP will be reluctant, and it's all I can think of to help support your case.

Is your DH at all understanding?

I could look into it - I will try anything right now. DH is very understanding to a point but has had enough of being my verbal punchbag and i can't say I blame him.

It's worth a go I may be totally ignorant here, but if people transitioning can have hysterectomies, I don't see why you can't. Surely it can be argued others get to opt out of a uterus because of mental health (living as a gender/sex they don't want to be) so why can't you and others do the same?

I know it sounds so trite, but try and get some sleep Gemma. It's exhausting feeling like that, it's totally draining trying to control emotions you've got no control over.