Sorry, I’ve posted before. I just feel so shit tonight and needed to get this off my chest.
I’ve had bad period symptoms for over 10 years. Just for context, I had around 4-5 periods in 2021, with a huge total of 18 days of bleeding.
over the last 10 years, the only investigation I’ve had for this was one single hormone blood test. Because the results were fine, I was told there was nothing wrong with me and my periods were completely normal.
In some ways I loved not having periods, but I always felt like something wasn’t right and it concerned me. I’ve had other problems like excess hair, spots and really bad headaches when my period would have been due. I was told it was all normal.
We have a family history of ovarian cancer too and I knew it wouldn’t be anything serious like that, but upon advice on here I decided to book a private scan, because I wanted reassurance everything was ok. Sure enough, she said it’s PCOS. The same thing I was told several times I definitely don’t have. And that I couldn’t have because I’m too young. Or I couldn’t have because I’m not overweight. That thing I didn’t have, sure enough, I saw it for myself on the screen.
I’m NOT annoyed at the medical staff I spoke to who concerned my symptoms and felt it was normal. They had a call to make and I’m not annoyed at them because they treated me with respect and genuinely thought it was normal. But I am so, so annoyed at the staff whom dismissed me and made me feel hysterical about it, or who acted as if i was worrying about nothing and basically told me to stop being silly because ‘everyone has different periods’
when I think about the years I spent crying in the mirror because of my noticeable moustache, hairy chin, side burns and hairy neck (that was waxed just 24 hours before) I just feel heartbroken. I couldn’t wear the same clothes as my friends because my tummy and chest get too hairy and there’s obvious stubble. Or the times I got caught out with my period restarting randomly for the first time in 6 months and I couldn’t predict because it was so irregular. I thought I was a freak and not a normal girl and I hated my body so fucking much.
why the fuck in 2022 are woman’s issues still not taken seriously