DD Period Issues

[TheRugbyValkyrie]

Not sure what to do, so advice gratefully received.
Bit of background: DD is planning to join the Army and is working hard to maintain her fitness and health, she is also concious of the fact that the Army will check her medical records and some issues can either prevent her joining or delay it.
So to the problem: she is 17, started her periods 4-odd years ago which were regular, relatively light and pain free. The last four months or so her periods have become much, much heavier and she is in a lot of pain for 36-48 hours to the extent that she has had co-codamol and time off school. DD has a very high pain threshold, she boxes and plays rugby, so I know she is serious. The issue is that she is adamant that she doesn't want to go to the GP and that she will "improvise, adapt and overcome".

Make her go to the GP. It might be serious, and it may get worse. The best thing to do is go to the GP and ask him to recommend a good gynecologist.

I'd really try to take her to the GP (and ensure it's a female GP). Explain to your DD they are used to dealing with things like this, and how much better her life could be if it was found she could be treated. Not to mention that, the earlier things are found, the easier and less invasive treatment tends to be.

I appreciate the 'I'll just deal with it and adapt' attitude, but she needs to understand that this attitude can be very disabling on a medical level. She'll think she's being hard/strong but if anything she is the opposite by burying her head in the sand. It took me 5 years to build up the courage to go for my first smear. Various reasons. I did finally go when I suffered some unexplained bleeding mid cycle. Smear was clear, but had the cause of the bleeding been more sinister it would likely have been found then.

Moral of the story:

Listen to your body. You only have one, treat it with the respect it deserves.

for your DD. Period pain is not nice at the best of times.

She HAS to go to GP. She has to show that any problem she has she can sort & solve. She won't be able to hide it. Army are very strict about the medical (DS fell at that hurdle because of a minor knee twinge & is currently trying to appeal).

Thank you so much for your responses.
I was coming to the same conclusion, I'm just trying to avoid the fight I guess.
She has worked hard physically and academically for four years to prepare herself for joining the Army. I think she is worried that her (lovely female) GP will tell her it isn't something straightforward to deal with, which will then go in her records and delay her entry,
The crazily ironic thing is that if she has any twinges, aches or niggles, she is the first in the queue to see the rugby club physio!

Rugby the army won't be bothered if she's been to the GP for this. They will be bothered if she needs to take time off through training and work due to it, unfortunately. There will be times she has to live in the field, so it's better she gets it sorted now, rather than being stuck on Sailsbury Plain, living in a hole, in pain and bleeding heavily.

DS1 has been in the army for 2 years now, we had to appeal the very first, online medical questionnaire, but he got in and his medical history is far more complex than this. PM me if you want.

She could alternatively go to a GUM/family planning clinic and speak to them. Is she on any contraceptive? If not maybe she could consider something like the implant? Stop her periods all together?

Could be a uterine polyp & they are easily removed under GA. I had one and symptoms were really heavy periods suddenly, plus some bleeding inbetween cycles. Had it removed & no probs since. It made me anaemic for a bit so she could be low on iron, which is not good.