Day 4

Health something that we take for granted until we don't have it.

Anyone who follows me on social media will know that recently underwent a diagnostic procedure which led to a diagnosis of endometriosis. That coupled with PCOS was thought to be the root cause of all of my gynae problems over the last 15 years.

The plot has thickened however. A couple of weeks ago, I was hit by crippling pain in my left lower abdomen and very sudden heavy bleeding from my lady area (sorry boys). Now, if I weren't on two different types of contraception, the I probably would have assumed that it was a surprise period that I'd just missed the signs for. However with a coil in situ that's stopped my periods since February and starting on a progesterone only pill in October to tackle my endometriosis, that shouldn't be the case. That and I've been hypersensitive to any period related symptoms for the last 6 months.

The pain was so severe that I ended up calling 111, this was after convincing my mum that it wasn't bad enough for me to go to A&E, (though in all fairness I just think I have a high pain threshold). Following a telephone assessment with them, they wanted me to be seen within 2 hours and booked me in with an out of hours GP that night. As soon as I began to explain the reason that I'd been booked in, his face dropped. He almost scoffed at me and told me it was 'just a period' and that you can get withdrawal bleeds when you have a coil and treated me as though I was overreacting and wasting his time.

HUN. Let me stop you right there. I know what is and isn't right when it comes to my body. Don't sit there on your high horse with your degree and tell me that that this is just a period. I've been having them since I was 11, I know what they feel like, and this ain't in.

Subsequently I went home, raging to the boyfriend in the car the whole way home and the bleeding and pain stopped as suddenly as it had started.

Having now seen my gynaecologist, my mind has been put at rest that I wasn't over reacting or being dramatic and this shouldn't be happening! Though at this stage we are no closer to understanding why I'm still having symptoms...

The point that I'm wanting to make crystal clear here is that not every woman body works the same. What is 'normal' for you, may not be normal for the girl you sit next to on the train to work every day. What you go through each month could be caused by an underlying conditions. Yes periods are part of life, but they shouldn't stop you from living it all together.

If you're going through something that doesn't feel right and you're GP keeps fobbing you off, just keep at it. Don't let the GP tell you that it's 'just a period' if it doesn't feel right for you.