Long head title, but fucking worth it, because it’s absolutely true. Women have been talking about the pain and sorrow, shame, and anxiety, that comes with period pain since the beginning of time.
And since the beginning of time Doctors – in particular – have told us that we’re too fat, that we’re crazy, that we’re making it up, that we’re not really sick, that we just want drugs.
I’ve been complaining about my uterus since I was sixteen, and from the day I first met my Indian, woman doctor, she decided all I wanted was pain medication. I stopped seeing her when I was seventeen because she refused to diagnose me with what we now know as endometritis.
This is a crippling illness that makes women feel like they are genuinely going crazy, and when we’re strong enough to go to the doctor, they often don’t believe us.
The statistics (According to an expert on the View) say that it can take 6-8 years, and up to 30 doctors to diagnose.
And you wonder why patients are backing up the medical lines? Does it occur to you that women’s bodies HAVE been undervalued, for decades?
For centuries we have treated women like broodmares, but we don’t want to take care of their bodies to ensure that the children they give birth to, are also healthy and strong.
I am tired. I am tired of being told there’s nothing wrong with me when I know something is deeply wrong. I am tired of being told to “take iron” when it doesn’t actually help me feel better but instead makes me feel worse.
I am tired of being told that there’s nothing wrong and that I am making it up and more than even that, I am tired of “Expert doctors” getting paid opportunities to say something that patients have been saying for free, for centuries.
Standing up for yourself against doctors has dire consequences. I once had a doctor offer me Fentynol for pain from my periods, I asked if he was on crack, and because I said no, I did not want Fentynol patches, he canceled me as a patient. Medical bias is real.
Doctors are not the end-all and be-all of the medical industry. There are all kinds of doctors in the world who have better solutions than to gaslight their patients, unfortunately, they are difficult to find.
Luckily for me, I have found a great doctor who actually believes me when I tell him what’s going on with me, and doesn’t blink an eye about my cannabis smoking.
When you’re looking for a doctor, remember you’re allowed to ask for their qualifications, you’re allowed to quiz them, and you’re allowed to expect that your doctor knows what the fuck he’s, she’s, they’s, or them’s are talking about before they offer you medication that may destroy your entire life.
Make sure you do your research, if you can find out what your potential doctors other clients feel. Always go on a friend’s recommendation, but remember just because a doctor is great for a friend, doesn’t mean that same doctor will be great for you.
You have the right to say you know your body, and if you can, keep a pain/issue diary so that when you see your doctor you have notes you can refer back to.
It’s not easy to find a doctor that will listen to you, and that’s why when you finally find someone who can diagnose your issues, it can feel a lot like a Godsend.
So when I saw this Black, woman doctor, tell me through her video that going to see a doctor means having to put up with someone who genuinely believes patients are making up their illnesses I felt my heart break a bit.
We look for people in the medical industry who look like us specifically because we think that erases their bias, but the truth is that medical bias is something that doctors are taught, by other doctors, who aren’t listening to their patients.
This is why I am such an advocate for patients speaking up for themselves, and building a brand around their mental health issues. It’s because no matter what anyone says I can point to this website as my “record of experience,” which answers 99.8% of the questions most folks have for me.
I didn’t start this website intentionally with that in mind, but it helps that I have witnesses who remember what I first posted on this website, who are doing their best to rally around and support me.
I am excited about the future with my new doctor, but I am also terrified because being healthy, in a healthy medical situation, isn’t something I’ve ever experienced before.
My friends with mental health issues can understand that, which helps me know that I am not alone in my medically induced fears.
Sending all my love,
Devon J Hall
Loud Mouth Brown Girl 