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I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia

“I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia”

Overview

Women’s pain has been misdiagnosed, misunderstood, and dismissed by health professionals time and time again. They have been called mentally unstable and emotional for expressing their pain. Here are some stories from women aged 18-60 who have stepped forward to share the reality of living with the Gender Pain Gap. From not being taken seriously, to the consequences of misdiagnosis, these stories highlight the importance of our campaign and the need to close the Gender Pain Gap.

Tonia
Age: 34
Health/pain conditions: Period pain, endometriosis, PCOS, perimenopause

“Generally, I would say I have a high pain threshold (mostly from constantly being dismissed and having to ride the storm) but it has been a mixed bag of management. Sometimes I feel like they just want to get rid of me, and other times it is as if my pain doesn’t exist. Having had 10 operations, I’m not a stranger to pain both prior to and following treatment.

I started my periods at 11 and instantly they were extremely heavy. I was seen by my local gynae from aged 14 (after many visits to my doctor) due to the length of my bleeding and the pain I was in, that meant I was missing school. I had my first mirena coil at 15, at which point I had a laparoscopy and was diagnosed with endometriosis. What followed was years of adhesions, endometriosis and several other ‘removal’ operations. On top of this I’ve been on almost every birth control on the market – all of which I had some issue with. I’ve since had two children, a prolapse, insertion of a pelvic sling, abdominoplasty and most recently, after years of hormone/pain issues/treatment/HRT, a full hysterectomy (including ovaries) and subsequent management of menopause and ongoing HRT. Post this operation, I found out that I also had fibroids and polycystic ovaries, something that I’ve been told I didn’t have since I was 15.

Throughout each of these issues/stages, there was such little support, despite some of the symptoms being totally crippling. I’ve been treated like I don’t exist and like I don’t know my own body throughout almost every stage of my gynae history - with all my consultants having been men (some were fantastic but others totally dismissive).”