Comments on: The Powerful Act of Sharing Our Stories About Women’s Health

By: erin

erin — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 17:58:02 +0000

Thank you for sharing! I had no idea what a LEEP was when I had to get one last winter. I was in the middle of trying to get pregnant, so the procedure plus the 6-month wait time till I could try again was devastating to me. And it completely changed my menstrual cycle and has caused irregular bleeding every month since. I’m still not pregnant and have finally found a doctor who will listen to me and run the necessary tests to see what is going on. There is so, so much shame and guilt surrounding women’s health, especially when you are trying and not succeeding to get pregnant. And so many unknowns and holes in medical research! It’s maddening. But I appreciated reading your story.

By: Brittany

Brittany — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 13:56:41 +0000

In reply to Audra.

Hi, Audra. Thank you for sharing your story too. It’s impactful because we have been left in the dark for so long by what other women are going through with their bodies. And shouldn’t! I’m sorry you went through all that pain and difficulty. Keep sharing your story! It’s brave and powerful for us all to read. I’m hopeful that the women’s health judgement stops soon.
xo,
Brittany

By: Brittany

Brittany — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 13:54:29 +0000

In reply to mary. Hi, Mary. This is exactly exactly how I feel. Like I can't shake it - my body the inevitable enemy for not healing things on its own. Sending all the light and truth that our bodies CAN heal, despite our fear. I hope the care gets better for us soon!

By: Brittany

Brittany — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 13:52:39 +0000

In reply to erin.

Thank you for sharing this story, Erin! I can’t believe this treatment (lack of care) has been going on so long. I hope it gets better soon – and I know these stories will help. Sending love!
xo,
Brittany

By: Audra

Audra — Fri, 23 Jul 2021 13:18:53 +0000

This is so powerful. Thank you for bravely sharing your story. We all need to share our stories more, because our voices together are strong and can bring about change. When I was in my mid twenties, I started having vaginal pain. I went to 3 different gynecologists, who diagnosed me with things like bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections. None of the medications they subscribed worked, and this went on for 6 months before someone recommended a pelvic pain specialist. He diagnosed me with pudendal neuralgia, a nerve pain condition that can be treated with antidepressants. My pain is manageable now, but the meds caused me to gain a lot of weight. I have to choose between being in pain or being fat, which seems like an easy choice, but the fat shaming in medicine is serious. The amount of shame, discomfort, and confusion I’ve felt in doctors’ offices is something I’m sure men do not deal with. The judgement and discrediting of women with regards to our bodies needs to stop.

By: Brittany

Brittany — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 15:20:42 +0000

In reply to Kari.

Kari,
I can’t thank you enough for reading and sharing your story here. I can’t believe we’re left so misinformed about the procedures that so affect our bodies. Hopefully there will be more transparency about them in the future; until then, we’ll keep sharing our experiences. Definitely saving that on my reading list as well!
xoxo,
Brittany

By: mary

mary — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 13:19:28 +0000

Thank you for sharing, I too have had abnormal PAPs for the past seven years. I had a colposcopy two years ago, they didn’t find anything so no biopsy was taken. This year, the PAP showed possible HGSIL, worse than any previous PAPs. So back I go for another colposcopy and I’m afraid this time they may find abnormal cells warranting the dreaded LEEP procedure.
Despite pretty healthy living, I can’t kick this HPV 16 thing and it is so frustrating, I feel so helpless against this virus. As my mid-wife daughter in law told me, many times the procedure eradicates the virus, but I will never believe it is out of my body. I have been hi-jacked.

By: erin

erin — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 18:34:39 +0000

My mother had this precise procedure in the early 70s with the same level of information and empathy that you experienced. Her doctor gave her no warning and didn't even show her what he was doing or what the machine looked like. He handed her a pad and told her to wait 15 minutes and then she could go back to work. He left the room and she passed out naked in the floor. When she told me her story years ago, I was stunned and naively believed it probably wasn't done with the same lack of care these days. Boy was I wrong. My heart goes out to you (as it did to her). Thank you for sharing this. The women who have experienced this procedure and share their sense of loss are doing good work to (hopefully) change the way this is done.

By: Kari

Kari — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 18:11:01 +0000

Yes to all of this, and more sharing of stories like yours! Thank you so much for writing this article. I also had an abnormal pap and had to have the procedure you mentioned – I was 22 and barely remember receiving any explanation before they did the whole thing. I do remember feeling incredibly judged by the doctor performing the procedure, which was less than ideal.

This is on my list to read, in case it’s interesting to others:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53005266

💪🏼