The Dismissiveness of Doctors — Why Women in Menopause Feel So Alone

During my lifetime, there have been 8 surgeries: (1) Tonsils, (2) Heart surgery (Patent ductus arteriosus — First-ever done on a 3-year-old, 3 weeks in the hospital), (3) Cancer (cervical), (4) Tubes tied, (5) Hysterectomy, (6) Heart surgery (SVT — Catheter ablation), (7 & 8) Cancer (squamous cell — they had to go in twice, and where I had it, was the first these guys had ever seen. It was a teaching case). All in less than 50 years.

The first two, I was too young to question anything. The third, I was only 18 and not sure what it all meant, but got the concept.

My first period was at the age of 11, and from day one, I fucking hated it, and it only got worse as I got older. It ruined vacations, jobs, sheets. After doing some calculations, $3000.00 was the minimum number to buy tampons for a year. Bloody expensive, right? This needed to be over and done with.

The first time I truly felt dismissed by doctors was while I had SVT. (Please read my blog on anxiety). The next time was when I wanted a hysterectomy but only ended up getting my tubes tied.

Male doctors just don’t fucking get it, some women too, but mostly men.

The doctor kept looking at my husband all the time. It was my hysterectomy, not my husbands, but the doctor…