Navigating women’s health can be an incredibly frustrating process, especially when your very real concerns are constantly brushed aside. In the first part of our new series on “Wonder in the Weeds,” I am opening up and sharing my grueling ten-year battle with my health.

Years ago, I received a certificate from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in health coaching. I spent a lot of time studying nutrition and wellness, which made my eventual health struggles even more confusing. In my late thirties and early forties, I started experiencing severe gynecological problems. The bleeding was relentless, and I eventually gained 80 pounds. My hemoglobin dipped so dangerously low from the anemia that there was a period during COVID where all I wanted to eat was ice chips and tiny pickles.

Despite these alarming symptoms, my doctors were incredibly dismissive. They could not see any endometriosis or fibroids on my scans. Instead of investigating the root cause, they repeatedly told me to just move more and eat less. They looked at me and blamed my weight for all of my pain and swelling.

Because of my background in health coaching, I internalized this medical gaslighting. I was disgusted with myself and truly believed I was failing my own body because I was doing everything “right” but still getting sicker.

The breaking point finally came when my general practitioner reviewed my bloodwork and was alarmed by my dangerously low hemoglobin levels. He told me I should be in the hospital and urged me to demand proper care from my specialists. Exhausted and desperate for a solution, I agreed to a partial hysterectomy.

When I woke up from surgery, my surgeon validated everything I had been feeling. She told me I had a massive amount of endometrial tissue to cut through and a fibroid the size of an orange. My body had literally been reacting as if I were in my first trimester of pregnancy. I finally had proof that my pain was real and it was not my fault.

My story is a powerful reminder that you know your body better than anyone else. If you are experiencing serious symptoms and your doctor isn’t listening to you, it is time to find a new provider who will.

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