BLEED: Destroying Myths and Misogyny in Endometriosis Care

by Tracey Lindeman

So we become even more engaged in getting to the bottom of our pain by doing research and joining online groups where thousands of people share their own horror stories. That makes you aware of the unfairness, and that makes you mad. But if you challenge your doctor, they think you’re uncooperative and maybe even mentally ill. Maybe you’ve been exaggerating this whole time. The more you press, the less it seems they want to help. And so you start looking for other doctors who might give you answers. The ultimate cruelty is that the more you get passed around, the more diffuse your paper trail becomes, until there is no institutional memory about you at all—except your own memory. But, of course, you cannot be relied upon to tell your story faithfully and accurately. Each new doctor wants to send you for the same tests so they can see the results for themselves. If you are tired just reading this, imagine what it’s like to live it.

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