Should I get checked out?
I started having sex 4 years ago. Before that, I did get some pelvic pain and went for two ultrasounds where they found nothing - and because I was young, I never pushed for anything more, and just accepted that women should just be in pain I guess.
When I started having sex, I noticed I needed to pee loads more now, and had some more pelvic pain. My family has history of diabetes, so tbh I was so much more worried about that than anything else. I saw my doctor and he did blood tests for diabetes, found nothing, and did no other tests. He decided I most likely had interstitial cystitis. Again, I didn't push back - I felt like, who am I to argue with my doctor??
I spoke to my mum, who said she had the same condition, so it all seemed to make sense for me.
I went on the pill for contraception, and noticed very little pelvic pain. I still needed to pee loads, but for me, that had already been solved!
Anyway, my partner is away travelling so I decided to take a break from the pill. I've noticed it's been really affecting my mental health, and I just couldn't deal with it anymore. I've felt so much relief mentally off it, it's been great.
However, I've noticed now, I'm peeing even more and the urgency is a lot worse when I only need to pee a tiny drop. And I'm getting pelvic pain like I used to, not debilitating, but noticeable.
I recently listened to a book on women's health through history (unwell women, if you're interested), and it shocked me. For the past couple of years, I have been questioning my diagnosis of interstitial cystitis, but it's so difficult getting anyone to listen. Especially as I didn't have much pelvic pain while I was on the pill (except when I was on my period, then it was awful, but people said that's normal).
So, I did now digging into it, and it shocked me how much my doctor just didn't do. It sounds like the diagnosis he gave me is one to be given after extensive testing for other disorders, such as endo. But he just didn't do it.
Now, I don't know if I should even bother getting checked out for endo. I don't know, maybe I do just have interstitial cystitis. And I've seen online, there's nothing they can really do for endo anyway.
I don't know, with the waiting lists as they are and the pain of trying to convince my doctor I need to be referred, I'm just not sure. It's just so disheartening to have healthcare as it is for women. I mean, I was looking at other possible contraception, and I'd like preferably non-hormonal, but the only option there is the copper IUD, and that could make my pelvic pain worse 🤦♀️ I've spoken to my boyfriend and he's happy to just use a condom, but it's just so frustrating.
