r/WomenHealthCare

▲ 15 r/WomenHealthCare+3 crossposts

Serum ferritin 24 - would love to know if other people have similar symptoms.

I think I’ve had low serum ferritin for years. In 2022 it was 19 but considered normal. I’ve only just started iron supplements but I’m wondering if this has been the cause for my symptoms for all this time, and wondering if anyone else has had similar symptoms.

Here we go:

Daily tension headaches. Literally every day. Worse when I wake up and around 3-5pm.

Aching trap muscles, along with the muscles around my shoulder blades. All the damn time. Worse when I’ve done anything daft like pick up my three year old. Wouldn’t dream of doing a gym class anymore, would ache and have bad headaches for days.

Fatigue. Always tired, crash/nap in particular around 2/3pm.

Awful sleeper, wake up from the smallest noise.

Awful hangovers. I’ll have a glass of wine and feel it the next day with a headache, bad taste in mouth and so much tiredness/grogginess. I’ve often joined an evening out completely sober and still felt this the next day (assume this is from an affected sleep).

Restless feet. I absolutely cannot stand having hot feet, and I need to moisturise my feet about 3x a day otherwise I get angry at how they feel (they’re not particularly dry, it’s just a sensory/nerve thing).

I think this is all for now until I remember more but I’d be so interested if other people have experienced similar!

reddit.com
u/Fit-Photograph-4091 — 1 day ago
▲ 31 r/WomenHealthCare+1 crossposts

Midday bath

When was the last time you gave yourself permission to stop?

Not because you earned it. Not because you finished your to-do list. Not because you were exhausted enough to justify it.

Just because you deserve to exist without constantly producing.

Today, I found myself sitting in a warm bath in the middle of the day.

No celebration. No special occasion. No vacation.

Just me, Epsom salt, a bath bomb, and a decision to choose myself for an hour.

Somewhere along the way, many of us learned that rest has to be earned. We convince ourselves that we'll slow down after one more task, one more email, one more accomplishment. But that finish line keeps moving.

Healing isn't always found in grand gestures.

Sometimes healing looks like warm water. Sometimes it smells like lavender. Sometimes it's allowing yourself to be still long enough to hear your own thoughts again.

You don't have to justify caring for yourself.

The world will keep spinning while you fill your cup.

So today, ask yourself:

What would choosing yourself look like if you stopped feeling guilty about it?

Maybe it's a midday bath. Maybe it's a walk. Maybe it's saying "no." Maybe it's simply taking a deep breath before rushing into the next thing.

Whatever it is, let today remind you that your worth has never been measured by your productivity.

Take care of yourself.

The version of you you're becoming deserves it.

u/blk_girls_keeper — 3 days ago
▲ 0 r/WomenHealthCare+1 crossposts

WOMEN HEALTHCARE

Women in the UK: would you value access to same-day GP appointments?

For many, faster access could mean less stress, quicker treatment, and fewer disruptions to work, childcare, and daily life. Curious how important this is to people right now.

reddit.com
u/Top-Conversation5154 — 7 days ago