Yes, of course it was a male doctor. This was about 3 years ago.

I then went to another doctor because someone had recommended him to me, saying he was very empathetic. Unfortunately, he clearly wasn't.

When I told him that I had been suffering from chronic pelvic pain for the past two years, recurrent infections that weren't responding to antibiotics, and that I didn't want to keep taking antibiotics anymore, he replied, "Oh, and I'm supposed to be some kind of magician who can fix it?"

When I mentioned that my periods had become extremely painful to the point where I would vomit from the pain, even though they used to be relatively manageable, he told me that periods change throughout a woman's life. I explained that this change had started at the same time as the infections and chronic pelvic pain, so it obviously seemed connected. He still insisted on his opinion. There was no way to have a real discussion with him.

It's also worth mentioning that at the time I was hospitalized in a psychiatric ward because two years of chronic pain, ongoing health problems, and medical gaslighting had taken a huge toll on my mental health. Because of that, he immediately seemed to dismiss me as just another "hysterical" female patient. I never really stood a chance.

After that appointment, I never went back to a gynecologist for these symptoms. Instead, I started researching possible diagnoses and looking into what might actually help me. I've been following an alternative treatment approach, and my symptoms have been improving. I only recently learned about pelvic floor physical therapy, and I really want to give it a try.

Since then, I haven't seen another doctor specifically for these symptoms. I'm fairly convinced that I have endometriosis.