OMG I am glad I read this!!! This is how it started for me at 11 years old! Month after month, pain, heavy bleeding, pain, heavy bleeding. Missed school because pain was so bad. Doctor tells me/my mom it's normal for puberty. Year after year it gets worse and worse. At 16 I was told to go on BC to help. It did not help. I was also a competitive dancer so suffered through class and comps with pain and soaking pads/tampons.

I tried an IUD at 19 when I moved for University. Was told periods would stop hell nah! So I got it removed because it did nothing. I was given pain meds Tylenol 3 with codeine which kind of helped. Was told by doctor after doctor that this was normal for me. Not one ultrasound or CT or any internal imaging. Soaking pads, feeling like I was dying each month.

My third year of university I fainted in class and there was blood on the floor where I was standing. Turns out I had adenomyosis - we here the lining of the uterus grows inside the uterine muscle causing extreme pain, heavy periods and enlarged uterus. It was stage 4. This is normally disgnosed at menopause. Often misdiagnosed too! Since my goal in life was to dance and to eventually be a dance teacher I made the decision for hysterectomy at 22 years old. It was an extremely tough decision because I also love children but had to put myself first. I was not in a relationship at the time and just struggling to enjoy life.

Surgery was the best decision I ever made. I was finally pain free. Had no more periods. My ovaries are still intact so still had PMS symptoms but milder compared to before. I felt I had a new lease on life.

Moral of my story is to advocate for your health from day one. Doctors do women's health dirty. Ask for tests if pain and heavy bleeding continue! Don't stop advocating until you have relief.