I kept ignoring the cramps because they came every month
They started earlier than before.
And stayed longer.
They spread to my back and legs.
At first, I thought it was normal.
Everyone said periods were supposed to hurt.
But this felt different.
More intense.
And it didn’t stop with painkillers anymore.
She noticed the bleeding didn’t stop after seven days
At day ten, she started to worry.
It wasn’t heavy, but it wouldn’t end.
There were clots.
Fatigue followed.
She blamed stress.
But something didn’t feel right.
She booked a visit.
Sex became something she started avoiding
It wasn’t always this way.
But now, there was discomfort.
Dryness.
A pulling sensation.
Sometimes pain that lingered.
She stopped bringing it up.
Until it started affecting everything else.
I didn’t realize discharge could change so much
It wasn’t the amount.
It was the texture.
The smell.
And how often it showed up.
I kept wiping.
But it returned
And became part of every day.
She started bleeding between periods and called it spotting
Tiny stains at first.
Then more frequent.
Random days.
No pattern.
No reason.
And no obvious trigger.
That’s when she stopped waiting.
I didn’t think to mention my family history
Until they asked.
My aunt had fibroids.
My mother had an early hysterectomy.
I hadn’t made the connection.
But they had.
The itching wasn’t constant, but it always came back
At night mostly.
Or after exercise.
It never stayed long.
But it never disappeared completely.
Sometimes red.
Sometimes dry.
I thought it was laundry soap.
She was 15 and still hadn’t started her period
Others had.
She hadn’t.
And no one said anything.
Until her mother asked
And they made an appointment.
The pain came mid-cycle, not during her period
A sharp ache on one side.
Every month.
Right in the middle.
She tracked it.
Same day every time.
She didn’t know what it meant.
I didn’t think hot flashes could happen this early
She was 37.
Woke up sweating at 3 AM.
Mood swings.
Skipped cycles.
Everyone said menopause starts later.
Her body disagreed.
She kept losing hair from the same spot on her scalp
Not chunks.
Just thinning.
Gradually.
But clearly.
She thought it was seasonal.
It wasn’t.
He asked about my bathroom habits, and I was caught off guard
I never connected urination with gynecology.
But he explained why it mattered.
Frequency
Urgency
Leaks
They all fit into the bigger picture.
My mood was changing, and I didn’t know it had anything to do with hormones
Crying over nothing.
Snapping quickly.
Then guilt.
Then confusion.
I blamed work
But it started long before that.
They asked, and I finally said yes.
Her breasts felt different, but nothing hurt
One felt heavier
The skin looked stretched
She hadn’t noticed it until one night
Lying on her side
She made a note
Then made a call
My period disappeared for two months, then came back with a vengeance
I thought it had ended.
Then it didn’t.
And I bled through everything.
Three changes in one afternoon.
That’s when I called someone
The bloating stayed even after her period ended
It used to go away
But now it lingered
She stopped wearing jeans
Even sweatpants felt tight
It wasn’t weight
It was something else
Pain during bowel movements wasn’t something I ever thought to mention
But it was real
And monthly
Only on certain days
But enough to make me wince
They asked, and I answered
And they didn’t flinch
She kept feeling full even when she hadn’t eaten much
A couple bites
Then discomfort
Every meal
Every day
Her appetite shrank
But her concern grew
The pap smear showed changes, and she almost ignored the follow-up
She felt fine
There was no pain
But the results were clear
They called again
She finally returned
And it mattered