She thought it was just irregular bleeding
At first, she blamed her schedule.
Stress, maybe. Or diet.
But the spotting kept coming.
No pattern. No warning.
She finally booked an appointment.
The room was quiet, the questions gentle.
He listened without interrupting.
It’s not only about pregnancy or birth
She was surprised they didn’t ask about babies.
No rush into family planning talk.
Just her cycle.
Her pain.
Her history.
And a quiet space where none of it felt strange.
He asked when her cramps had changed
She hadn’t thought about it before.
But the pain came sooner now.
And lasted longer.
It wrapped around her back.
Sometimes kept her home.
He nodded. Took notes.
Didn’t jump to conclusions.
The questions were personal, but not invasive
She wasn’t used to talking about discharge.
Or itch.
Or dryness.
But here, she could.
No jokes.
No discomfort.
Just clear, specific questions
And her answers, finally spoken.
Exams aren’t always what you expect
There was no rush.
No cold instruments without warning.
She was told what would happen.
She was asked for permission.
It felt different.
Still clinical, but not distant.
She didn’t go in for pain—she went in for fatigue
Tired for months.
Not sleeping well.
Not eating less.
Still losing energy.
He checked her blood.
He checked her history.
And then checked her iron.
A pap smear wasn’t the scary thing she imagined
She had postponed it for years.
Everyone talked about discomfort.
But it was quick.
And over before the sentence ended.
The waiting was worse than the thing itself.
He explained her hormones without making it confusing
Words like estrogen.
Progesterone.
FSH.
She had read them online
But now they made sense.
Not as numbers
But as patterns
That actually matched how she felt.
She said her libido disappeared after the baby
It wasn’t about desire.
It was her body feeling shut down.
He didn’t look surprised.
Didn’t suggest wine or rest.
He talked about tissue.
Blood flow.
Healing.
She felt seen.
Irregular periods weren’t random after all
They had shape.
Pattern.
Even when she didn’t notice.
He saw them through her calendar.
Through her symptoms.
And through her silence.
Because not saying something
Also meant something.
She didn’t know pain during sex wasn’t normal
She thought it was just her.
He asked.
And when she said yes,
He didn’t flinch.
He examined gently.
Found inflammation.
Treated it like any other symptom.
Menopause didn’t mean she was done with checkups
She assumed it was over.
No more periods, no more visits.
But things still change.
Tissues shift.
Risks evolve.
And care doesn’t stop
Just because bleeding does.
Birth control wasn’t a one-time conversation
What worked last year
Didn’t work now
She gained weight
Her skin changed
Her mood dipped
He didn’t blame her
He adjusted the dose
And gave her options
Her history mattered even when nothing hurt
She felt fine.
But her mother had fibroids.
Her sister had early menopause.
He asked about them
Took note
Watched things closely
Even when there was nothing urgent
She had no idea she was perimenopausal
She just felt off.
Sleep was strange
Her cycle came early
Then late
Mood swings returned
He said the word
And suddenly it made sense
They talked about more than organs
Her mental health
Her sleep
Her energy
They all came up
Because they’re all connected
And he didn’t separate body from mind
Not once
There was no script, only curiosity
He didn’t follow a checklist
He followed her words
And her silences
And sometimes the space in between
That’s where the answers were