She opened her mouth to protest but could not
Speak up that it wasn’t just in her head, she had also thought
For the longest time that her symptoms bothersome
Were figments of her imagination, that would go and come
Previously, based on her overall emotional state
But they had become more persistent of late
Causing limitations impacting her life from day to day
She herself could no longer explain them away
So she had made an appointment to address
Her concerns, but it looked like she made no progress
*
The doctor had listened carefully and then explained
All basic blood tests were fine, and that her pain
Was mostly a product of undue stress and less exercise
“Take it easy and be more active,” was his advice..
*
She had an intuition that something was not right
But who was she, after all, to fight
The doctor’s assessment, her tests were fine too
Exercise more regularly was what she would try to do..
*
She tried to follow the advice but in a few weeks
New symptoms appeared, she felt more weak
She sought medical attention but the answer seemed the same
She resigned to the idea that she herself was to blame
*
One day at work she had a ministroke
That was the event that then broke
The endless cycle of being told it was in her head
More thorough investigations revealed an underlying cause instead
With correct treatment and many of her symptoms disappeared
She felt “normal” for the first time in a few years…
*
When you talk about any chronic illness
Chances are it would be worse with stress
But women’s symptoms have a long history
Of being dismissed summarily
It is time to view women’s health with a perspective new
Women’s symptoms are very much real too!
Passion...unbridled 