“This Does Not Happen To Men”: 50 Of The Most Downplayed Medical Conditions And Procedures

Anything being put through the cervix / into the uterus - IUD insertion, endometrial biopsy, colposcopy. “Just take an ibuprofen before your appointment and you’ll be fine!”

The doc told me when they boiled the lining of my uterus off because I had a menoraga that there are no pain receptors inside your uterus.

All the pain you have from childbirth comes from your cervix. When I was 20, I had a colcoscopy that hurt a lot and as a further indignity made me carry it to the lab in a cup on the other side of the hospital. The doctor also ignored me when I told him I was in a lot of pain during my 1st C-section, they were doing on me and they said that was just pressure. Then I told him I could feel the blood running down my legs and they said oh well maybe you can feel something. This does not happen to men. My husband got prescribed more pain meds for a hemorrhoid than I did for one of c sections.

Depression physically hurts and its never really addressed.

Tooth pain is pure agony.

Migraines and cluster headaches. I used to get Migraines that wouldn't stop until I puked just from my head hurting so bad. I got it under control thank goodness but I have a lot of sympathy for people who tell me they have a headache.

Endometrosis and uterine fibroids - they are debilitating for many women but because they won't end you a lot of people are expected just to cope. It may affect up to 20% of women to varying degrees and the pain is often played down as "normal". If your period or ovulation time is causing you to cramp, bleed heavily, pass out or vomit see a doctor and get a referral to a gynacologist and keep pushing. Being out of commision for 2-5 days a month is not normal.

Menopause. Everything about it, and yes, that's even with hormone replacement.

I had an IUD inserted a few weeks after my daughter was born. Over the course of the next four months I repeatedly went back to the doctor because it *hurt*. She kept telling me it can’t hurt. The fifth time I saw a different doctor. The IUD had implanted and of course needed to be removed.

When I think about it now I’m still confused about my behavior. It hurt, it hurt from the moment it went in, I knew it hurt, but I walked away from four separate appointments trying to convince myself it didn’t because someone said it didn’t.

Nerve Pain. There is no relief. No medication. Just have to deal with it. Had to leave a business meeting to puke from the pain. It has been years since the injury and it's under control but hasn't gone away. Nerves take forever to heal. I didn't understand what chronic pain was until I experienced it.

Rheumatoid "arthritis" (I prefer the term rheumatoid disease). It's not just aching joints when it rains. It's an autoimmune disease that attacks the entire body. The pain can be literally blinding! I've spent days trapped in a bed or chair where it was excruciatingly painful to even press a button on a remote. Many times I couldn't catch my breath, tears soaking my tingling face, trying unsuccessfully to will the worst of the pain away. The pain, during a flare is all-consuming. There is nothing to do but ride it out (and try not to disturb others with your screaming). There's no cure. Unlike childbirth there is no "reward" after the pain. There's just the expectation that you'll continue on with life and deal with it [preferably silently].

The downplaying of rheumatoid disease, like many of the procedures and conditions mentioned, is due to sexism and misogyny.

Sciatica. Recovering from a cesarean was a breeze in comparison. I wouldn’t wish that level of pain on even my worst enemy.

Childbirth. I don’t care how often it’s mentioned, it’s worse than that. And the after effects can last forever.

Throwing out your lower back. People laugh about it likes it nothing but it seriously hurts like hell.

Hidradenitis suppurativa also known as “acne inversa”.

People often mistake it for harmless acne, that’s why i don’t really like the term “acne inversa”. It’s actually incredibly painful and big absecess, that can turn into a sepsis in very bad cases. There is no cure and your skin basically gets ruined and is full of scars and in extreme cases, open wounds and holes. There’s also not much you can do to prevent it and everything that doctors suggest, could help, isn’t even guaranteed, because we don’t know much about it yet.

On top, people often aren’t taken serious, because they say that the reason they have it, is their overweight, which is confirmed not to be the cause.

You lose your whole quality of life, because you can almost eat nothing, as it triggers your HS even more.

You can not wear cool clothing, because it causes the flares to hurt like hell.

Oh, and you will also ruin it and also bed sheets and other stuff you sit or lay on, when your flares leak and bleed.

You are judged because people don‘t really believe you that it’s THAT bad or don’t take it serious. This is basically why it‘s so unknown. Scientists just don‘t bother to do researches, that‘s what I heard.

You smell, no matter how much you shower.

You develop mental illnesses.

You have just a higher risk of developping diabetes, if I‘m correct.

You are constantly tired and hot, because your whole body is full of inflamations.

Sometimes it’s so painful that you can’t even move some days, because every step just hurts and nothing truly helps to relieve the pain except simply not moving. It’s hell. Especially as an young girl, who has her whole life ahead of her. You are basically never beautiful.

Edit: So, this really blew up and I‘m very happy about the helpful answers or the people who wrote that I helped them find out their disease or that someone finally mentioned it.

I wanted to give you the hint, that there‘s a sub reddit, where you can find more people with HS: r/Hidradenitis.

Fibromyalgia, especially when combined with *any* spinal issues, arthritis, and chronic fatigue. It *can be* incredibly painful and the severity of it isn't well recognised or taken seriously by the medical community.

Most days, I struggle to get out of bed, my thinking is impaired (foggy), and there are days when I cannot even lift my leg high enough to get it over the d**n tub to get into it to take a shower. I think one of the worst things about this condition is that it can be so *individualised*. There isn't a cookie-cutter solution to it, and there sure isn't enough research done on it.

I wouldn't wish this on *anyone*.

I have stage 4 cancer. Cancer is more painful than I ever could have imagined.

Pancreatitis is also extremely unbearably painful.

Bowel obstructions are very painful too.

Gout. I feel that it's commonly downplayed as a disease, just kind of a part of life for many thing. The standard management and treatment of it also seems very low level. My partner has it, and his flare ups used to be horrifying. The swelling, the pain, it was awful. He's not a complainer, but I remember one time his ankle was the size of a grapefruit, even cloth brushing it was excruciating. He mentioned once that amputation seemed like a viable option, except for the fact that the gout would just move elsewhere. People blame it on the person too - clearly they're eating too much rich food or drinking too much. My partner's was actually triggered by dehydration most of the time, but the more it happens the easier it is to trigger because your uric acid levels stay high.

Anyway, he went with an aggressive treatment that reduces your uric acid levels and dissolves the crystals it forms in your body. (Another fun thing gout does! Tophi are formations of uric acid crystals that can essentially lock up your joints, and can actually open wounds in your skin. My partner had them on his feet, basically rocks IN HIS FEET.) As the crystals dissolve, they trigger an immune response that comes across as a really bad gout attack but can last way longer. His treatment took the better part of a year, and at one point he was in so much pain he couldn't dress himself. We didn't know anyone who had been through the treatment and it was hard to trust that it would be successful, but I'm so glad he persevered. He now takes regular medication and his gout is so under control that he hasn't had an attack in five years. He can even indulge occasionally in foods he used to avoid like the plague, things like seafood and red meats! We're so glad with where he is, but it was a really rough path to get here.

Any wear and tear injury experienced by a middle aged woman that’s not related to sports. It boggles my mind how doctors roll out the red carpet for my colleagues that have sports injuries but tear the same tendon from overworking it scrubbing floors and it’s just “wait and see” and long wait times for imaging and nothing for pain.

C-section. It’s painful, high susceptibility to infections, recovery while being a new mom, it’s not easy. It’s downplayed even making you think that it’s normal. It’s major surgery and really requires rest during the recovery. Which is really challenging when you’re also bonding with a new baby.

hannahrlindsay:

C-Section. We talk about it so casually, but I felt them pulling and tugging and yanking at my body as they got my baby out and then I hurt after for MONTHS. I’m ashamed I didn’t bow to every woman who mentioned having one before I had my own. Truly a hellish experience.

Pleurisy and/or broken rib. Someone is st**bing you every time you breathe. Guess what you have to do every 3-5 seconds?