"KZ Barton will never forget the night in her early 20s when searing abdominal pain landed her in hospital. Every signal from her body was telling her something was extremely wrong. When you experience pain that severe and you don't understand it, you feel like you're dying, the Melbourne-based teacher and author says. But despite her pain being without a doubt worse than unmedicated childbirth, Barton says."
"It was one of many healthcare settings in which the now 36-year-old has felt devalued, dismissed, or treated as a hysterical woman since developing chronic pain, dizziness, gastrointestinal issues and other debilitating symptoms as a teen. She was finally diagnosed with endometriosis in her mid-20s. Diagnoses of adenomyosis, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome followed several years later."
KZ Barton experienced severe abdominal pain in her early 20s and was dismissed by emergency staff despite extreme symptoms. She developed chronic pain, dizziness, gastrointestinal issues, and received diagnoses of endometriosis, adenomyosis, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome over several years. Two-thirds of Australian women report gender bias or discrimination when seeking healthcare, commonly feeling shrugged off or labeled a drama queen, which often delays diagnosis and treatment. The healthcare system is characterized as designed by men for men, and persistent self-advocacy, including seeking multiple medical opinions, can improve outcomes.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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