So a while ago I commented on a thread about feeling run down and tired all the time. You ladies encouraged me to get checked out and consider vitamin supplements - thank you. :)

I'm relieved that I've finally got answers and confirmation that I do indeed have a health problem which had me paddle up Shit Creek!

So for background, during the COVID lockdown years, I noticed that my periods had become even heavier and longer (a lady GP told me that this was normal when women reach their 30s onwards). Also, I got out of breath, chest pains and aching limbs even when I walked a short flat distance.

I put it down to me being sedentary (as I have a full-time admin role so sit at a desk), not being as active as I should have been and not getting enough sleep.

But it bothered me that although I gradually became more active by walking more, my fitness and stamina never seemed to improve, like I’d reached a plateau albeit a very shallow one - even going upstairs or moving quickly in my house made my head spin, limbs ache and chest feel like it was being crushed. Told my parents about it a few times but they said it was anxiety / overthinking, and also that I was a drama queen and hypochondriac. Eh, thanks? :/

The rare time I could get an appointment at my local NHS health centre about my concerns over the years, I was told 'every woman's cycle is different - it’s annoying but just live with it as best you can :))))' and nothing was done. One time a blood test was carried out but IIRC that may have been just for diabetes so nothing of concern was reported or possibly various tests were conducted but I may have been OK at that time.

A few months ago, I took a work-subsidised private health assessment for my annual perk and am so glad I did.

They did various tests with my blood and it was both a relief yet frustrating to be advised that except for my red blood cell count reported to be 50 (at minimum it should be roughly 120 - like WTF!?), my health in almost every other area was very good.

Great cholesterol figures, very low risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease within the next 10 years... but my BMI was a a bit over the advised figure and I need to work on my flexibility, ha. Both the physical health advisor and GP seemed dismayed and impressed at the same time by how I looked a bit pale yet was still on my feet, seemingly okay (though of course my blood was in dire condition).

The private health company issued me an urgent letter of referral and told me to check into my local NHS hospital.

So I went and had the rather unpleasant but necessary 12 hours of sitting in the A & E lounge overnight before I could get a bed (my mum came to sit with me for 9 hours, bless her) at 4am the next day, the shock of a few nights stay in hospital with a fat cannula wedged into my forearm, a battery of tests some of which were unpleasant (though I asked to hold off from doing the throat and bum camera probes until the gynaecology team reported back lol - good thing as I suspected my problem might be to do with my reproductive system), 3 blood transfusions and 2 iron infusions.

I’m very anaemic due to a large fibroid (about 8 x 8 x 7 cm) wrapped in many blood vessels, hunkering in my womb. Gross piece of shit. It's been poaching my blood and causing greater flow during my cycle. The size charts I’ve seen online describe it as the size of a 12-16 week old foetus or mango which is... pretty disturbing.

I had other odd symptoms right before my assessment like my mood suddenly tanked after I came back from a happy rewarding holiday; I couldn’t understand why I felt so intensely angry, fatigued and despondent (I felt too embarrassed to tell my workplace). I had frequent headaches and was starting to go a bit crazy inwardly from sleep deprivation due to waking up 4-5 times during the night to pee. As I’ve never been pregnant, I thought the weird sense of fullness in my lower tummy was PMS.

Since my hospital stay, I’ve been prescribed a course of various pills - vitamin D, ferrous sulfate / iron and Tranexamic acid. Can’t believe how effective the latter are with blood clotting and making my period much more manageable, even on the hellish second day. It seems I did have some nasty side effects last night to it though which stopped me sleeping for a few hours: my entire tummy was very sore to the touch and inside it felt like I had the worst food poisoning of my life, severe uterine cramping, nausea, my internal organs feeling unpleasantly under pressure and it hurt more to lay down. Fun! So I only had 1 pair of Tranexamic pills today.

I feel so much better now though am a little nervous about my hysteroscopy under GA - glad the NHS put me in for priority treatment due to the severity of my anaemia and likely fibroid size. I’m having a smear test, polyp removed, maybe the Mirena coil fitted if possible though am not sure what can be done with the fibroid. I’d want it removed but know the fibroid’s location and structure may make it difficult. So glad I’ll be asleep!

My parents aren’t the type to apologise but they have been very supportive and my mum a lot more tactile; despite our rocky relationship at times, I love them very much but hope they’ve learned from this. My friends and workplace have been excellent too.

Anyway, my diagnosis was completely unexpected and I only found out after the ‘excitement’ that my mum’s side of the family has been affected by endometriosis and fibroids. Not sure about the women on my dad’s side but its possible.

I’ve been reading up about fibroids and find it staggering that it affects up to 80% of women worldwide during their lifetime yet it’s not talked about much. I thought I had a fairly healthy diet although I should have done more exercise and gotten more vitamin D, but maybe with how these conditions can pass down generations, it was always going to happen anyway though perhaps not with the same severity.

It's a bit morbid but I do wonder with my blood cell count previously being only 50 and depleted iron, how close did I come to the risk of dying suddenly from multi-organ failure? Being informed about how much trouble I was in has given me a deeper appreciation of my health and confidence in knowing my body!

Although I'm not too happy with my local NHS health surgery due to being fobbed off and difficult to see previously (not helped by them being said to have taken on lots of new patients in exchange for a money boost when they can't even fit in their existing patients), I was treated very well by the private health provider team and various departments at the NHS hospital.