Page 71 of Chasing You

“Don’t bother,” I say, trying to stand up straight but hunching once more when another cramp rolls through, my back beginning to ache as I stand here.” It doesn’t even scratch the surface.”

“It doesn’t help at all?” Her eyes are narrowed in concern.

I shake my head. “I guess it used to, when I was younger. But for years now no. I just have to grin and bear it,” I try to joke. “And by grin and bear it, I mean pull a Houdini for a few days until it comes right.”

She looks over me with concern, like she’s searching for something.

“Can you come with me?” she asks. “I just have a few questions for you, can you walk?”

I nod, pressing off the wall and slowly following Sofia down the hallway. “The cramps last for days?”

“Yeah, of course,” I say.

She tips her head in a nod. “And after that, are you okay? Do you feel back to normal once the bleeding stops?”

“Uhh…again, not since I was a teenager. Now I don’t feel like myself for at least a week after. I just get so tired, I can barely function.” She raises her brows in understanding. “So no, not back to normal for a while.”

“And the pain, it’s not manageable?”

I just shake my head as she walks us into an examination room and takes a seat behind the desk, prompting me to sit in the one opposite her. “Not with any over-the-counter painkillers.”

She just nods again. Why do medical professionals nod so much?

“Any other symptoms that you didn’t use to have? Nausea paired with the cramps, maybe? Or bad headaches? Is your bleeding heavier now?”

“I’ve always had headaches,” I say. “And it’s only gotten heavier with age. Sometimes nausea, yeah. Not every time though. That’s normal though, isn’t it?”

“It can be, yes. But paired with the unbearable pain and heavy bleeding, maybe not.” Her tone makes my heart rate pick up, and like my insides are listening, another jab to my uterus catches my attention. “Are you on birth control, Marina?”

“No.”

“Have you ever been on it before?”

I shake my head. “No.”

“Okay.” Another nod. She tucks her dark hair behind her ear, almost like she’s distracting herself from what she’s about to say. “Have you heard of Endometriosis?”

“Of course I have,” I say. “But I don’t have that.”

Her eyebrows pull close. “Have you been tested for it?”

“Well, no. But I don’t think I have endometriosis, Sofia.”

She leans her elbows on the desk. “Why is that?”

I don’t know what to say. Surely I would know if I had a real problem like that. Wouldn’t I?

“A regular period doesn’t leave you bedridden for days. Regular period pains are manageable with an Advil and a heatpack. That’s not what you are experiencing. It’s not what I experienced either.”

“You?...”

Another nod, this one paired with a soft smile. “I’ve got suspected endometriosis.”

“What do you mean suspected?” I ask. That whirlwind of emotions is back, this time fear, uncertainty, and nausea are twisting up inside of me.

“Endometriosis is something that fails to have a wealth of knowledge behind it. Many women live with it, but can’t be diagnosed without many appointments and scans, most can’t be diagnosed without surgery.”

“Surgery?”One is enough for now.

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