Page 55 of Confessions of a Virgin on a Dating App
“Should I leave the room?” Devin asked, turning towards me.
I nodded. If I needed to disclose further information about my reproductive history, it was best that he did not hear it.
Devin released my hand and stood up, brushing the curtains out of the way as he left. The space between my fingers suddenly felt very empty without him.
“No findings means that we’ve ruled out most causes, such as ovarian cysts,” The doctor continued. “But that also leaves us with another possible diagnosis.”
My ears perked up, and I sat upright, hanging on her words.
“I think you have endometriosis.”
Endo—what?
Wait…
I had heard of that condition before. It was mentioned on the medical websites when I did my initial internet searches, and the pelvic physical therapist mentioned it during my session.
“What is that?”
“It’s a condition where endometrial tissue, the kind that lines your uterus, grows in other parts of your body,” the doctor explained. “It can stick to other organs in your abdomen and bind them together, causing a variety of health issues.”
“What kinds of health issues?”
“It varies between cases, but common symptoms are severely painful or abnormal periods, digestion issues, bladder issues, sexual dysfunction, and…”
Upon hearing the last symptom, my torso shot up out of bed.
WHAT!?
“Sexual dysfunction?” I repeated, unsure if I’d heard her correctly.
“Yes. A lot of women with endometriosis suffer from painful sex or have difficulty with penetration.”
I sat upright, frozen and stiff as a board, as my mind pieced together the reality of my diagnosis.My sexual issues aren’t all just in my head? There’s actually something wrong with me?
It felt nauseating and liberating at the same time. I wasn’t imagining things. I was broken, but in a way that could be fixed.
A single hospital trip had just lifted years of emotional baggage off my shoulders. It was hard for me to process. The whole room seemed to swirl, like my head was stuck underwater.
“How do you treat endometriosis?” The question hurriedly shot out of my mouth.
“Well, the endometrial tissue won’t show up in standard medical scans. The only way to get a confirmed diagnosis is through surgery. It’s called a laparoscopy, and it’s a minimally invasive procedure that only takes a few hours. It won’t cure your endometriosis, but it will significantly improve your symptoms. There’s a gynecological surgeon in Lakeland who specializes in endometriosis—I’ll give you his contact information. Now, do you have any other questions?”
I had a million. But I was also eager to leap out of the hospital bed and return to Critical Games, so I decided to save my questions for the surgeon.
“Nope,” I shook my head. “I’ll contact the surgeon first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Excellent.” The nurse clasped her hands together. “I’ll put together your discharge paperwork, and a nurse will be in shortly to administer some pain medication. It was a pleasure meeting you, Avery.”
“Likewise.”
As she walked away, she tilted her head over her shoulder. “Want me to let your boyfriend back in?”
“He’s not…”
Oh fuck it.There was no point in correcting her.
“Um, yes, please, you can let him in.”
