The Happy Pelvis

One of the most shared and engaged with posts on The Happy Pelvis Instagram, is one that points out the difference in a man’s medical treatment versus a woman’s, when it comes to going to see their doctor about pelvic pain. It seems as though medicine hasn’t considered many women’s conditions or diseases to be very urgent or have not considered our pelvic pain to be ‘real’ conditions at all. Women have been left out of medical studies for a number of reasons, like constant hormonal changes, including a concern about the risks to them and their reproduction (Ironic, isn’t it?), but a main reason was that researchers found it easier to study only men. The thought of so many doctors having the view of “many women live with pelvic pain, it’s normal”, directly shows that gender bias and limited thinking of medical professionals has halted correct care and research in any effort to better understanding these female dominated conditions.

After I smoke cannabis, I feel a sense of calm that relaxes my muscles (An absolute need with my Pelvic Floor Dysfunction) and my thoughts begin to improve from the stressful state I’m in when dealing with pain. Immune balancing: called “immuno-modulation,” immune balance occurs with the help of Marijuana molecules such as Anadeamide (AEA), and cannabinoids, helping the immune system fight the disease and not the patient. THC, the notorious part of the plant that causes the “high” feeling, has numerous medical benefits including: anti-inflammatory, anti-epileptic, anti-depressant, anti-nausea, appetite stimulant, pain relieving, reduces blood pressure, eases glaucoma pressure, and acts against cancer. Do you suffer from a chronic illness and use Cannabis to help your pelvic pain symptoms?

Following the painful cystoscopy with no local anesthesia, in a cold surgical room, I was I told by this doctor that nothing was wrong with the anatomy of my bladder and that “many women get urinary tract infections, so proper hygiene is key and to wipe front to back. It’s not only every day women speaking up about getting dismissed by medical professionals on their personal blogs, there is a lot of academic research to back it up. They found that when patients were complaining of the same level of severe abdominal pain, men waited an average of 49 minutes before being treated, while women had waited for an average of 65 minutes. Since medical professionals not only take women’s pain less seriously than men’s, but often misdiagnose it as being emotionally driven or “

As I sit here writing this, I think back to 2018 when I wrote my last New Year blog post, about all that I had accomplished in 2018 despite my setbacks and thought to myself, “ When I became bathroom and bed ridden at the ripe age of 28, I was angry. Angry that I wasn’t able to take my pain away. I know that no matter what happens, I’m going to be okay because I have family and friends who will help me get through it.