It’s a rite of passage for women to begin to experience their monthly gift when they hit puberty. Once a month, women suffer the discomfort and pain that is associated with their menstrual cycle.
For some women, having their period is a cakewalk — minus the bleeding and all of that. But, for others, their period can be a painful, almost traumatic experience month after month.
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Many women have “bad periods”
From painful cramps to heavy bleeding, there are some women whose periods are a bit more intense and challenging to handle than others. However, these women are often told by people that it’s “normal” and that these are things that are typical of having Aunt Flo stop by for a visit.
However, one TikTok user opened up and said that what she thought was “normal” was anything but.
TikTok user @graciemayalmey opened up about her condition in a now-viral video
The TikTok user said that she was undergoing terrible periods for 10 years and chalked it up to being “normal.” It turns out, she was diagnosed with adenomyosis, a condition where the tissue from the lining of your uterus grows into your uterine wall.
This can cause many issues for women, as pointed out in Gracie’s video. However, these issues are sometimes waved off as “normal” period symptoms.
In order to spread awareness and help other women, she shared some of the things she had gone through in the decade she was suffering.
First, she experienced “terrible periods”
She claimed her periods would “ruin her life” and that whenever it was her time of the month, she would have to take days off school and work because things were so severe. She was “bedridden” in pain. She would even go to the doctor or a hospital when things got too severe.
Another thing was bloating and bowel movement changes
Gracie shared she would wake up in the morning swollen and bloated to the point where it was hard to put clothes on — and, nothing she ate or drank was triggering it, it just happened every day. In addition, she had painful bowel movements on and around her period, which would cause tremendous lower back pain.
Emotional rollercoasters were also a sign
The TikTok user said since she was a child, she would have intense and uncontrollable emotions. She had spent the majority of her life thinking that she was too sensitive or something was off with her when in reality, her condition was causing her to have major hormonal imbalances.
The new information was “empowering,” she said.
Since her diagnosis, things have been better for her
Now, after understanding that her body was unable to regulate its hormones on its own, she has been able to work with her doctors to sort out many of her issues.
She said she feels “much more level-headed,” and she’s able to keep herself in control now that she has finally figured out the root of her hormonal and gynecological issues.
In another post, Gracie shares the full list of symptoms she experienced
Along with the ones mentioned in her video, she shares a list of others, such as passing clots during her period, nausea, leg pain, chronic UTIs, painful intercourse, dizziness, pressure, joint pain, low iron, and a slew of other issues.
Unfortunately, many women are told that these symptoms can also be “regular” and “normal” during their period.
Many women on TikTok opened up in the comment section about their own struggles
After being so open about her condition, other women began to talk about their struggles with adenomyosis. Some women who are newly diagnosed said, “Diagnosed March this year! Same as you, thought it was all normal, turns out it was not! My moods were also unpredictable and intense!”
Others shared that there was one real solution
“I had adenomyosis ,I am 3 months post operation abdominal hysterectomy I am free from pain for the first time in 5 years,” wrote user
Su Coyne. Many other echoed this, saying that medical professionals insist that individuals who have this condition get a hysterectomy in order to avoid the symptoms and live a pain-free life.
Another woman agreed in the comments
“Just been diagnosed with this on Tuesday! Put straight on the pill to try and ‘control’ it, but I personally think a hysterectomy is my only way forwards. I had no idea that my periods were abnormal, I thought like many women that extreme pain and heavy periods are what I have to deal with. Initially went went to the doctors thinking I was menopausal,” wrote Kerry.
However, Gracie said there are other ways of coping
On her TikTok, she shares countless information and ways that she copes with her own condition, connecting with other women who are undergoing the same pain.
Through her candid videos and openness about adenomyosis, Gracie has been able to connect with over 2,000 other women online. Hopefully, her story can help others figure out the root of their pain, too.
