women's healthcare

I've been in my 30s for a year now. I'm not exactly sure what changed from my 20s, but it seems like healthcare really sucks.

Well, not healthcare exactly, but people's reactions when you tell them you're not feeling well.

Me: I have a headache.
 Friend: Is there a chance you're pregnant?
 Me: What? No, I just need some Excedrin.
 Friend: You shouldn't take aspirin when you're pregnant.
Me: Jesus, what? Nevermind.


It doesn't matter what the ailment is.

My stomach hurts, I think I ate something bad.
Are you pregnant?

Ugh, I'm so tired today.
Are you pregnant?

My feet hurt.
Are you pregnant?

WTF people. Stop already. Why can't we have a normal conversation anymore? Why is everyone so concerned with my uterus?

I get that I'm old. Stop fucking telling me my eggs shriveling up. I'm aware the best breeding years are behind me. But do you know what I was doing when I was 25? I was going to bars with my boyfriend and trying not to be a dumbass at work. I got married at 26 and spent the rest of the year trying to figure out why were arguing about chores. At 27 we got a puppy and being responsible for another life was just NUTS. At 28 I had to restart my career from scratch because we moved to MD after the market crashed.

And you know, I look around at my relatives and friends the same age. Many of them aren't even married, and very few of them have kids of their own. If they do have kids, they're less than 1 year old. So even though my eggs are past their prime, maybe it's time for evolution to catch up to the modern female's lifestyle. Eggs should be viable into your 40s. Life, make it happen.

These last two weeks I wasn't feeling well. Just general pains and the overall feeling that something isn't right. I wanted to talk about it with friends and family, but I knew what the reaction would be. Though it's completely normal to use other people as a sounding board to when to see a doctor.

Should I get this rash on my arm checked out?
Nah, just take some Benadryl.

I can't shake this cough.
Yeah, it really doesn't sound good. Call the doctor.

Should I get my ingrown toenails removed?
Hells no! The treatment is worse than the problem.

I broke down and started talking to people about it. Are you pregnant, are you pregnant, are you pregnant? Right now I think there are 3 people waiting for me to show them a fetus in an ultrasound. Despite me telling them over and over that I feel like something is wrong.

Finally a friend suggested a cyst, and my brother suggested my appendix. That was enough to make me get it checked out. After 4 hours of testing, the results were inconclusive, which goes back to my first statement that women's healthcare really does suck. We can treat schizophrenic people with voices in their head, but can't figure out why I have stomach cramps?

I have to go back next week because who knows? Maybe in 7-10 days something will have changed, or maybe the problem will go away on it's own. Meanwhile, hang in there Trooper!

And wow, do I miss my 20s more than ever.