6d ago
I've been meaning to post this for a while because I made such a mess of my first GP appointment on this subject and I don't want anyone else to do the same. I went in and said something like 'things feel a bit different, intimate-wise' and then went completely blank when she looked at me. I came out with nothing useful and felt embarrassed for days. So before my next appointment I sat down and actually wrote things out. Not in vague language. Specific things. When the discomfort started. Whether it was constant or only at certain times. Whether I'd noticed anything with UTI-type symptoms even when tests came back clear. Whether my confidence had changed, not just physically but in how I felt about myself generally. Writing it down in plain language before I got into that room made an enormous difference. I didn't perform being fine. I handed over my notes and said 'I've written it here because I knew I'd forget.' She read them. We had an actual conversation. I also wrote down the question I actually wanted answered, which was whether local oestrogen was something worth discussing for my specific symptoms. Having it written meant I didn't bottle it. If any of this is familiar and you've been putting off the appointment, I'd just say: write it down first. The private stuff especially. You don't have to say it out loud if that's easier. x