One woman’s period lasted almost three months and was so heavy that she needed a blood transfusion.
North Carolina author Ronny Maye explained how her 83-day period felt like her water was about to break.
After three hours in the ER, a male doctor asked her, “Are you sure you’re bleeding as bad as you say?”
In an I article for Insiders, Ms Maye explained how she was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in 2015 after years of irregular periods.
A white doctor tried to send Ronny Maye home after a blood transfusion. She said: “I would have gone home to possibly die,” and insisted on staying overnight in hospital instead
She often had heavy periods, but one day in the spring of 2018, she got up from her desk to find herself in a pool of blood.
Most women menstruate between two and seven days with an average of five days.
A menstrual period is the monthly shedding of the uterine lining caused by the rise and fall of hormones.
But in PCOS sufferers, a hormonal imbalance causes the uterine lining to thicken, resulting in heavier and longer periods.
An excess of estrogen means the lining becomes thicker than usual, which means more has to be excreted.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is caused by an imbalance in hormones and affects one in eight women. This can cause longer and heavier periods
For Ms. Maye, this meant that when she walked 200 feet from the bathroom to her desk, the blood started running down her leg again.
She went home and used up an entire box of tampons and a box of pads in an hour.
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Ms Maye tried ibuprofen heating pads and free bleeding, but nothing could stop the flow of blood.
“Deep down I knew something was wrong,” she said. “I was shocked.”
She saw a doctor twice and was taken to the emergency room by ambulance.
After three hours there—after an IV fluid for dehydration, several bed changes, a dose of tranexamic acid given by a nurse to stop the bleeding, and a blood transfusion—a white male doctor asked her: ” Are you sure you’re like that flower? This?” no matter how bad you are?’
Ms Maye said: “As a black woman I am often not believed by doctors.”
The doctor said she was well enough to go home, but knew that without more tranexamic acid to reduce the bleeding, “it would be a dangerous situation.”
“I would have gone home to possibly die,” she said.
She requested an overnight stay, which became a weekend stay due to multiple panic attacks, a rapid heart rate and a drop in blood pressure.
Mrs. Maye became anemic, had low hemoglobin, was still dehydrated and was placed on an IV. This caused her arteries to collapse and required another blood transfusion.
The bleeding lasted a total of 83 days and she had to undergo dilation and curettage – a surgical procedure to remove the uterine lining. This is usually done after a miscarriage.
Ms Maye said: “I’ve never experienced a menstrual cycle like this before, but I honestly believe that standing up for myself saved my life.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
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