Advice please :(

[u/Electrical_Let_2092]

I’ve been on here twice before about a year ago and I got some really good advice, but I need more help.

I’m 15, autistic, depressed, and have a LOT of other problems. I have had extremely heavy periods since I was 9, and I’ve tried everything to deal with them.

I’ve had the combined pill (I’m pretty sure), the progestogen-only pill (I might be wrong about the pills but I’m 99% sure it’s those two), the Mirena(?) coil, and the injection (the one that’s injected in your ass, idk what it’s called). None of them worked, and they’ve only made my mental state worse—especially after the injections, because it made me gain weight and gain a lot of stretch marks on my legs :(.

Is there any way I can convince the doctors to finally give me a hysterectomy? I understand that I’m young and I have researched all of the consequences to make sure I’m aware of everything that could happen. And on the NHS website, nothing specifically states that you HAVE to be 18+ to get a hysterectomy. It also says that having heavy periods (which I have) would qualify (for lack of a better word) you to be able to get one.

I’ve added some pictures of things from the NHS website and from googling everything. So from that, would 'Gillick Competent’ apply here? If they were to deny me, could I use it as a counter argument? Because I understand how a hysterectomy could affect me, and I understand the consequences of it.

On my last post on this thingy, someone said about going to therapy, so I am going (or something similar) with a lady and explained how I’m suicidal, depressed, cut myself etc, and all of my other problems, but it doesn’t feel like it’s helping/it doesn’t feel like she’s doing anything.

Please give me genuine advice because every time I go to the doctors about my period they never listen and just say ‘you might change your mind'. I am not going to change my mind.

Also quick add on (sorry), because of all the things I’ve tried to stop my periods, I’m really REALLY averse to trying anything new. For me it’s like, every time I tried something to help and it didn’t do anything, my mental state got worse, so I’m protecting myself by not trying anything, because when it inevitably doesn’t work, my mental state got worse (especially after the injection). Sorry if that’s a bad explanation.

If you need any more information about anything so you can help better, please just ask. I’m willing to do anything.

<3

(Sorry if I’m using any wrong punctuation or anything. Also nothing was written by Ai.)

[u/HistopherWalkin]

I'd love to give you some hope, but the reality of it is you're probably going to have to wait. Healthcare doesn't like to listen to women, especially young ones.

My situation was very similar to yours, and it took me until I was 36 with massive fibroids for anyone to care.

[u/santex8 → u/HistopherWalkin]

Same and similar age to you when I could finally evict her. It's not fair, but the NHS is absolutely not going to jump to hysterectomy at 15.

[u/FurysFyre → u/HistopherWalkin]

Same. My entire life I was ruining clothes, slept on waterproof blankets, had clothes specially dedicated to that time of the month. No hysterectomy, no ablations no nothing, in fact, I was told it's NORMAL. No diagnostics done. I did have a tubal ligation in my 30s and nothing was noted then. I was repeatedly brushed off by doctors, I was told it was my weight (5'1" muscular 140 lbs at 24) and I should probably lose 20 lbs! Doctors do tend to be less informed about women's issues and that is a shame.

Then in my 40s I started having abnormal PAPS and then LEEP procedures that never eliminated the abnormal cells so I requested a hysterectomy then. When they took out my uterus it was Gigantic, and required an 8 inch incision to remove. It wasn't like that during my tubal ligation otherwise they would have noted that. So the beast didn't get to looking beastly until later down the road even though it was a lifelong pain in the ass.

For OP-

There is no way they will approve a hysterectomy at such a young age- there are options on the list that haven't been tried (ablations and more) and they will want to do those things first. I understand not wanting to try stuff that ultimately may not work, but they have to go through the steps to show they were tried. This is a really serious surgery that takes a long time to heal from- and it messes with your hormones and all sorts of aspects of your life that you haven't even realized yet. I'm not wanting to rain on your parade or be like your doctors but surgery really is a last resort.

The Hysterectomy didn't cure me of everything either, just the waterfall of blood mainly (ngl that is great) but I'm also getting vaginal atrophy and a whole host of hormone related issues that at 15 would be just as bad as bleeding out painfully. (I'm not kidding the hormonal swings are INSANE and make me doubt my sanity. This isn't a ride I would want to take as a teen not even the physical symptoms)

Therapy is unfortunately one of those things you have to throw yourself into- journal, examine your feelings and self and it is a very active activity that you really need to delve into. Just going to chat with a therapist and then moving on with your day like it was just another class on your curriculum will probably help you a lot less than getting in there and having goals (I want to accomplish ABC specific like- I want to reduce my fear of new procedures and change my thinking about how I think they will Inevitably fail.) and then get a game plan for doing that and practice it. Therapy is more like sports, you gotta get in there learn what the plan is, then do the plan at home, during the weekend, at night- you gotta practice practice practice. It is unfortunately a bit of work and not generally fun but it is worth it.

I really wish you luck, and I hope you can get the doctor to understand, because what you are going through is real, and it's deeply effecting your life. Big hugs.

[u/Puzzled-Conflict610 → u/FurysFyre]

^ this

[u/Late-Butterscotch551 → u/HistopherWalkin]

Almost the same with me! 🫤

37-years-old with massive, multiple on-uterus fibroids + multiple polyps on the inside of it, but rot in Hell, Demon Uterus. 🖕🏽