I'm going to share a little story about myself tonight. A story about when the practitioner becomes the patient, the carer gets cared for and to always trust your instinct.

I've been feeling off for about a month now. You know when you know you're just not right. Pelvic pain, go to bed at 6pm tiredness, needing to wee ALL the time, aches, weight gain, bloating and that nagging feeling that's something wasn't quite right. My instinct was that it was my ovaries. I could feel it.
I went to a new GP 3 weeks ago. I was so desperate that I couldn't wait to see my regular GP. Bloods and a urine test ordered, all normal. Hmmmmmmm.

I went back the following week, still feeling something wasn't right. We decided to do an internal ultrasound. Bingo. 43 cysts on my ovaries. Yup, 43! A belly full of bloating, fluid filled cysts that were not only mucking up my hormones but the cause of my 7kg weight gain Having had PCOS and endometriosis 10 years ago, in another life, before kids, I honestly though it was all behind me. But the stressors of last year, sourdough, rice, soy and caffeine creeping back into my diet , I feel, all came together for the perfect PCOS revival, with a vengeance.

I instantly launched my plan. Straight back into a grain free, dairy free diet, continuing my daily hour long walks which I started in December, osteo and acupuncture support, my beloved estrogen clearing herbs and some serious self care.
But things still weren't right. I was battling daily pain still and an unwavering knowledge that I wasn't on top of this. It hit crescendo this weekend. Feeling delirious and in pain all of Saturday I went to bed at 3pm and rolled around in and out of pain and sleep until Sunday morning. Doubled over in pain I took myself off to emergency. 12 hours later, still with no answers, I was sent home. Was this all in my head? Was I making it worse than it was? Bloods show no signs of infection, no temperature and no reason that they could find. With sympathy in their voice, they sent me home.

I worked all day Monday, with niggly pain that was tolerable. Monday night I went to bed early. Tuesday I woke up in agony. I knew I had 2 patients that I desperately wanted to see. So I went in. I called my gyaenocologists office asking if there happened to be any cancellations? I was desperate, I think the receptionist heard the pain in my voice and said the magic words. "Can you come in at 11:30"?
I jumped at it. I drove in and made my way to my appointment. My lovely Dr, Dr Glen Barker, took one look at me and said "surgery, this afternoon"! I was shocked but relieved. I literally walked across the road to St John of God hospital, prepped for surgery and off I was whisked.

I woke groggy and sore but had the most wonderful, lovely nurses look after me on the ward for the night. My Dr visited this morning. I was anxious to hear the outcome. Well, he said, there was no endometriosis, but you did a good job of bursting an ovarian cyst. The month of pain and tenderness due to fluid build up. Finally, an answer, I wasn't going crazy,and my old nemesis endometriosis was not back. Thank goodness!
Shocked but relieved, I am now resting up at home for a few days. My husband looked after me bringing homemade chicken broth soup to my bedside, and I'm fuelling my gut with Kultured Wellnesskefir.
What a week, what a month, what a 24 hours. I am only sharing this so that you all listen to your instinct. Have a good medical and natural health care team round you and know your own body

Use the tools to nurture and nourish yourself back to health and rest when your body tells you to. This all makes me a better practitioner, mum and woman. I'll be back on board on Monday. In the meantime, my bed and my couch are calling me xxx

When practitioner becomes patient