Venus, Dismal

The story

Venus says: Do you know how it feels to bleed and bleed until your lips and nose are numb? Do you know how it feels to be told “you just have heavy periods” and your heart tells you something else is wrong? Do you know what it’s like to pass clots the size of tennis balls with your menstrual period? Do you know how very tired you feel when your period lasts 30 days?Do you know what it’s like to be given a diagnosis for which there was not a brochure or pamphlet….absolutely no educational materials whatsoever? Do you know how scary it is to only be told “this is what you have” and “if something happens, a hematologist will know what to do”? Do you know how frustrating and frightening it is to be told “women don’t bleed”? Do you know how terrifying a place the world seems when no one believes or understands your medical diagnosis? Do you know how depressing all of this can be?* vWD stands for von Willebrand’s Disease. This is a bleeding disorder that is passed equally among men and women. The Goddess of vWD is a Caucasian woman who lives in Indiana. She is a force to be reckoned with in the bleeding disorders community. She is the author of numerous educational pamphlets available through the National Hemophilia Foundation. For more information call: 1-800-42-HANDI