(trigger warning for blood)

Thin privilege is not worrying about whether or not you deserve to be given medical help for possible illness.

I, nearly a year ago, developed pains in my lower right stomach. At first, the pains showed to be typical appendicitis pains and I was told to get straight to a hospital by my regular doctor if they so worsened. They did not. They did not develop into appendicitis and we were then left to work out what was wrong. I had to have blood tests, and nothing showed. The pain was not just in my right side, but also showed it my left and did no longer match appendicitis. It was impossible to get to my regular doctor, and as the pains hadn’t subsided so I went to another doctor.

I had more blood tests, and the parameters were increased to hormone tests as my period is not regular. The tests came back and showed that my hormones are not balanced. I have too much testosterone in my system, and that is usually present in terms of Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and was given the order to get an ultrasound on my uterus area. Bursting cysts would explain the pain. I had my ultrasound. My ovaries are fine; no cysts to be seen - it could not be the explanation for my pain. The doctor decided that I must have an infection in my gut lining as I had a running fever for over a month. They gave me anti-biotics which I had before and had given me a significant weight gain only six months prior. (They also severally affected my depression and worsened it, although I had not realised what it was at the time.)

The pain was lessen, but not gone. There was still hormone problems. Something needed to be done to fix that and get me on a regular period. The pill could help; it would also help with my weight (as my doctor had decided it was a problem) but instead of being given medications to help control and normalise my hormones to give me a regular period, a lower likelihood of developing PCOS and possibly even lowering my weight as my doctor wanted, they simply decided I was obese and that I needed to actually exercise and eat healthy. I told her that I do exercise. I do eat healthy. I was told to do more. I was given instructions to take a fibre supplement once a day and to actually exercise and eat healthy and come back in a month. I know that if I had been thin to whatever requirements the doctor had for “healthy” I would have been given the medication to help my hormone problems, which would have given all the desired results, plus probably helped my depression and with lowering my weight like the doctor wanted. I have not lost any weight taking the gross, unpleasant fibre supplement and I have not gone back to that doctor.

Thin privilege is not being treated like you don’t deserve medication because of your weight, and that you only deserve medication once you have lost the desired, unrealistic amount of weight a doctor who didn’t bother to ask about your background has decided.