This Woman Had Her Period for 5 Years Straight

Finally, when she was 19, a doctor did a blood test and found that she had von Willebrand disease, a bleeding disorder that prevents her blood from clotting properly. Unfortunately, a diagnosis isn’t the same as a cure, and it took several more years before she found a treatment that worked for her.

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According to the Mayo Clinic, von Willebrand disease is “a condition that can cause extended or excessive bleeding.” It’s usually inherited but, in rare cases, can develop in people later in life. It’s also difficult to diagnose since the signs are often mild, and their intensity can change from one person to another.
 

A photo posted by @chloechristos on Oct 14, 2015 at 9:25pm PDT

“I came across a lot of people, even in the medical profession, who didn’t realize what it meant for women to suffer from a bleeding disorder,” Chloe tells ABC News.

Chloe says some doctors suggested a hysterectomy, which she refused. “I don’t know if I ever want kids, but I never wanted to get rid of what made me a woman,” she says. “And I was terrified of being in my mid-20s and going through menopause.”

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She was put on a synthetic drug for seven years, which she says had “terrible” side effects. “I think I have ended up in the emergency room at almost every country I’ve travelled to,” she says.

Chloe quit taking the synthetic medicine, which only made things worse. At one point, she says she felt like she couldn’t work or leave the house, and ended up in the ER up to three times a week.

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Eventually, she visited a hemophilia center, where she started taking a blood product used for hemophiliacs (people with a disorder in which the blood doesn’t clot properly). Luckily, it worked for her, and she now has a normal period that lasts four to five days.

“That happened for the first time less than a month ago,” she says. “I truly feel so lucky that I have found something that works for me.”

Chloe is now an outspoken advocate for women with bleeding disorders. “It has always felt like this taboo subject,” she says. “I am speaking out about this because I want women around the world to receive adequate care and treatment for bleeding disorders.”

Unfortunately, there is no cure for von Willebrand disease, so Chloe needs to take medication for the rest of her life.