Kaylen's Story - part 2

Speaker: Kaylen Barker

Kaylen Barker: My name is Kaylen Barker and I'm a 9th generation West Virginian living on a small farm in Kanawha County with my wife and son.

Kaylen Barker : For 10 years, I was absolutely miserable with periods that would last for a month at a time, cramping and pain to the point where it was debilitating and it was affecting my quality of life. I was just absolutely miserable. And begged doctors, please, please, something's wrong, something's not right. I need you to run tests. And I was told I was overreacting. It was just a heavy period, but none of the things that were happening to me were normal. And I needed a hysterectomy. I already had a child. We had already decided we weren't gonna have more kids. It was causing more pain than it was worth. So I begged doctors for 10+ years, let me have the surgery, do something to help me. And I was always turned away because I didn't have a husband to sign permission. I didn't have a husband to sign permission for me to have a medically necessary surgery. I should not have had to suffer for 10+ years before finding a doctor who would not only believe me, but would do it without questions asked. This has to change. We cannot keep living in a system that refuses care.