When Chloe Christos got her first period at 14, she expected to bleed for a few days and that be it.
Completely unexpectedly, Chloe’s period never stopped and for five years she experienced heavy bleeding leading to chronic anaemia and fatigue.
Most women lose approximately 20 – 60ml of blood during their period with anything over 80ml considered very heavy bleeding.
Chloe was losing approximately 500ml in a four-day period. The art director and stylist spoke to ABC News and explained that the bleeding resulted in her requiring iron transfusions every week but that her iron levels remained persistently dangerously low.
The bleeding was a source of embarrassment for the young woman:
“I knew it wasn’t quite right, but I was also embarrassed to talk about it. I felt very different and pretty alone.”
At 19, the condition worsened and Chloe was finally tested and diagnosed with Won Willebrand disease (VWD). The disease is a lifelong condition that prevents the blood from clotting properly.
image via GoFundMe
VWD is the most common bleeding disorder, despite hemophilia being the most recognized.
Different treatments followed the diagnosis but medical professionals struggled to identify an effective one.
“I came across a lot of people, even in the medical profession, who didn’t realise what it meant for women to suffer from a bleeding disorder,” Chloe said.
Chloe spent seven years on a synthetic drug but suffered heinous consequences.
“I love and am very passionate about my work so I just kept going,” she said.
“But I think I have ended up in the emergency room at almost every country I’ve travelled to.”
At one point it was suggested that Chloe undergo a hysterectomy but she refused.
“I don’t know if I ever want kids but I never wanted to get rid of what made me a woman. And I was terrified of being in my mid-twenties and going through menopause,” she said.
Chloe was also taken off the synthetic drug.
“It was terrible. I was suddenly right back to where I felt I couldn’t work, I couldn’t leave the house,” she said.
“I definitely became frustrated … I would end up in the emergency room, sometimes three times a week.”
Finally, she found an effective treatment in a hemophilia center. She started taking a blood product most commonly used to treat male hemophiliacs.
“I remember the first day I used the blood product,” she said.
“I was surrounded by friends who have supported me so much through this journey at the treatment centre in Perth. I had not felt that good in years.
Now at 27, she finally experiences a normal 5-day period.
She is attempting to raise funds to travel to the World Hemophilia Congress in Orlando, where she plans to volunteer at the very first women’s booth.
“It has always felt like this taboo subject,” she said.
“I am speaking out about this because I want women around the world to receive adequate care and treatment for bleeding disorders.”
