Apologies for blogging absence, my life has been one huge whirlwind for the past few weeks. I want to share this now in case there are any other women going through similar experiences or who may be seeking advice. If you are uptight or cringed out by woman stuff, stop reading now.
If you decided to carry on reading, this is the story.
I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome when I was 16. Fundamentally, this means that the follicles inside the ovaries don’t mature enough to regularly release an egg and it causes irregular periods among other symptoms such as; acne, hirsutism (hair growth), insulin resistance, and potential infertility. At 16, although being infertile was a worry for me, I was more concerned with getting rid of my spots and regulating my periods (which used to come around once in 3 months). I went on Microgynon and was on it quite happily for 4 years when I decided to switch things up a bit and try out the Mirena coil as being at university had caused me to have a disrupted schedule which meant I was often missing pills.
On the Mirena coil I did not have a period for over a year that I had it, but I knew this was quite normal with that type of contraception so I didn’t worry. It did, however, begin to cause me significant abdominal discomfort and so back I went to the GUM clinic and went back on the pill.
I have been back on the pill since around May last year and I have had minimal to no withdrawal bleeding during my pill free week. This, to me, was quite concerning so my GP advised me to stop taking the pill and use hormone free contraception (condoms, eww) for a while to see if my natural cycle will work itself out, or if I am going to need further hormone tests.
I have now been pill free for almost a month, and according to “My Days” cycle app, I am due on this week.
Having read blogs of women who came off the pill after many years and did not regain their periods for over a year (This Is Life Blood), I am intrigued to see what will happen. All I know for certain is that, if a period is to come or not, the pre-menstrual tension (PMT) is off the scale this weekend.
It is supposed to be the International Day of Happiness today, yet I have spent most of the day crying. I also spent a lot of yesterday crying, and all of Friday night. My family tell me I am irrational, and I know I am, but the feeling is just beyond overwhelming. Having had synthetically regulated hormones pumped in to my body for 6 years meant that I had forgotten what this feels like, and F*** me it’s shit.
For every woman that has to suffer PMT every month, let the tears flow, for every man that has to suffer their girlfriend or wife every month, please be understanding! It is so easy to look for someone to blame when you feel like everything is going wrong, and so often I have blamed my boyfriend when actually it is just my shitty hormones.
Then I sit back and realise that if it weren’t for these hormones, then I wouldn’t be having a cycle and might not be having my first natural period in six years this week!!
Life by Aims 