We Don't Talk About Periods.

I feel like an experiment. They are testing me for something as if I am divergent or some other species, when in reality, I am a woman. I've tried five different birth control methods, including two IUDs, and the problems are not solved. Why do we not talk about this more? Are we meant to be whispering about this behind closed doors? Absolutely not! We need to know about our bodies, and we need to learn more.

Going to the doctor's office has been a regular occurrence for me nearly every month. When it's not the doctor's office, I find myself in the emergency room for hours, waiting to see a doctor who will brush me off and say, "sleep it off" or "here's some pain meds." In 2016, I had ovarian cysts, and no one knows what causes women to have them; it's just something that happens to you as a woman. Now, let's get personal, and you'll learn things about me that you can probably relate to or be shocked by how my life is every month.

I can feel it coming; it starts with my cravings. All I want to eat is cake and really high-sugar things. I chew on some fruits to keep the weight down, but it gives me no satisfaction. I start daydreaming about the perfect cake with buttercream icing and flavors of chocolate and vanilla that play into one another, with dark and light intermingled into one flavor called cake. After that daydreaming, I drink some water, and it keeps the cake dream at bay. Next, my legs feel like they ran a marathon, and believe me, running is the last thing I do in terms of fitness. I'd rather swim fifty laps than run for three minutes. The soreness in my legs says it all...it's coming. Then come my moods; I am a relatively happy person and do not get irritable very often, but oh my goodness, could my husband breathe any louder? Why does he follow me around like a dog? Has he heard of space? I need it! But at the same time...why hasn't he been hugging me all day? I cannot find the balance. I am watching "Vampire Diaries" non-stop; the scene where Damon comes in and before he gives Elena her necklace filled with Vervain, he says to her, “I love you, Elena,” he said. “And it's because I love you, I can't be selfish with you…. I don't deserve you. But my brother does.” Then, he compels her to forget the whole conversation. I find myself in tears, completely wrecked, going through a tissue box like it's a giant bag of chips. The next moment, I am watching a documentary about animals and find myself completely at ease as animals are killing each other and I hear David Attenborough's voice.

Then, the day I've been dreading comes. I can feel my whole body is sore, my cramps are present, I feel hungry and full all at the same time. I do not eat because I feel nauseous, I drink tea after tea, I am on 600 mg of naproxen. "Take twice a day with food," the bottle reads. So, I force myself to eat a piece of toast and I down my first pill. It's 8:30 in the morning; I have been awake since 6:30, and it is already time to change my first tampon and my pad. I already called in sick because there's no way I can drive, let alone walk anywhere other than the washroom. I boil hot water and fill up my hot water bottle; I lay in bed with all the pillows surrounding me. I call my parents, and my voice is shaking, and I am slurring my words, trying my best to get a sentence out without moaning in pain. My husband calls me, asking if there is anything he can pick up for me on his break or after work. He is so sweet; I start to cry because I have no idea what I did to deserve him. The concern in his voice; he wishes there is something he could do for me but knows that he cannot. The pain gets too real; I take Gravol to knock myself out, I fall asleep and for the two hours, I finally do not feel pain. I wake up, and I feel nauseous; I get to the bathroom, and when I get up, I see a stain on the bed sheets. I sigh, knowing that I have to deal with it sooner rather than later.

"Go on the IUD," they said. "You might get lucky and have no periods," they said. That only works if your uterus is not a weird shape. This is my second one out of place; it's leaning on my right ovary. No wonder why the pain is so much. Here I go again, another ultrasound, the third one...my ovarian cysts are back. Great. Now, I can only do one thing, and that's to take out the IUD. Birth control is not an option I want to try again; it's probably why my body is so messed up in the first place. So, that leaves one option: continue living my life as best I can, take my pain meds every day and before my period starts, and if I get pregnant, then great! I want to have children anyway; sure, I'd like to wait a year, but I can't help but think that everything happens for a reason.

We need to talk about these problems more; we need to acknowledge that this is not normal. We need to know that we as women will be heard over the doctors who prescribe medications and birth controls that should not be taken for a long period. If you are a male, stop being so ignorant and getting uncomfortable about your woman getting a period. I am not apologizing for what my body goes through and for writing this article about what my personal experience has been like. You want to talk about feminism? Sure, then give me free period products! Men do not have buy these every month unless if it's for their woman or sister. Why should women have to buy these products that are a basic necessity? We need to make them accessible for low-income families and for third-world countries. This is why I support brands such as Tampax, who want to help 3rd world countries obtain tampons and pads. Scotland offers free products, they are the first country to do so since 2020, why have we (Canada) not started this? Why are we still paying the pink tax?

If any of you women out there are experiencing this, I recommend you visit the Somedays website. I am an advocate for this website; the natural remedy products they offer have helped me so much, and I am not an affiliate marketer; the products genuinely help. I bought the cramp cream, the raspberry tea, the after-flow bath and body oil, and these products have helped me so much to get through the seven days.

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