[Gynecology Series Part 3] "I wish I'd known sooner!" What I learned at 37: How you don't have to endure period pain | How the pill changed my daily life
This is the Gynecology Series Part 3.
▼ Click here for Gynecology Series Part 2: "Why I, who thought period pain was something to be endured, started taking the pill"
◼️ From the day I started taking the pill until the first month
August 8, 2022.
From the day I visited the gynecologist,
Istarted taking Yaz (a low-dose pill).The doctor told me,
"Take one pill every day at the same time."Since I already had a habit ofdrinking hot water every morning, I decided to take it at that time.By attaching it to an existing habit,I almost never forgot to take it.
(*It is very important to continue taking the pill at the same time every day.)
For the first month after I started taking it,just as the doctor had told me, a small amount of bleeding continued the whole time.
I needed a panty liner every day.
But it wasn't enough to need a sanitary napkin.
It was just bleeding.
I wasn't unable to move due to abdominal pain, and as the slight bleeding continued, I spent my days thinking,
"My body is reacting properly."
◼️ Basic usage of Yaz (low-dose pill)
I will explain a little about how Yaz works.
One sheet of Yaz has28 pills.
For 24 days,you take the active pills containing the active ingredients (pink pills), andfor the last 4 days,you take the placebo (white pills).The mechanism is that period-like bleeding occurs during that placebo period.
◼️ The second month after starting the pill
On September 3rd, I experienced my firstperiod-like bleeding.
"Wow, it happened right during the placebo period!"I was
a little moved.
It was different from thelight brown bleedingthat had continued for a month since I started taking it.
It was also different from theheavy bleedingwith clots I had until last month.
It was bright red blood, just enough to leave a line on the napkin.
That also ended around September 6th,
and the next day, the irregular bleeding that had lasted for nearly a month stopped completely.
◼️ The third month after starting the pill
And the following month.
Again, during theplacebo period,there wasa small amount of bleeding.
My cycle is properly regulated.
That alone was surprising, but what surprised me even more was,
that I have almost no period pain.
"I wonder if my stomach hurts a little?"Even on days when I think that, I don't become unable to move like I used to.
It was also shocking that I could get by without taking painkillers.
And what changed even more significantly was,
the amount of bleeding during my period.
Previously, it would leak even with a nighttime napkin,
and it was not uncommon for me to start my morning feeling depressed while washing the sheets.
And that completely disappeared!
During the day, too, "Maybe a panty liner is enough for this?" there were days when it was so light I thought that.
Furthermore, I hardly felt any PMS either.
Can such a thing really happen?
What was all that suffering until now for?
I want to tell my past self who endured period pain:
I wish I had consulted a gynecologist sooner.
◼️Things I wish I had known sooner
Until then, I thought "it's normal to endure the pain of periods".
It's normal to be in pain. It's unavoidable to have a heavy flow. It's normal to feel miserable every month.
I thought that, but I was wrong. There was a way to spend those days more comfortably.
The "missionary work" the gynecologist talked about. Now, I completely understand that feeling.
If I had a time machine, I would tell my high school self who was suffering from period pain, "You don't have to endure it. You have the option to consult a gynecologist.".
If there is anyone who thinks "everyone just endures it" regarding period pain, I want you to know that you have the option to consult a gynecologist.
I learned that for the first time at the age of 37.
The energy I was losing every month to period pain and heavy bleeding
was, I think, a huge burden for me.
That is why, for those who are suffering during their periods,
I want you to know about this option sooner,and I am writing this article in the hope that I can do my own small part to "spread the word" on note.
To those who, like me back then,"think that periods are something you just have to endure,"I would be happy if I could tell you,"There are ways to make it easier."
*Whether the pill is right for you varies from person to person. Please consider it strictly as one of many options.
Next time, I will write about the"troubles"I encountered during my highly praised Yaz life.
I will look back honestly at the disadvantages I actually felt, not just the good things.
🌸 This gynecology series is written because
in our already exhausted daily lives, there is the energy-draining factor of "periods."
But there are also options to reduce that burden.
Because this was one of the ways I, who am recovering from chronic fatigue syndrome, was able to change my life,
I am writing this because I want to share that "there are ways like this too."
▼ I have compiled these in a magazine, so please read the other articles if you'd like.