Talking about my period.

by Veronica on November 4, 2009

in Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, My body is broken.

AKA Too much information, so uh, walk away now if you’re one of my male readers.

****

Today is day #5 of my period and I’ve bled through 3 pairs of underwear already today. Despite using tampons sized the equivalent of a small nation.

Last night I bled through another 3 pairs of underwear and 2 pairs of pajama bottoms. I was still awake every hour to go to the toilet. Yesterday I bled through a tampon, a full sized maternity pad AND 3 panty liners I’d put on underneath the maternity pad just in case. That was within an hour.

I’d just like to say a giant fuck you to my uterus. Not only is it trying to take over my body with the stabby pain, but it wants to leave it’s mark on everything. At this point I’m scared to cough, just in case I drown.

I’m thinking I need to rename it the Pit of Despair.

Apparently, when you’ve not had a period for oh… 9 months or something, when it happens, it’s like the flood gates open and away goes everything you thought you knew about your body. Hell, this bleeding is heavier than the bleeding I had after pushing a decently sized baby out of my vagina. Only without the ‘grazing’ (I refuse to acknowledge that it’s grazing. Cheese gratering was what it felt like).

We won’t even talk about what happens when I feed Isaac and my uterus uses it as an excuse to clamp down and leave me curled up in a tiny little puddle of pain.

Stupid uterus.

We’re also not talking about my EDS while I’m bleeding. Needless to say I feel sort of like a rag doll. A shaken rag doll.

On the upside, I now have an excuse to buy new underwear. I’ve thrown out nearly a dozen pairs so far.

Heh.

Cri November 4, 2009 at 7:13 pm

If you feel like hanging onto any of them, or the pj pants. Hydrogen Peroxide does magic getting out blood stains.
Don’t ask how I know this.
I promise there are no bodies in my back yard..

Karen (miscmum) November 4, 2009 at 7:27 pm

Have you thought though it might have something to do with the medications you’ve been on recently? You were on a steriod, yes? I think sometimes they act as a blood thinner.

Tanya November 4, 2009 at 7:28 pm

hmmm. I have tonnes of ugly old cheap granny undies from when Emily was born cause I remember you telling me I would bleed heaps. (I was amazed at how many times the midwives change your sheets at the hospital) So when the red menace returns I am prepared. Have had a lot of pains today so must be going out in sympathy to you.

Veronica November 4, 2009 at 7:29 pm

Karen – I hadn’t even thought of that. It makes perfect sense.

taz November 4, 2009 at 7:39 pm

periods suck..

i hate them..

hope yours leaves very soon..

Janet B November 4, 2009 at 7:47 pm

I am soooo looking forward to periods stopping! Dr says the hormones are working on menopause and boy, I can’t wait! In fact, I wish I could just have a hysterectomy – because I can and because then I won’t have to go through all the crap!
Good luck V – I do hope it gets back to normal soon.!

Chelsie November 4, 2009 at 7:56 pm

I know what you mean. My periods have alwaus been heinously heavy. Sorry to hear that your body is working it’s way through your entire wardrobe…not fun.

Ali November 4, 2009 at 9:19 pm

Oh poor you. I haven’t had one since grub but my uterus, like the rest of my body, is not my friend. When I do have them they are heavy and long and horrible but they tend to change after each baby so I’ll just have to see.

Remember to eat lots of iron rich foods. I love licorice bullets but I’m pretty sure they’re not actually ideal. I don’t envy you. I hope I never get mine again.

Take care of yourself. Try and rest as much as you can (HA! I just snorted). Seriously though, don’t hurt yourself when you’re hormones are already making things extra loose.

MissyBoo November 4, 2009 at 11:06 pm

Probably TMI but I remember my first period a year or so after my daughter was born sounds pretty much like what you’re enduring now… Well you win because I didn’t have EDS to deal with as well.
Hope it ends soon Napisan and drying in the sunshine (not the dryer) will deal with the mess 🙂

Marylin November 4, 2009 at 11:47 pm

Aww hun, hope it buggers off soon and you start feeling better. x

BubbleGirl November 5, 2009 at 12:41 am

I’m glad I have my issues to deal with and not yours. I’m on iron supplements so I can atually have a period. If I forget to take just ONE iron pill while I’m having my period, it stays for an extra 3 days… after taking a day or 2 off if I’m lucky.

Feel better soon. Hot water bottles are your friend!

Miss Ash November 5, 2009 at 1:27 am

Oh honey.
Is that normal?? I’ve not had babies, so I don’t know what the “process” is… but that sounds really excessive.

Being in a woman’s body is sometimes (often-times?) very, very difficult.

lceel November 5, 2009 at 3:44 am

I know I’m not an expert or anything – but it seems to me that’s an awful lot of blood to be losing and maybe you ought to have someone qualified check you out. Just to be safe. Please?

Hyphen Mama November 5, 2009 at 4:26 am

I know this’ll be TMI also, but here goes. I had the same problem, only it wasn’t one period–like “hey, I haven’t had a period in 15 months, let’s have a big one!” but more like every 3 weeks or so it was like that for 2 1/2 years. SO—what I found helpful, was those 12 hour “cups” (http://www.softcup.com/) plus the largest tampon on the market, PLUS the largest maxi pad on the market. That would buy me about 2 hours. VERY helpful in the middle of the night or when I had to get to the grocery store. Sometimes adding 400 mg ibuprofen every 4-6 hours helped with the pain AND bleeding.

For you, I hope it’s just this ONE TIME.

If it continues, you could very quickly become anemic–regardless how much iron you consume daily.

jenni November 5, 2009 at 4:48 am

It’s been 19 glorious months (March 2008) since I’ve had mine and you have just solidified that I am not looking foward to getting it back.

jean November 5, 2009 at 5:02 am

I’m glad you are talking about this. I hate my period and I can’t wait for menopause to hit me. So could someone please explain to me why we have pills that help men with their erections but no one is developing medication to help us with our periods? Seriously.

kys November 5, 2009 at 5:14 am

That sucks! I’m sorry.

Jayne November 5, 2009 at 8:21 am

Salt and cold water removes blood from knickers, pants, clothes, material, etc.
Pour as much salt as possible onto the blood stain then soak in cold water for a few hours, do not rub or scrub with anything else.
Yes, steroids will thin the blood, I’m assuming you’re now on a decreasing dose to wean you off them by now?

Antoinette November 5, 2009 at 8:28 am

Oh you poor thing. I thought mine were heavy these days but you’ve got me beat by far. Hang in there sweetie…

Also, I consider a heat pack (like a rice bag or something) that can be put in the microwave for about 2 minutes to be my best friend during my period. I alternate it between my front and my lower back.

tiff November 5, 2009 at 8:34 am

Periods are someone’s sick idea of a joke for women.
Karen is right. The steroid is a vaso dilator and therefore you’ll bleed and bruise more easily.

Hugs, hope the pain and bloodletting end soon.

achelois November 5, 2009 at 10:11 am

Ok Veronica I am going to take a risk here and say this. It would very much put my mind at rest if you could even just give your doctor a quick ring to let him/her know just HOW much blood loss you are having. I understand about heavy periods etc. and the first one after babies etc….. however because you have been on steroids, have PNEUMONIA you could very quickly become extremely unwell with this amount of blood loss. There is a vast difference between a heavy period and what you describe. Apart from that there is medication you can take to stem the flow – you do not have to put up with this.

I know I appear an extreme nag here but I would not be able to rest easy without saying the above. Also should you be taking ibubrofen at the moment with asthma etc?

Hugs – please speak to practice nurse/gp sooner rather than later.

take care Veronica xoxox

Jane November 5, 2009 at 10:34 am

I second what achelois says.

That’s a lot of blood to be losing.

Hope things slow down today for you.

Momisodes November 5, 2009 at 1:39 pm

Oy. I’m so sorry. I remember how it comes back with a vengeance.

Hope it starts to let up soon.

river November 5, 2009 at 4:49 pm

Was going to say that bleeding seems a little (a lot?) excessive, then read Karen’s comment. Hopefully things should settle down once you’re off those steroids.

shygirl November 6, 2009 at 4:12 am

I love reading your posts, no-one else talks about this stuff. Hope you’ve talked to a doctor, and things are on the mend. I have mine to look forward to in a few months, its not gonna be pretty. I hate uterus’s.

Toni November 6, 2009 at 11:04 am

Yeah call your doctor and get that all sorted out because apart from the mess and discomfort and pain etc, that is just plain scary!
I have always had really heavy periods (runs in the family, both my sisters had to have early hysterectomies because of excessive bleeding)
and things have improved slightly thanks to a cup. I still bleed heavily but I only need to empty it every 2 hours instead of barely making it through an hour with pads and tampons. PLUS I dont have to browse the hygiene products in the supermarket anymore! I have a Diva Cup and it’s awesome but there are others on the market. I’ll NEVER go back to pads and tampons, EVER.
http://www.divacup.com/

Kat November 7, 2009 at 7:41 am

Ugh. I remember that from when my period started again after having Colin. Blech. Ugh.

Leslie November 8, 2009 at 1:00 pm

I hope you feel better soon. My period hasn’t started back up yet since having Lucy. I get nervous just thinking about it. Periods are dumb.

Lisalicious November 10, 2009 at 8:44 pm

haha I came over your blog from one of those top 100 Aus Women and I got to say that reading this topic, how coincidentally that I just washed my 2nd pair of undie and short…because I bleed over it :S

LOLx

anyway since u hv a blog. Hehe. U might wanna check http://www.ozbloggers.com. It’s new & expanding 🙂 connects via Twitter

Jenn March 10, 2010 at 3:33 pm

Ok, replying again! Also have EDS, also feel total crap on my period. Side note though? Lunette menstrual cup saved me from 100% hating period-time. I still feel crap. I still am so “relaxed” it’s hard to move/stay alert/muster up energy other than to whinge, but with my cup – it’s one less thing to think about.

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