***DISCLAIMER*** If you're a guy who's squeamy about anything that has to do with a woman's period, you probably want to turn back now. This post is all about "girl time."
One of the biggest factors in deciding to try The Plan was the testimonials from women who had issues with their reproductive system. Be it Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), infertility or Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD).
My thinking was if The Plan could help women with more serious conditions like PCOS, it might be able to help me with my problems.
After reading the small section on hypothyroidism in The Plan, I did some independent research. Turns out women with hypothyroidism are like to irregular periods that can be frequent with a heavier that normal flow.
My period has never been an easy breezy 3-5 days like most woman. (Lucky bitches!) Instead, mine were more like 7-9 days with a heavy flow and painful cramps. Unfortunately, the older I got, the worse it got. My junior year of college found me bed ridden the first day of my period because walking hurt and movement of any kind made me nauseous. The cramps were crippling and nothing made them better. In the mornings, I would have to crawl to the dorm bathroom and dry heave into the toilet. One day, I was looking at the selection of candy at the campus convenience store, and my vision bleached out. I had to reach for the nearest stable surface to keep myself upright until my vision returned. Yeah, it was that bad.
In my search for relief, everyone had the same answer: Birth control! If I had to be on birth control, by God I wanted to be on the one that limited your period to four times a year. Sadly, that was not to be. Apparently, I'm so small that the strength of that particular type of birth control could kill me. So, I was placed on a low-dose pill. It helped with the cramps and discomfort, but my periods were still 7 days or more.
It wasn't until I graduated college and had a job with decent insurance that I discovered I am prone to ovarian cysts which were most likely the cause of my discomfort. That was a horrifying experience that involved a ruptured cyst and more invasive BS than I ever wanted to experience.
A few years went by without any more cystic issues; it seems they were just lying in wait, however, as I ended up in the ER with appendicitis...we thought. But oh, no! It was those pesky ovarian cysts! 13 of them. I was ordered to go back on the pill, because it would help with the cysts...while possibly causing a multitude of other health issues. So, I took it for a while, decided it was a $10/month expense I could do without and stopped. It still wasn't helping with the length of my cycle, so I really wasn't impressed.
After all this, you can imagine that I was more than willing to jump on any opportunity to "fix" my batshit crazy reproductive system without chemical assistance. So, I got the thyroid supplements, cut out diet sodas (which can adversely affect your hormones), and was actually surprised my period.
I can usually tell when my cycle is coming, because I'm a wretched beast for about a week. I'm a hormonal mess who could cry at you or bite your head off at any time. Or perhaps both. Within the same five minute conversation. This time, however, I wasn't in a wretched mood! I haven't had cramps or heartburn or any bizarre cravings. It's been as normal as my period has ever been. I'm hoping this becomes a growing trend and that the other irregularities in my cycle will fade away. I'm crossing my fingers...
http://thyroid.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=thyroid&cdn=health&tm=41&f=10&tt=2&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.thyroid-info.com/articles/menstruation.htm
http://www.uptodate.com/contents/hypothyroidism-underactive-thyroid-beyond-the-basics
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder
http://women.webmd.com/tc/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos-topic-overview
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