MY PERIOD STORY
My interest in the menstrual cycle was born out of my own experience of navigating various mental and physical health challenges that had seemingly no connection until I finally, more than a decade after my first period, made the mind-blowing and life-changing connection. Coupled with my formal education, it all came together.
what is going on?
JUNE 27TH, 2009
my first period
I was one of those people who was so excited to get their period. Maybe it was a premonition that it would become my life's work or maybe because I knew inherently that it was a milestone that deserved to be looked forward to. I woke up on my 13th birthday to the gift of the menstrual phase.
*fun fact - there are 13 moons in the year and the menstrual phase is also called your moon time
Even though I was excited for my period, I experienced painful cramps from the start. I had to call my mom from a sleepover to come get me and the pain was an 11/10. It was the worst pain I had ever experienced.
15 years old
My first experience with depression hit while I was 15. I was put on birth control and anti-depressants. I felt like some weeks I was fine, other weeks, I felt irritable, depressed and even suicidal at some points.
First Year at St.FX
Fast forward to my first year at university. I'm still on the pill and struggling with an eating disorder, body dysmorphoa, depression, anxiety and generally feeling like my body was against me. I'm experiencing insane stomach pain and no idea what's going on with my body. This is when my research into health, wellness, digestion, and the cycle really start. From my research, I decide its time to go off the pill. I want to know what's going on with my body without any hormones interfering. I also am noticing that no matter what form of birth control I'm on, I feel awful physically and emotionally.
* fun fact - birth control changes who you're attracted to, it's not uncommon for people to come off the pill and not be attracted to their partner anymore.
One year off the pill
It takes a year for me to get my period back. I start to dig deeper into what that means for my body. It strikes me as a both terrifying and intriguing that I'm not getting a cycle which means that during that time, I am not fertile. It is not uncommon for people to come off the pill and experience a loss of a period for months or years at a time while your body adjusts. It doesn't make sense to me that a young menstruating person would be infertile at this time in our life. During this time I am still struggling with my mental health but intuitively I feel as though coming off the pill was a step in the right direction.
Keep in mind that during the time you're on the pill, the hormones are suppressing ovulation which is one of the main events of the cycle.
Due to the stress that I was putting on my body with the overexercising, eating disorder and general stress in my life. It makes sense that I wouldn't have my period. The body is wise and knows that this isn't the ideal environment to be fertile in anyways. Your period has your back.
Birth Control Trial + Error
I end up trying every form of birth control under the sun and notice that all of the hormonal options make me feel worst. I have major physical and mental changes that leave me feeling uncomfortable. I finally settle on the copper IUD, thinking that no hormones is the best option for me. There is little education provided to me about how the copper IUD is not ideal for people who have experienced painful periods. I start to have the most debilitating period cramps that send me right to the ER. I end up having it removed thinking it would solve everything.
With the IUD out, I am surprised to find that my periods are just as painful... I am even more detemined to figure out what's going on and I continue the research on how best to care for myself.
We're getting somewhere
Present Day
Enter, the transformative information in Alissa Vitti's book WOMAN CODE.
By now, I am finished my degree, have been researching and implementing holistic health knowledge and on the road to getting a diagnosis that might explain my period pain. This is the first time I learned about the menstrual cycle. (remember that stat about how long it takes to get a diagnosis? well, I'm right on track at the age of 25. Learning about the phases, the discrepancy in research into women's health and that your period is trying to tell you something sets me on the path of cycle syncing and leads me to a little known diagnostic called PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) and everything clicks. My mood changed and physical issues were linked to me cycle. No wonder I felt like I had two good weeks out of the month and two weeks that were hell. I did!
Combining my knowledge of the nervous system, trauma, how things are stored in the body coupled with my own experience navigating menstrual challenges, I know there has to be another way and that birth control isn't the only option and certainly shouldn't be the first line of defense.
I manage my "PMDD" and painful periods using the methods that are outlined by cycle syncing and my own knowledge of holistic wellness. Through listening to what my menstrual cycle was telling me, I have healed my relationship with my body, have an intimate relationship with my needs and self-care and have completely transformed how I move through the world. My period pain and emotional turmoil are the best thing that have ever happened to me because they forced me to listen.