How Perimenopause Has Opened My Eyes to Women’s Invisible Suffering
From periods to giving birth, we endure so much pain…and no one seems to care
A few months ago, I ran out of the supplements that I take to help me control my menstrual cramps. And instead of ordering a new pack, like I normally would, I found that my usual suppliers were out. Unfortunately, so were the two stores I checked.
So when my period came around, it was far more painful than I’ve become used to. I expected it — hell, I am always prepared for the worst when it comes to my period. But it was still harder than I imagined it might be. And in very complicated ways.
For the last several years, I’ve been very nostalgic about my period. Saying goodbye to it is a big deal — especially for women who wanted to have children but didn’t get to. Closing that chapter of your life for good, accepting the hand you have been dealt can be excruciating at times. So excruciating, in fact, that the thought of happily letting go of the inconvenience of the bleeding, the hormones, and the sanity-threatening pain has been too tall an order.
Until that period. The cramps weren’t even as bad as the worst of what I’ve experienced. In fact, they weren’t even close to the worst. But they were bad enough to keep me doubled…
