The doctor that did the leep for me was a male and he said this will feel like a bee string. The next string of words out of my mouth were cuss words because I have a low tolerance of pain and I about passed out. Needless to say I found a new doctor. When I was 16 I had my mom and she was there for me luckily. I had mine come back multiple times and I finally started getting clear paps about 6 years ago. After switching to a woman doctor I had much better care and at one point they had to do a biopsy of my cervix and because there is so little and my pain level is so low they actually did it as an out patient and put me under and luckily I had my husband to take me home after.
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I feel this!! I had been very lucky my entire life with zero symptoms and light periods. I never had a cramp until my 40’s. Now that I’m going through the change 
I have a very hard time. Fatigue is the big one. Some months I’m in bed for a few days because I can’t stay awake 
I feel like it’s perceived as lazy. I’m also sick the majority of the time. I’ve been tracking in the same app (though a website before apps were invented lol) since 2002. I’m obviously highly irregular now. Just waiting for the one day it never comes back.
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My periods started changing when I turned 30. They’re still fairly regular, I’ve never bled a lot but pain, cramps and diarrhea got worse. So did mood swings during period. Some months I’d be convinced I’m the most vile person in existence. I’d be teary. Some months I had to have pink. I’d seriously go through a store getting pink candy, soda, flowers, cards, pens, cups etc. Some months I’d be so so so lonely I just wanted to curb to ball and be hugged forever.
Yes, it’s irrational but knowing that doesn’t subside the emotion. It’s just reminds me I’m not mad, I’m just a girl 
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Those of you who can feel when you’re ovulating, could you please comment how does it feel like? I don’t feel it, at least I think so. Not all do, I know that, I’m just curious.
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Thank you for bringing up this topic! It’s such an important one.
All people, women and men, should understand hormones and how they work because it affects us all. Even men have a hormone cycle, though they don’t deal with the more obviously, painful, messy, and unnecessarily taboo things women do. The fact that society doesn’t allow for this and make it part of the most basic information we learn about our bodies is sort of ridiculous, if you really think about it.
On that note, there are some good apps at his site, for anyone interested: https://www.myhormonology.com/ It’s a great way to learn about the different hormones and how they work during the month, and you get a little tidbit about what to expect from yourself that day. There’s even an app for guys to track their female partner’s cycle so he knows what is going on with her and some useful information.
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I can feel the day Im Ovulating symptoms, throbbing lower back pain and stomach cramps, discharge I look on my menstrual calender sure enough its ovulation day each month like clock work, my cycle is extremly in order every 26,28 days only things that have changed I’m now 40 is my cycle only last 4vdays before early 30,s it would last 6,7 days
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Great job Franzi starting a thread for y’all.
I think that’s great. Seriously.
I’ll show myself out now. 
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Great topic!!! I am blessed to finally be thru to the other side. For years I swore I was the oldest menstruating woman in my state. I felt ruled by hormones for so much of my life, the absence of those highs and lows is refreshing…as is not gushing like a geyser or dribbling for days…among all the other issues. Tho of course the absence of hormones comes with its own challenges. I do know that when I was in early perimenopause exercise was very helpful to manage somewhat the side effects of hormonal fluctuation.
As an aside, when my daughter was younger, prior to their first menses, I created a Period Club for her and her friends as part of a college project. Education mixed with rituals, arts and crafts, learning about other cultures…a good mix for honoring such a huge rite of passage.
Love the topic and destigmatizing such an integral part of our existence.
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Oh please do do tell a bit more!! This sounds really interesting!
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Points for bravely poking your head in Eric! 
I guess you’ve seen a thing or two after having been married for a “few years” 
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It was fairly basic stuff…we would read a bit about how other cultures treated menarche…incorporate a small ritual or craft based on what we had learned and so on. We made dream catchers, outdoor altars, stick and yarn representations of our selves, dreamboards…things like that. The girls particularly enjoyed making plaster masks and decorating them, we did that a few times…I was heavy into creating and working with plaster masks back then and they were super into it, so was a big win all around. The whole thing helped me with college credits and gave them a ritual and respect around their menses.
The girls are in their early 40s now with their own children, when I catch up with them on FB we share fond memories of the Period Club…we could have done a little more with the name. 
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Brilliant!
Full sentence
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One topic for the upcoming ladies zooms?
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For those of us who didn’t know what these mean… 
LEEP = Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure
HPV = human papilloma virus
PID = pelvic inflammatory disease
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It will come. On my final stretch (perimenopause was about 10 or so years), I had 2 periods a year for 2 years, then the last 2 years one period a year…at month 10. The good part was by those last few years I wasn’t having any night sweats or joint aches or major anger etc etc and my bleeding was a relative non event. During my main years of menstruation I was like clockwork and didn’t have too bad of a time…but perimenopause in the beginning was really difficult to adjust to. The emotional roller coaster alone was insanity inducing. Couple that with all the random physical challenges…it was a lot. Of course I was still drinking then as well…a horrible mix.
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Thank you to everyone for their shares! When I was struggling with repeat relapses last summer was when I started to make the connection to hormonal shifts and how they triggered my urge to drink to numb. It was a real eye opener for me. I use a period tracker called Spot On, but I’m interested in checking out some of the other resources you all have suggested. I still feel myself having more urges to numb in a variety of ways about a week before my period arrives, and it’s so helpful for me to acknowledge the connection. I also used to have heavy flows but not a lot of other physical symptoms, mine were more mood swings and being weepy. But as I’m approaching 40, the flows have reduced, I’m much more regular and on time, but my physical symptoms are out of control! Cramps, painful lower back, migraines, insomnia, etc. it can be maddening. Keeping my daily dog walks helps a lot, but the migraine issue sucks the worst, keeps me from maintaining my routines and keeps me in bed hiding from the bright light and noise. Super frustrating. I’m in the middle of this right now, actually. Sigh.
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I am no expert, but I do know that we often follow our Mother’s trajectory age wise, not necessarily side effect wise. Also, we only have so many years of viable eggs, so if menarche started at a younger age 10, 11, 12…perimenopause will begin earlier as well. Tho it may last a good 10+ years before the transition to menopause, side effects don’t necessarily last throughout all of that time.
The book I shared has a lot of useful suggestions to holistically integrate the changes our body goes thru. Tho of course our journey thru is as unique as we all are. 
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What a great topic Franzi! Thank you for starting this. I don’t have anything to add. I had a hysterectomy at the age of 34 due to severe endometriosis. My period with unbearable pain was lasting 21 days each month causing extreme anemia. I had to have blood work recently to confirm I was in menopause because I wasn’t feeling any side effects. Thankfully, I haven’t needed any hormone replacements.
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