paraka | Health Stuff

So, I've never been one of those people who has a regular period. When I was a teenager, I would go months without it, and then for one really frustrating year it *didn't* *go* *away* (and was super heavy to boot for months on end!).

When I was in China though, I just stopped getting it. Finally after about 10 months, I went to the Dr.'s, because as much as I enjoyed not having to deal with having a period, I knew it meant something was wrong.
Turns out, I have a vitamin B-12 deficiency, which means I'm anemic. The Dr. said it wasn't really a big deal; it can make me sleepy, and if it does, I can just go in and get a shot. So I didn't really worry about it. I went on the Pill for a bit to get my period back on track, but when I ran out of health insurance, I went off again, and stopped getting my period. The thing is, I haven't naturally had my period in over 2 years.

Lately though, I think it's been getting worse, since it moved beyond no periods, and suddenly my toes would go numb, and would stay numb for days, even getting into weeks. This freaked me out enough that I've started taking some B-12 supplements regularly (I had had them almost since I found out, I would just always forget to take them). And now, after about a month of being good and taking my vitamins regularly, I finally got my period.

Man, I *really* didn't miss those. My back hurts, and I can't eat very much at a time, because it makes my stomach hurt. Can I please go back to not having these?Also, historically, I have really long periods, and it's already been 3 days, and it just seems to be getting heavier.

*stupid Mother Nature*

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Awww, sorry for the poorly-ness sweetie! Hope you're feeling a bit better soon.
If the B-12 is that bad it may be worth seeing if you can get injections from the doctor as supplements sometimes aren't absorbed very well. Or you could live off Marmite, that might help!

It's getting a bit better already. My back's stop hurting as much. Hopefully it won't be much longer (although, it's still going strong :S).

As for the shots, I have gotten them in the past, and it's not a big thing for me to go get them now (they're covered under OHIP, so the "no health insurance" thing doesn't come into play), but I have to go to the Dr.'s and make an appointment, which is hard with my schedule, and the location of my Dr.'s (I live, well, not in the middle of no where, more the outside of somewhere, but still, not a convenient trip).
Also, the pills *do* seem to be working, so I'll just make myself take them regularly. I always make sure to take them with food (to help absorb them) and just recently doubled my dose, so I think it's under control. Like I said, the fact that I'm having my period is a *good* sign, even if I dislike it. :P

I've never met anyone who's talked about this, but I have the same condition (swap B-12 deficiency for stress). I certainly didn't miss having a period, not at all. And if I had insurance, I'd be on one of those no period or 4 period birth control pills anyway, so at least this way it's cheaper, if not necessarily as healthy.

Here's hoping it's over soon. I ended up with a second mini-period as soon as the first was over (so really, it was just like a lovely two week period), but hopefully you can avoid that.

(Really, they ought to make "Sorry you're having your period!" Hallmark cards or something.)

I've never met anyone who's talked about this
Pfft, I have *no* problems talking about things like periods in great detail, the only reason why I don't do it that often is because *other* people are uncomfortable about it.
But seriously, I've had the weirdest periods all my life, so it's always been something to talk about. *shrugs*
Feel free to unload any (possibly embarrassing) bodily problems on me, I can surely take it :P

I have the same condition (swap B-12 deficiency for stress)
Wow, that sucks. At least with me, I can fix it with a little pill.

And if I had insurance, I'd be on one of those no period or 4 period birth control pills anyway, so at least this way it's cheaper, if not necessarily as healthy.
Yeah, I would love to be on something like depo provera. But, like you, I don't have health insurance.
Seriously, the only reason why I went to the Dr.'s about this a year ago, is because I really want to have children and it's kind of hard to do that if you don't menstruate. :S

(Really, they ought to make "Sorry you're having your period!" Hallmark cards or something.)
OMG, they'd make a *killing* off it (or possible be responsible for a killing :P). I know there are some people who could definitely use the pick me up while going through "that time of the month".

Seriously, the only reason why I went to the Dr.'s about this a year ago, is because I really want to have children and it's kind of hard to do that if you don't menstruate.
And my condition didn't bother because I don't want to have kids, so it made no difference to me if something was wrong with the plumbing. I finally got freaked out and went only after my best friend was talking about getting genetic testing for breast cancer because it runs in her family and I had myself half convinced I'd had ovarian cancer for a year and just didn't know it. Thank god I don't.

OMG, they'd make a *killing* off it (or possible be responsible for a killing :P).
I also think women should be given a stipend from the government to pay for female necessities (defined as broadly as you'd like). When you figure we need at least thirty years' worth of tampons, pantiliners, makeup, hair products, etc. etc., it adds up. Men don't need most of that crap, and they certainly don't produce most of the children, so it's only fair. I also think women should get extra sick days at work for women's issues because really, it's hard to work when your insides are twisting themselves up and squeezing themselves out and you're bloated and achey and your breasts are sore. Men have nothing analogous, so they can cover for us while we lay in bed clutching our midsections, moaning and eating ice cream. I'm all for that.

And my condition didn't bother because I don't want to have kids, so it made no difference to me if something was wrong with the plumbing.
And it's totally one of those things that, if you're not going to use it, you'd rather it not work in a way that seems to be turned off (you don't want it not working in a way that it's turned excessively *on*). :P

I had myself half convinced I'd had ovarian cancer for a year and just didn't know it. Thank god I don't.
Yeah, I hate that there are so many things that *could* be wrong and we just don't know it. I'm have a minor freak out, thinking I might have diabetes (it runs in my family), but am too afraid of the results to go to a Dr.'s about it :S And cancer? Is just so scary. Which reminds me, I really need to make an appointment to get that vaccine that can stop cervical cancer....

As for the other stuff, yeah, it kind of sucks that women are on that unequal footing. I mean, the only compensation we get is maternity leave, but now there's paternity leave as well, so we don't even get that all to ourselves! And I've heard of a women having their careers stunted, because they get really bad periods and have to call in sick too much. I know I find it really hard to work when I'm having my period because my entire torso *aches*. And the insides twisting always makes me think I have diarrhea so I end up going to the bathroom a lot when I don't need to :P And mine aren't even that bad, I never *used* to get cramps, it was only once I started going on the Pill, and it didn't go away once I got off it, isn't the Pill supposed to make cramps *better*? I find it just makes them worse for me.

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