I Am So Over Periods!

I've come to a very sudden realisation... I have been having periods for around 23 years now! 23 YEARS! I know you're not supposed to like periods as such, and I'm yet to meet one of those mythical women who live such active, happy lifestyles in the world of Tampax adverts - but I am officially over periods!

I am one of those people who bleeds at anything. Gn-RH agonists that put your body in to a pseudo menopause? Yeah, I bled through all 3 times of trying those. Contraceptive pills and all manner of contraceptive devices both on their own or several all at once? Yes, I've bled through them. Pregnancy? Yeah, I bled during that. Breastfeeding? No, that didn't work either!

A new plan of action

I had a Nexplanon implant fitted in August 2017, and I instantly regretted it. Within a day or so, I started bleeding heavily, to the point where I was near fainting. It, sadly, made everything flare-up. I was dizzy, the pain was all consuming, and, to put it bluntly, the blood was pouring out of me. I went back to the doctors and they gave me on a progesterone-only pill to take alongside the implant. It did nothing other than lessen the heaviness of the bleeding.

When I finished breastfeeding, I was taken off the progesterone-only pill and put on to a combined pill. Within days, the bleeding stopped! Unfortunately, it didn't last long and, at this moment in time, I've been bleeding for over 14 months. I have beaten my previous records of 5, 6 and 7 month long periods! In these 14 months, I've had the odd few days/weeks off here or there. But still, it continues.

I am tired of bleeding

For me, bleeding isn't just an inconvenience. It means serious pain all over my body. It flares up my fibromyalgia, effects my bowels and digestive system, and my joints become so painful I can barely hold my phone or pick up a cup of tea. My tummy swells so badly that it means I cannot wear half of my wardrobe - not that I can go out anywhere as I have to be close to a toilet and my beloved electric heat pad. And then, of course, there are all the side effects of the painkillers: The spaciness, the fatigue. The general feeling of wanting to curl up in a ball and cry constantly.

I have never known what a 'normal' period feels like. Mine were bad from the moment they started, when I was 12 years old. I see other women complain of how much their period hurts, the period that has started on the day they were due, that they have taken some paracetamol for. And then after a few days, they resume a normal life again. I have never had that. Normal to me is bleeding for weeks on end, crying with the pain, dealing with the side effects of painkillers, being acne ridden and hormonal from all the contraceptives that are meant to make my irregular periods regular and shorter. I don't get a good period. I don't get time off.