Menstrual cycle -- what I didn't know

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Blood is a funny thing. A little really looks like a lot. Even to experienced nurses and docs. It’s the colour I think.

Sponges are weighed post surgery to estimate blood loss. It just is hard to gauge. Unless it’s a huge puddle on the floor

Be proud of your feminine abilities. Nothing is gross.
 
Lastpointe said:
Yes I agree that moody compost can be yucky. So can coming home and realizing you forgot to take out the garbage before vacation

But your body is your body. It is nt gross. It is a miraculous organism. Our systems are fascinating. Amazing. Wonderful. The ability of your body to naturally, without any Input from you to prepare monthly for a baby is amazing. The ability of your body to change the food you eat to nutrients and discard what you don’t need is amazing

Bodies are not gross
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Parts of what our bodies do...are gross. Sorry. Just is.

You can be in wonderment if you want. I am glad to be alive even if I am a gross human like everybody else - but you can't force me to think things like feces and vomit and some aspects of period blood are not gross.
 
Like I said...my aversions change. These days I think period blood is gross. I know it can turn really super gross, too! After the forgotten tampon incident - even though was a few years ago now - I will never see it the same again. It was literally like there was something that crawled up and died in my vagina - I went looking on line. "Bacterial vaginosis?" ...maybe. Then I came across a site for women talking about forgotten tampons and I had the symptoms...a bit of "pressure" inside too - then sure enough, I discovered it - but couldn't get it out for at least an hour - really concerned that this was a building medical crisis. I am certain my midwife friend or an ER person would've gagged...and that would've been horrible to put them through.
 
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Kimmio said:
Like I said...my aversions change. These days I think period blood is gross. I know it can turn really super gross, too! After the forgotten tampon incident - even though was a few years ago now - I will never see it the same again. It was literally like there was something that crawled up and died in my vagina - I went looking on line. "Bacterial vaginosis?" ...maybe. Then I came across a site for women talking about forgotten tampons and I had the symptoms...a bit of "pressure" inside too - then sure enough, I discovered it - but couldn't get it out for at least an hour - really concerned that this was a building medical crisis. I am certain my midwife friend or an ER person would've gagged...and that would've been horrible to put them through.
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IMO you should never let your concern that medical professionals will be turned off keep you from seeking timely medical care.
You were so fortunate... There was a risk of toxic shock. Glad you recovered!
 
ninjafaery said:
IMO you should never let your concern that medical professionals will be turned off keep you from seeking timely medical care.
You were so fortunate... There was a risk of toxic shock. Glad you recovered!
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Me too. Within 2 hot baths and 24 hours everything was all clear. I ate lots of yogurt - not sure if that helped. I had no fever or vomitting (only gag reflex) or confusion or anything like that so I was looking out for real illness symptoms - first priority - the main thing was getting the tampon out of me while I still felt alright so my body could expell what it needed to. It is amazing it works kind of like a self cleaning oven ... lol. But still gross.
 
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ninjafaery said:
IMO you should never let your concern that medical professionals will be turned off keep you from seeking timely medical care.
You were so fortunate... There was a risk of toxic shock. Glad you recovered!
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Interestingly, only one case per 100,000 women 19-44 get Toxic Shock from tampons now - they are made to be safer - and I am pretty sure it's not that uncommon to forget to take one out for longer, even much longer, than recommended. So...you'd think TS would be more frequent.

As it turns out, some women are also immune to the bacteria that causes it. I think I read that back then, and figured I must've been one of them - because it was really in for way too long - and I was fine within a day. All clean and fresh and felt fine.

Toxic Shock Syndrome Is Rare. Here’s What Tampon Users Should Know.
 
We had a friend die 10 years ago on her oldest sons 19th birthday.

I have a coworker from Calgary who had a good friend die last year, mom of a toddler and another child.

.both toxic shock from tampons.
 
Pinga said:
We had a friend die 10 years ago on her oldest sons 19th birthday.

I have a coworker from Calgary who had a good friend die last year, mom of a toddler and another child.

.both toxic shock from tampons.
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I'm sorry to hear that.

I apologize for my gross jokes. It's not a joke. The only reason I can joke about myself now - not about any others - is it could've been much worse but thankfully, I was fine.

It was late at night and I opted not to go to the hospital - was really not open to being that up close and personal with my friend - couldn't afford a cab, didn't want an ambulance bill, and I didn't feel sick - just anxious to get the thing out. Yes, I was imagining being in there with heart patients and other serious things...and the docs and nurses having to spend effort to fish out my noxious old tampon, and saying under their breath "Great we've got another one of those stupid people who can't remember to change her tampon." I was embarrassed.
 
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I had a friend who was very sick -almost dies of toxic shop-in the 80s.
That said when my oldest was in jr. high I volunteered to go on a fieldtrip with the junior highs. It was a sleepover under the displays in the dinosaur museum. There were male and female teachers and a male and female parent. Well a girl came to get me. I went into the girls washroom and spoke through the stall door. The gal inside had a tampon stuck. She had put it in, but did not have her period. I coached her to pull it out. "It hurts' Yes a little-but you really don't want me to have to come in. Can you grab the string? "Yes" then pull. It worked and all was well and I deliberately did not learn the name/face of that gal as I am sure were interacted in the next 3 years. If she couldn't have gotten it out I would have got the teacher and perhaps a trip to hospital. It wouldn't be appropriate for a volunteer to physically help pull it out.
 
Tabitha said:
I had a friend who was very sick -almost dies of toxic shop-in the 80s.
That said when my oldest was in jr. high I volunteered to go on a fieldtrip with the junior highs. It was a sleepover under the displays in the dinosaur museum. There were male and female teachers and a male and female parent. Well a girl came to get me. I went into the girls washroom and spoke through the stall door. The gal inside had a tampon stuck. She had put it in, but did not have her period. I coached her to pull it out. "It hurts' Yes a little-but you really don't want me to have to come in. Can you grab the string? "Yes" then pull. It worked and all was well and I deliberately did not learn the name/face of that gal as I am sure were interacted in the next 3 years. If she couldn't have gotten it out I would have got the teacher and perhaps a trip to hospital. It wouldn't be appropriate for a volunteer to physically help pull it out.
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Sorry about your friend, too.

I read that sometime in the past couple of decades - since the 80s - the size of and/ or density of tampons was lessened a little bit and made safer - the more absorbant the more dangerous. But the super and super-plus were made less dense, I think? I know that the minimum needed is what is recommended, rather than using, say a superplus just in case or so its absorbency lasts longer - that's more dangerous. The incidence of TS has gone down though I am sure women besides me still occasionally forget to remove them on time.
 
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Very interesting and informative article in the Atlantic about past and present designs, glitches, health dangers, solutions, taboos, differing preferences in different countries, legislations - and sexism in testing, marketing, and in passing safety legislation:

The Tampon: A History

(Interesting, women in Europe prefer "OB" non applicator style tampons because their perception is that the applicators are less hygienic, harder to use and more messy. American women prefer applicators because they find "digital" (finger inserted) tampons to be less hygienic, harder to use, and more messy! The fewer the applicators - especially plastic ones - the better for the environment, though.
 
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I'm kind of surprised to hear of all these mentions of TSS. I've certainly heard of stories, but never heard about it regarding anyone I've known. A big problem with it based on my experience is that the symptoms in the early stages are pretty similar to what happens during that time anyway - worse with periods but they happened to me for withdrawal bleeds too.
 
When I refer to period underwear - I am talking about older less pretty ones and/ or extra comfy ones that I don't need to worry about ruining. But these are some serious period underwear (one of several brands - not advertising a brand just showing the concept)! A great idea that I wish had been available a decade or two ago. It would eliminate much of the hassle whether someone used the pill or not. I'd just put them through a preliminary quick cold water wash cycle then with a regular wash cycle.

The Original Period & Leak Proof Underwear | Modibodi
 
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