When I was a teen, the onset of menstruation was met with physical and mental protest. As far as I could see, there was just no good reason that women should be subject to nearly a week of being doubled over in pain.
Well, when childbirth came along, menstrual cramping seemed unworthy of complaint. Besides the fact that my body seemed to accommodate the change with a bit more grace, the pain paled in comparison to birthing a child. Marathons, for that matter, pale in comparison to child birth – at least in comparison to the birth of my first-born.
I guess I’ve been pretty fortunately that most months come and go without much whining. Yet, every once in a great while, a day will hit where I want to take a couple of Vicodin (perhaps do the unthinkable mixing with red wine), and either sink into a tub filled with hot sudsy water or into the fetal position and whimper. Today, is one of those days.
Why, you may ask, am I blogging about THIS? As if anyone really cares to read about it. You see, I am hoping that one or two of you will have some helpful hints on what might help relieve this pain. If there is an herbal tea I can drink, a yoga pose I can hold, or a certain way I could rub my tummy and pat my head to ease my woe-is-me-ailment, please leave a comment.
Mirena.
Thanks Susan but that won’t help me today. I actually had that at one time. No periods at all. Just spotting randomly. Both were oddly unsettling.
I’m after a more immediate fix. Running used to help so I’m hopeful that my ride home from work will ease things. If not, I might try running. I’m kind of desperate.
I guess I should feel blessed that I don’t often get this way and, when I do, it only lasts a day or two. Still, it’s really hard when I have to sit at my desk and try to function. I can’t concentrate. And since this is so out of the norm, I feel helpless to know how best to handle it.
I cramped like crazy as a teenager and then nevermore so it’s been a long, long time but I always got by with standard analgesics and I was not timid about taking them. Not Midol. Probably aspirin back in the dark ages. Worked for me. Other than that I’ve got nothing but hopes your pain is short lived.
Thanks 21CM! I’m pretty confident it will be. Gotta think positive.
Well, for those of you just now joining (or simply viewing) the commentary: My need to crawl under a rock and die has passed. 800 mg of Ibuprofen did not so much as touch the pain. Exercise (aka my bike ride home from work) DID! When I first stopped riding, I felt the pain immediately return. But as I showered and began moving here and there doing, my Mom Duties, it began easing. I guess that’s proof that it’s really NO GOOD to sit idle for 8 hour or, in some cases, more.