Today’s post is brought to you by the letters “T,” “M,” and “I.” And also “Y,” for “why the heck am I telling you this?”
Because it may not be just me. So I’m inclined to both share and draw on the genius of the blogosphere.
My period came when I was thirteen years old; textbook “time to become a woman” sort of thing. And it came for the first time at church. During Sunday school. Fantastic. I knew what was going on (health class + MomTalks = educated Kerri), but the timing was a bit entertaining.
For the first few years, my cycle was more seasonal than monthly. I only had my period once a season, skipping months at a time, but because I wasn’t sexually active, it didn’t raise any concerns. My doctors and my parents decided I was going to take a few years to acclimate to a monthly cycle, and since I was only sixteen at the time, it wasn’t a raised concern. I was under the medical microscope at that time anyway, being in my teens, having trouble controlling my blood sugars and/or hormones, and enjoying yeast infections, urinary tract infections, and other high blood sugar added bonuses.
Once I became sexually active at the age of (hey look, something shiny!), I talked with my doctor about starting on a birth control pill. Being the paranoid peanut that I am, I talked extensively with my endocrinologist and my gynecologist before deciding on a pill, and kept in close contact when them for the next few years.
But then there were some hiccups in the system that made me rethink the regular pill regimen. First, I entered my late twenties and realized I had been on hormones for over ten years. Second, I got engaged, which made me think babies and made me want to confirm that my reproductive system was in fine working order. And thirdly, there was the diagnosis of the Factor V gene, which made regular birth control pills a risky choice and forcing me to try the minipill.
So, with all of these factors (literally and figuratively) in play, I’ve decided to come off the pill. Effective last night.
I’ve come off the pill once before, in college. At that time, I was between serious boyfriends and wasn’t sexually active. So, under the advice of my doctor, I stopped taking the pill for eight months. And during the course of those eight months, I did not get my period even once. I decided to go back on the pill to re-regulate my cycle and it was only after taking a medication to induce my period did I get one. Once I was back on the pill, my cycle came predictably and without issue. But this “gap” concerned me, and I want to make sure I’m okay.
With my marriage behind me, my thirtieth birthday ahead of me, and my desire to start a family becoming more of a “now” than a “later,” it’s time to make sure my body is ready. And not just from a diabetes perspective. From all perspectives.
But, for the record, I am not pregnant. I am not trying to get pregnant. And I’m not ready to get pregnant. When I’m there, I’ll definitely share that news proudly! But for now, I’m going to enjoy being a newlywed for a bit longer.
So ... who out there was on the pill for years and came off it? I am not sure what to physically expect (Will I cycle right away? Will my body become sore or more sensitive? Will I be an emotional wreck? Will my face fall off?) and I could use some guidance. Or advice. Or maybe some coffee would suffice.
