Wish Granted: A Cramp-Free Period

I have a *girl* announcement to make.

My periods are now cramp-free. :) Let me say that again – I HAVE CRAMP-FREE PERIODS. On my last two cycles, I didn’t suffer the debilitating stomach cramps I’ve associated with my monthly flow for the past 20 years or so. Yay!

I really, really never thought that this day would come. It’s an amazing feeling. It’s like discovering something for the first time or finding out that there’s a better way to do something you’ve been doing your entire life. “This is how it should feel? Life doesn’t need to come to a screeching halt every month? Fantastic!”

I went out about town meeting customers the other day and  was on my feet, during my heaviest flow day for 5 hours. Ha! What liberation! Just months before, I would be doing my routine of  sitting on the chair the whole day crying the pain away.

How did it happen? Well, it started with me trying to find a vitamin supplement that comes in soft gel capsule form for my mum (she has difficulties swallowing large hard tablet ones).  I ended up buying the only one that fit the criteria (it’s called Vykmin). I bought the bigger box because I thought I’d give them try too. (I’ve been on and off various supplements for a while now.) After about 3 weeks of taking them, I had my period. Amazingly it was without any cramping. It was so unbelievable that I didn’t tell anyone about it, in case it was a fluke.  So I continued and lo and behold! no cramps again this month!

I have not made any drastic changes to my diet or lifestyle. I drink the same amount of water as before. I had no increase or decrease in physical activity or stress levels. Unless the government has been tinkering with the water supply here, the only difference I could think of in the past two months is the red and black gel capsules I’ve been taking daily.  Have I, despite my attempts at eating copious and varied amounts of fruit, vegetable (and milk, among other things), been lacking in the vitamins and minerals department all along?

Whatever it is, I am very, very thankful this wish came true. I’ve spent so much time away from school and work due to the pain and so much money at the doctors and pharmacists to try to fix it. I feel for you girls who are still suffering as I once did. I hope that this post would give you some hope in finding your own cure.

PS: Although I am without cramps now, I am not without pain. I have major headaches 2-3 days before the onset of period. I’ve never had this before, at least not with this intensity. The headaches were very, very painful and even after 3 rounds of Panadols Extra, the pain would still be there. I can’t sleep properly because I’d be dreaming of having my head drill throughout the night.  One of the nights, I had a dream of a soldier bashing my head repeatedly because I coloured the battle scene wrongly (pink and green leaves?), it was kinda funny. LOL

Got Milk?

Ok, so the high-calcium soya(soy) milk diet I’ve been following religiously for a month didn’t work. I’ve been sitting in my chair for the past, oh, 10 hours, craughing hysterically while trying to maintain enough sanity to get some work done. Enough whining for now, I need to review what went wrong and plan what to do next.

“New research suggests that a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D may help prevent premenstrual syndrome, or PMS.”
CBS News

Could it be that I’m not getting enough vitamin D to absorb all the calcium I’m consuming(the soya milk is not fortified with vitamin D)? But a few minutes of sun a day should’ve been enough, no? In any case, I am thoroughly OVER with soya milk to go through this experiment another month with a vitamin D-fortified version so I’m thinking of trying something else, I dunno, fortified juice, cod liver oil or chocolate milk? Chocolate milk sounds good.

Related links
Calcium & Vitamin D for PMS – CBS
Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D
Got Milk?
Got PMS?
Get the Glass! Game

Related posts
Testing Out Theories
There Must Be A Better Alternative To This
Still Wishing for a Happy Period
Wish: A Happy Period

Testing Out Theories

Dear Body,

Why are you giving me such a hard time every month?
What is the meaning of this? Are these cramps a warning of sorts?
What are you trying to tell me?
love,
M

Yes, I’m still in pain. For the past 22 hours, I’ve not done anything other than to sit (slept in this sitting position too), type and occasionally craugh. I contemplated on turning on the TV to see what’s on, but the remote is two feet away from me, a big stretch in my current form, so I scrapped the idea. It’s not easy for me to remain positive on an condition that has been described as “unnaturally debilitating” by not one but three of the doctors I’ve visited before.

But I’ll try.

I’m going to embark on a project to find ways to eliminate or a least reduce the monthly cramping. Starting tomorrow, for 1 month, I’m going to do an experiment based on the findings in this article.

Update: I just drank 2 cups of high-calcium soy milk(about 800 mg calcium).

Still Wishing for a Happy Period

It’s that time of the month again…

Think fluffy clouds. Think happy thoughts.
(Thank God I don’t have to go anywhere today)

Related post
Wishing for a Happy Period

Wish: A Happy Period

First of all, I’m thankful to be have the monthly visits from Aunt Flow. It means that my body is normal and it means that I can, God willing, have kids, should I choose to one day.

What I can’t stand is the sheer pain. I’ve had dysmenorrhoea for the longest time. In my teens I’d be taking days off school. Doctors and every woman I spoke to said that things will get better as I get older. Lies!

Now I take a day off work every month. One day, every month. 12 days a year. Just to sit. Literally. For 18 hours straight. In the same chair. Craughing* from time to time. Moving only to visit the toilet or to get a drink (no appetite for the day).

On the good side, these recurrent episodes of torture has caused me to develop an incredible tolerance to pain. My mum says that her labour pains were nothing spectacular compared to her period pains. I hope this holds true for me too.

Still I look forward to months where I no longer have to reschedule my timetable or refuse an invitation because I’m Sorry, I have to sit On my chair for 18 hours STRAIGHT today.

*Craughing(part sobbing cry, part hysterical laugh) is my coping mechanism to deal with extreme pain or stressful situations.

How bad do I want this?
I’d give up coffee for this. (Come to think of it, I have tried giving up coffee for this…)