My .

I can’t believe I’ve never talked about my period on The Sick Life before. Well, maybe I can because for some reason although half the population of the planet gets a period it’s something that is taboo to talk about. Isn’t that weird? It’s a totally normal thing and yet it’s not something we can freely, or comfortably, talk about.

Anyway, I think it’s an important topic because how do we know what’s normal and what’s not if we never share these things. I know my period isn’t normal. It’s not easy. It’s extremely painful.

I started having my period when I was 14 and it wasn’t easy then but it’s definitely gotten more difficult with age. My period isn’t regular so I never know exactly when it will be arriving but once it does my body goes to war and I am taken out of the game for a couple of days because I am usually in so much pain I can’t even stand upright.

This month my period was actually the most painful it’s ever been. I spent an entire day curled up in a tiny little ball on the couch in the living room. Painkillers didn’t help and nothing seemed to ease the terrible pain I was experiencing. When I tried to get up and go into the dining room for dinner I was doubled over in excruciating pain. It hurt so much I lost control of my body and went into the rigors (uncontrollable shivering/shaking) and cried and cried and cried.

My period is also quite heavy in the first few days and I have abnormal clotting. Sorry if that’s TMI. It makes it really hard to function normally for about 5 to 6 days. I need lots of warm, salty baths and a heating pad strapped to my body at all times. I’ve found that drinking more water than I normally do (and I’m a big believer in drinking a lot of water, regularly) helps a lot but it only helps the flow and not the pain.

Well, there we go. That’s our slightly TMI topic of the day. Do you have an abnormal or painful period, as well?