I'm still bleeding . . . yeah, yeah, yeah!

Hellooo and welcome to my first proper post of 2008 - 2008 can you believe it!!
Where did 1974 - 2007 go to??

Anyway, having bled horrifically for nigh on 2 years I've been on the hormone pill Norethisterone 3 times a day since November. Great, you might think - no more bleeding . . . you clearly didn't pay attention to the title of this post!

Since I started re-taking the hormones 2 things have happened.

Firstly my skin has erupted in a manner akin to a woman possessed by a demonic blemish-creating ghoul. I am covered in spots, zits, puss filled sores which quite frankly are slightly unsightly. And when I say covered I mean, my chin, my cheeks, my neck, my front, my back but - thankfully - not my arms or my legs. These remain under their winter cover of clothing and hair but I shall be proud to bear them when the sun comes out. Ade is currently delighting in pointing them out to me - should I forget quite how badly I am afflicted.

Secondly the bleeding that was heavy and prolonged but in my eyes predictable, has become slightly less heavy and less prolonged but totally unpredictable. I'm not sure which I prefer. Actually, it's obviously the second option - less bleeding is gooood. However I am now in a position where I have no bleed free period. It is all period period but then again maybe it isn't. What I mean is I have absolutely no idea when any bleeding might start and for how long it could go on.

This results in a period paranoia. I go everywhere armed with sanitary product. My sanitary basket of tricks never leaves the side of my toilet bowl. Not a day goes by when I do not have an Always Ultra on. Or at least that is how it is now. Having had a couple of minor incidents. A couple is a slight underestimate if you include those which occured in bed - altho my light (non) sleeping ensures that any sudden erruptions (of a bloody not a spotty kind) are instantly banished to the bathroom and dealt with firmly. Not perhaps before a small element of leakage and staining occurs but we have a new washer which is most effective at blood removal, thank goodness.

The pre-Christmas Sainsbury's incident is not one to be cherished. Imagine being half way through your grocery shopping, having left it to a point when you have no food in any cupboard / fridge and the cat is bringing in offerings that look vaguely appetising. You have left it too late to internet order because it would be at least another 48 hours without food and in fact your stash of the 2 t's (towels and tampons) is such, that an emergency drag yourself round Sainsbury's is unavoidable. Either that or revert to the somewhat dusty Mooncup. Half way round with a trolley that contains some but not all your necessities you feel a little rush. Not of excitement at the latest two for one on deodrant, but of blood emanating from between your thighs. Luckily-ish you did pop a panty liner in this morning but their capacity for absorbing a Mooncup or three's worth of blood in a short period of time is not something that has ever been put to a scientific test.

For some reason I didn't think to abandon my trolley and run like a leaking leopard to the ladies. Maybe I thought the security guard would tackle me to the floor with my unopened pack of Super Plus Extra. I kept going. Walking in a quickened but gliding pace around the aisles in an attempt not to dislodge anything that might be about to exit stage south. Every time I felt anything dribble I held my breath as if that would stay its flow, as if gravity was there to be defied.

Somehow I made it round my absolute essentials (milk, bread, cat crunchies, tampons, towels) and got through the checkout and into the loo before my jeans gave the game away. It was a near thing but I shall endorse the Always panty liner as a absorbing miracle if anyone asks.

From that moment on I have never been without a knicker full of a normal, proper period designed, product.

I spoke to my haematologists after new year, in case they too were concerned about my sudden floods that lasted a few days and then stopped again without rhyme or reason and with continuous Norethisterone. They weren't, as long as I wasn't pregnant, which is fairly unlikely when you're bleeding most of the time and when you're not you think you might start any minute. And not that likely when you're on the pill, but not impossible obviously.

A few days later I received a letter from my gynae doc suggesting that as I was still bleeding I should add Noramin another hormone pill to the mix. This combination was the one that kept me bleed free for the last 17 years so I thought this was a jolly sensible idea.

Sadly the commencement of the Normain three weeks ago co-incided with the commencement of a wet patch following a brief dry one. The wet patch has been rather large and flowing with a number of concerningly sized clots and again seems to come and go daily. I'm assuming that this is a teething issue. Once my poor old body gets used to yet another hormone coursing through it, it will fall into line, turn off the taps and let me put away the 2 t's once and for all . . .

. . . now there's an appealing prospect.

X

Bleeding Stats for August

This was my 16 day period for August - started taking Norethisterone 5mg 3 times a day when this period started.

Mooncup

Full to overflowing 11

Totally full to bursting, clots sloshing about, dam bust effect on towel, which was an absolute necessity, very messy.

Of these 8 were in the 10 hours that I posted about. The other 3 were a few days later and I still had the same outpouring, thus have not used them yet since.

Half full 1

As name suggests.

Tampons

Heavy 38

Sodden to the point of being past absorption, falls out when string gently pulled, lands like a broken milk bottle, often accompanied by large and frankly revolting looking clots.

This figure is almost a third of the amount in July - a sign that the pills kicked in almost immediately.

Medium 14

Some traces of white left on tampon, may be clots hanging on for grim life but not always, takes a little pull to remove.

Just over half of July's quota.

Light 4

Slightly bloody, generally at least half covered, takes a sharp pull to remove, not many of these as you can see.

More than July and expecting this figure to rise as the hormones kick in.

Towels

Heavy 9

Sodden to the point of leaking out all over clothing and causing “ooo I just sat in something brown” embarrassment, feels as heavy as a suitcase exceeding the airline limits, requires careful disposal not to promote leakage.

This figure went up but that was mainly achieved due the Mooncup period, as it is now known :)

Medium 9

Some traces of white left on towel, could squeeze in a few more ml of blood to the super absorbent core if you were really determined.

This is an improvement on last month.

Light 0

Slightly bloody, looks less like road kill has occurred in one’s pant and more like you’re having a fairly normal monthly bleed.

This although it was still a fairly lengthy bleed was much improved over July and made life much easier to manage. However because I didn't know what to expect I still was prepared, as all good Brownies are, for an explosion of menstruation at any given time.

X

Full Moon

Description of Mooncup Activities written at time of use - 14 August 2007

1.00pm
Insertion

2.30pm
Towel totally saturated.
Mooncup removed with a little difficulty.
Suction was fine so no leakage due to inaccurate insertion.
Cup totally full up.
Sloppy clots in cup and falling out after removal.
Very messy.
Shook out into toilet bowl.
Flung into sink.
Blood on carpet.
Must wipe with loo roll first next time.
Washed and reinserted.
30ml collected - many more ml in towel and flooding out

3.15pm
Cup full.
Clotty.
Messy.
Shook out cup in loo.
Washed in sink and reinserted.
30ml collected - many more ml in towel and flooding out

5.00pm
Cup full.
Sloppy clots.
Very messy.
Cannot remove without getting hand covered in blood.
Much less hygenic than tampon removal.
Difficult to clean the cup with toilet tissue without getting blood everywhere.
Removal is accompanied by squelching noises as suction is released.
Can't imagine that in a public loo.
Washed in sink and reinserted.
30ml collected - many more ml in towel and flooding out

6.30pm
Full.
Messy.
Tried to just use toilet tissue to clean - as if in public loo.
Not very good job.
30ml collected - many more ml in towel and flooding out

8.00pm
Half full.
Topped up with sloppy clots.
Mmm lovely.
Shook out cup in loo.
Washed in sink and reinserted.
15ml counted

9.30pm
Full.
Clotty.
Messy.
Noisy squelches.
Shook out cup in loo.
Washed in sink and reinserted.
Yuck.
30ml collected - many more ml in towel and flooding out
Definitely leaking and saturating towel quicker than when using giant tampons.

10.00pm
Full.
Clotty.
Messy.
Sticky fingers.
Shook out cup in loo.
Washed in sink and reinserted.
30ml collected - many more ml in towel and flooding out

11.00pm
Full.
Clotty.
Messy.
Sticky fingers.
Shook out cup in loo.
Washed in sink.
30ml collected - many more ml in towel and flooding out

GIVEN UP!!

Total collected over 10 hours = 225ml

Do you remember this quote from an earlier post:
"In order for a period to be considered heavy - according to the Mooncup website - one would be losing "80mls+ produced over the whole cycle"."

I've produced 225 mls in 10 hours - that's 1/36th of an average 15 day cycle for me, and that doesn't include the extra extreme loss into the towel and whilst on the loo, admittedly it was a heavy day but still....

Not hugely surprising perhaps, but from wanting to measure my blood loss, I now find it a daunting prospect - I'm not sure I want to know exactly how much beyond normal I am thanks very much.

I tried the Mooncup again a couple of days later. A day I thought was less heavy, more moderate blood loss. Same problem. Did not take many minutes to fill up. Then leaking sensation.

Forgot to mention - when the Mooncup is overflowing I am treated to sound effects. When I move I squelch. Now that's delightful.

X

Am I over the Mooncup??

It has been some time since I blogged my initial cup insertion. Almost two weeks in fact. So what's the score? How's it held up? What's it held up? And what's it not held up?

Well...

That first 3 a.m. go was interesting to say the least. Having written my post and gone back to bed at about 4 a.m. I pondered for a while longer unable to sleep. How would I know when the Mooncup was full? I obviously had a massive, mattress sized night time towel on, so if there were to be any overflow it wouldn't stain my burgundy sheets and my waterproof mattress protector. But I was thinking about the suction. The suction that kept the Mooncup in place. Clever idea. Did it mean that there would be no spillage? Nothing would get past the vacuum sealed rim? Hmmmm.

If that was the case then what? After the cup was full? Would the cup be as tight as the Hoover dam. Would the flow then back up? Could it reverse fill my womb to overflowing? And with no outlet would it leech through my blood vessels and into the rest of my body? Pushing its way slowly up me, filling me up like a hot water bottle. Until there was just a little air left in the top of my head. Would bloody tears spring from my eyes? That's happened in the past - from a nose bleed not being able to come out my nose quick enough.

I awoke a few hours later and felt around for seepage from my bodily orifi - nothing - phew!

I made my way to the loo. Night time towel unsullied - wow - that's unusual. This thing was good! I poked my fingers around trying to find my little stalk and pulled. Now I could feel the suction. As it slowly released I braced myself for a dambursting outpour. Closed my eyes and pulled...

Nothing.

No splashing, no gushing, no noise whatsoever! I opened one eye. Clean bowl. I opened the other eye and brought the Mooncup into my line of sight. Nothing in it! Godammit!

There was a tiny trace of blood around the rim but that was it. Had I had some kind of allergic reaction? Had my blood been repelled from the silicon cup? Was it waiting like an ocean that had been parted, ready to bomb on out the moment the coast was clear? I braced myself again...

Nothing.

The bleeding had stopped. Pretty much the instant I inserted the Mooncup my bleeding had stopped. Now that was annoying.

I tend to be an unpredictable bleeder at the best of times. My bleeding patterns are generally undefinable except by being consistently inconsistent. So it wasn't an impossibility that my period had started as a gusher and dried up over night.

This doesn't mean it's over for this month - oooooh noooo. It will be back. Sooner or later. Sooner probly. Heavier or lighter. Heavier probly. Who knows where, who knows when... Not me that's for sure.

I cleaned out my cup and popped it back in its little baggy for next time.

Next time came within four days...

Mooncupdate...

Cheers! Or perhaps more aptly - Bottoms Up! Or if we're being pernickity - Up Bottom!


Was thinking of taking a 'half full' photo for the celebratory glass of red / cup of red effect. Then realised that would be one blood sodden step too far! This post would already receive an X in the gore ratings but that's without a photo of me hoisting aloft a measure of my own fine vintage.

The news is this. It is 3a.m. and I'm mooning as we speak. I'm cupped up. Cupping myself. Full up with cup. The Mooncup's up! It's up! It's ... no, it's still up and showing no signs of coming down.

Well fancy that.

I was sat, only minutes ago, on my porcelain chair, contemplating my Mooncup. Earlier tonight we were on our way out to celebrate Ade's sister Jackie's engagement - by way of an enormous sign, on a lorry, parked up outside her office window, Bob you are a surprisingly creative chap and many congratulations to you both - when I felt something dribble. Not enough to fill a milk bottle but more than enough for a thimble. Given that I didn't have a thimble the choice was Mooncup or tampon. As we were going to the pub and I was wearing white trousers with a top barely skimming my buttocks (now there's a phrase I've always wanted to use!!) I needed a safe option so plumped for the latter, purely on the basis of experience. Thinking about it now, that was flawed logic based on my history of bloody bottoms.

After two near misses in the pub in the bloody pant department we were back home. On my way to bed I automatically inserted a Super Plus and then thought,

"Really should be trying the cup. That's it," thunk I, "if I'm up in the night" (if I'm up in the night hahaaa that's a wheeze) "I'll pop it in and see what happens."

So back to my porcelain chair at just before 3a.m. I'm sat perusing my Mooncup. It's too big!! I may not be a vestal virgin but it's no Eurotunnel and this baby looks pretty big to me! Hmmm. It looked clean and rubbery and really I didn't want to spoil it or soil it, but what's a trial if you don't use the thing.

I folded it up on itself as instructed and popped it in. Now when I say popped, I really mean shoved. With some resistance of a rubbery nature. Luckily the bleeding was such that once inside it was soggy enough to move into position. The position, that is, I wasn't sure of.

The instructions stated the cup should be worn lower down than a tampon, just inside the entrance to the vagina. Now I think I got it just about in the right spot. I could feel the bottom of the cup just inside and the stalk was poking out for easy removal.

According to a commentator on my last Mooncup post and to the leaflet accompanying the product - which is quite frankly enormous and as weighty as a loaded tampon, but does contain instructions in more languages than the Pope himself speaks - one should trim the stalk of the Mooncup to a comfortable length. Well, I hadn't planned for this middle of the night moment. I had no scissors or other trimming device to hand. Sod it. I'm only going to be horizontal - how proddy can it get?? I'll trim it in the morning.

And here I am, writing this long hand at my dining table at 3.38a.m. thinking "that feels weird." I'm not sure if it's the Mooncup itself . . . in fact, I can feel the Mooncup cup inside me - I presume I'll get used to that. But the stalk is definitely gonna have to go! The actual sensation is less prodding and more reminding me of a time I had a corrugated card contraption inside me to supposedly drain off internal bleeding. It was held in place - i.e. stopped from whooshing up inside me by the force of my vaginal suction :/ - by a carefully positioned baby's nappy pin. This stalky sensation takes me right back there.

My concern will be to leave enough stalk there to enable removal. I could trim it now I'm up and about I suppose, but having scrawled all this down after being unable to sleep, I'd like to get back to my sweet dreams thank you.

I'll leave the trimming and measuring - god, I sound like a Greengrocer, or should that be Redgrocer - til the morning.

Wish me luck.

X


There's 50 points to the person who spots the Fawlty Towers reference.

Many congratulations to Jac and Bob on their engagement - yippee!! xxx

Fly me to the Mooncup

How many moon references can I think of ... I got a few more up my sleeve for future posts, don't you worry :)

I know you've been all excited, checking every day to see if indeed it is a yummy choccy pud, as uncertain suggested. Now that would be good. I'm sure you've not looked it up on Google like I would have ... well, I'll pretend you don't know and go with a big build up - are you ready???

Here it is - the Mooncup:


Oooo pretty isn't it! Love the little baggy and the pink ribbon.

Now what's inside ... is it a lip gloss? A delicate bracelet??

Ok, open the little bag and what's inside - it's a ...

Hmmmm, now what the heck is that?? Is it a plastic tulip? A baby turkey baster? A tiny bucket for removing flood water??

This should make it obvious...


Can you see that? Yes, it's a reusable menstrual cup!
Of course, you cry! I knew that all along!! How perfectly splendid!!!

Apparently they're big in the States according to my friend Helen - but then uncertain hadn't heard of it - or had you myc? My other friend emailed me and told me that she's been using a similar concept - the Keeper, nice name - for 6 years now. That's 6 years without using, without buying any tampons! That sounds good to me - it'll save me a fortune!! She's been recommending them to all her friends.

Here's the facts, as taken from Mooncup.co.uk:

The Mooncup is a reusable menstrual cup around two inches long and made from soft silicone rubber. It is worn internally like a tampon but collects menstrual fluid rather than absorbing. Unlike tampons the Mooncup is not a disposable product, so you only need to buy one.

It's not disposable, you see, you only buy one and re-use it. Re-use it. Hang on a minute ... how does that work??

The Mooncup can be cleaned in the same way as baby equipment: with sterilising fluid, or by boiling for five minutes in an open pan of water.

Oh I seeee ... you just boil it between uses, or stick it in a baby steriliser. How my gonna do that on a Pendolino to London? How my gonna do that at work, "sorry chaps just gotta boil the kettle to swill out my Mooncup". How my gonna do that at home when I can't leave the comfort of the toilet to head to the kitchen for a spot of sterilising because I'll leave the carpet looking like Jack the Ripper's been reincarnated...

You can still use your Mooncup in Public toilets. Simply take a small bottle
of water into the toilet with you and rinse it with this. Alternatively you
can wipe with toilet paper and give your Mooncup a thorough clean at a more convenient time.

Ahhh that's a bit more like it. In fact that's what my friend suggested, although she can get away with wearing hers for 24 hours on the trot generally.

The Mooncup will hold 30ml of fluid, which is roughly one third of the average total produced each period. A light seal is formed with your vaginal walls allowing your menstrual fluid to pass into the Mooncup without leakage or odour. You will probably find that you need to empty your Mooncup less frequently than you currently replace towels or tampons.

The average total produced each period is 60ml - now that's interesting. That's what appeals to me, not only emptying less frequently than I currently replace tampons - sometimes as often as every half hour - but that I can actually measure my blood loss. Does that sound totally weird?? I'm curious. Curious to know just how much I'm actually losing each month. I'm not getting that anaemic - HBC 11.2 (June) and Ferritin 12 - so therefore I can't be bleeding that much, right??

In order for a period to be considered heavy - according to the Mooncup website - one would be losing "80mls+ produced over the whole cycle". Will I be anywhere near that? I think so, knowing my tampon stats but we'll see.

I'm going to give it a go next period - in a week or so if my menstrual calendar is at all predictable, which it usually isn't!! I'm not entirely keen on the cleaning the cup out in the sink bit, or the squatting to get it in and out, or wearing it lower down the vagina than a tampon, or trying to remove it without spilling blood around like a chocolate fountain. But - I do like the idea of using less towels and tampons - from an environmental and economicental and mental point of view, I like the idea of accurately (if my hands are steady and the things not overflowing:) measuring my blood loss, and I like the idea of leaving it in and forgetting about it - maybe being able to walk into town and back without a public toilet dependency, maybe going swimming even??? It's possible apparently.

Wish me luck and send me bathroom cleaning products!

X

My Mooncup runneth over...

I have been given the opportunity to try a Mooncup.

I will use it and to log on my blog how I get on.

Have you heard of the Mooncup? I hadn't.

Do you know what it's for? I didn't.

Has anyone reading this ever tried one??

Please let me know how it was for you...