The first time I got my period, my back ached so bad I stayed home from school with a heat pack in my lap. I thought the cramps and bloating that followed my first period were normal until I finally told my pediatrician about it and made an appointment for my first gynecologist visit in a shaky voice.
As a sixteen year old, walking into the office with no idea what would happen was probably the most terrifying thing I’d ever done. I heard the horror stories of these so called pap smears and boob squishing machines, and I prayed to anyone that was listening that I could avoid the trauma of the whole situation. Luckily, whoever was listening granted me this luxury. The doctor came in and asked me a few simple questions about my cycle, and then I was sent on my merry way with a package of pills to try out.
The first pills ruined my life. I don’t mean this in a way to scare anybody away from trying out birth control pills, but I’m talking full mental breakdowns over forgetting my lunch at home and acne all over my face.
I took my second (and less scary) trip to the gynecologist and told my doctor everything that went wrong with the first pill. My doctor sat and listened, and told me that there were so many different pills that I could try, so I took her up on the offer and found the love of my life!
I started the new pack of pills, and it seemed like my pimples just up and disappeared! I no longer cramped around the time of my period, and I wasn’t crying on my bedroom floor over “just feeling sad” anymore!
I learned a lot about myself and my body in my trials with birth control. Mostly, I learned that life on my period can be a lot easier with the help of birth control pills. To anyone considering birth control pills but are too scared to make the change: take the chance! As long as you and your physician agree that you are physically healthy enough to use birth control pills, the potential advantages heavily outweigh the potential disadvantages in my opinion. I mean, it did boost me an extra cup size!