Everyone knows that getting an IUD is scary. You always hear these horror stories of the device moving and puncturing the uterine wall or causing some other crazy health scare. Well imagine being scared shitless of this option but it becomes the only option you have.
Let’s rewind a little to sixteen-year-old me when I was first placed on birth control to help lessen my cramps, acne, and other side affects that come with your monthly cycle. I went through probably ten different versions of the pill each one after the other causing me to experience an array of weird side affects; making my period longer, worse cramps, depression, anxiety, nausea, etc. Every new pill came with a new symptom adding onto the mess. The pill was not working, what is next? The implant in your arm terrifies the crap out of me, and with my weight the patch or shot were not options. This led to the Nuva Ring, which for about almost two years worked wonders, until my period started to get longer. Before I knew it my period was lasting the majority of the month and even though it wasn’t the heaviest, it came with cramps, mood swings, and nausea for two and a half weeks. The only option I was left with was an IUD.
I got the IUD (or intrauterine device) inserted about a month ago; I went with the Mirena and this will supply me with five years of birth control. I was warned about the pain of the insertion procedure, because they have to dilate you to implant the device into your uterus it is not comfy. What I was not prepared for was my bodily reaction right afterwards. I fainted. Not because of the pain, don’t get me wrong it hurt like a bitch, but because my body did not like being dilated without reason. I followed the doctor’s instructions, “Wait until the cramps go away and then you can get up and get dressed”; 15 minutes later I felt like nothing had happened so I got up and started moving, soon I was lightheaded and then the nausea came, which obviously led to vomiting. Soon I knew I was not okay, I was shaking and cold but sweating. The nurse came in and immediately rushed to my side, she took my blood pressure, it had tanked. I was in and out of it, and about an hour later it started to fade away. I was fine once the feeling went away, and the doctor told me it was a rare reaction that a younger (I am 20) patient may experience due to my cervix having never been dilated before, and there being no reason for the dilation, in lemans terms my body freaked out. It was confused on what just happened, and shut down trying to put the pieces together. For the rest of the day I was exhausted and felt drained physically and emotionally, but the next day I was back to normal.
Fast Forward to that time during the month when mother nature gives you a lovely present, your period. I knew it was coming because I wanted to eat everything and I had a small acne breakout; but what I was expecting was absolute torture. The cramps that I have been experiencing have been like no other, absolutely excruciating and debilitating. I called my doctor in a frantic worried that the device may be moving but she said that increased cramping is completely normal and it depends on the women but some experience what I am experiencing. She placed me on a prescription of 600mg of Ibuprofen every 6 hours and to keep them updated. If the cramps come back, if they work themselves through the ibuprofen, and/or I experience heavy bleeding. The cramps came back due to my lack of time management and not taking my medication on time, but otherwise my uterus has calmed the fuck down, and basically that’s all that needed to happen. The uterine muscle believes that the IUD is a foreign body and it needs to get out, aka the severe cramping.
As of right now it is a touchy situation. I am in constant communication with my doctor and we will see if any other complications arise. All of this just shows a little bit of the struggles women go through every month to be able to have some sort of control over their body. So next time you hear a girl complaining about cramps or she’s moody, why don’t you ask her if there is anything she needs or anything you can do to make her feel better instead of mocking her by asking “is it that time of the month?”. More love for each other and less hate.