I'm Casie, an entrepreneur, writer, woman, Asian American (Pinay pride!), friend, and person who is still confused by her period.
How did you feel when you got your period for the first time?
If I could have delayed having a period forever, I would have. I wasn't excited about it, and I wasn't freaked out, it was more like, oh, ugh, we're doing this now? Fine.
What was your period like when you were in high school?
I had all the usual adolescent insecurities, but looking back I realize how blessed I was: no acne, no PMS, no painful periods, no cramping, just occasionally a tiny bit of bloat.
What has changed since then?
I turned 30 and suddenly my period became a THING. I feel like my 30s are revenge for such a smooth period experience during adolescence.
Were you ever diagnosed with a period related issue (endo, PCOS, etc)?
No, but not because I haven't spent plenty of time at various doctors trying to understand what Is happening to my body and why I've experienced pain and energy loss. I was misdiagnosed with appendicitis and dosed with heavy duty antibiotics (they didn't help). I've had multiple ultrasounds and the only thing detected is that I might have had a cyst on an ovary that burst.
When I asked, "Could that be what has caused all this pain?" I got a shrug in response. Please note this was from female healthcare providers, who didn't seem any more interested in helping me with my period issues than male providers.
Anything you wish you knew 10 years ago?10 years ago I wish I'd enjoyed my pain-free periods more.