But no, seriously. You're the best thing that's ever come into my life. I'm sorry I didn't get to know you sooner. But you can't blame me, can you? Especially in a society where women are still looked down upon for being in charge of their sexual and reproductive health. I was a scared, unknowing 12 year old who only thought birth control was for one thing and was afraid of being labeled a 'slut' or a 'whore' for taking it. Oh how I was wrong and perhaps even naive.
I'm sad that my inability to forget the stigma and stereotypes kept me from enjoying life a little more. You see, pill, you've changed my life in quite a few ways, and not in ways people usually expect. And for that, I'll always be grateful.
Before I met you, shark week was a horrifying week of torture. All the horrible, excruciating symptoms everyone prays they don't have? I had them. All of them. The cramps, the heavy flow, the headaches, the severe mood swings, and mostly the fatigue, which was mostly my iron deficiency anemia (that you also helped with later on <3). Shark week was a nightmare in a literal sense, and having gotten my period so young (I believe my first menstrual cycle happened when I was 9. Freaking NINE YEARS OLD), I thought that this is how it was supposed to be. I didn't know anything else, and neither did my mom (holla at genetics for making things awful in every single way).
I was ecstatic when my doctor told me that you'd be able to help! No more would I have horrible cramping and a heavy flow. Soon my period would be normal and regulated, and hopefully not as life altering as it once was! I was so happy to know that my life wouldn't be controlled by shark week anymore.
But not only were the shark week festivities awful and in full force. Oh no, there's always something else. Shark week would only make an appearance when it wanted to. So, it could come and then hide away for three or four months at a time. And then it'd pop in like an old relative and basically screw up my entire day (and then week). So you can imagine my relief when shark week started visiting on a regular, normal basis, all thanks to you.
And there was also the issue of the cysts. If you're unaware, ovarian cysts effect quite a few women in the United States alone, and I'm sure even more around the world. These are super painful little sacs of fluid that grow on your ovaries and just make your whole day bad (Google at your own risk. It can be kind of graphic). These little demons just chill out until they're ready to make your life a living hell and decide to burst, causing extreme, breathtaking pain that feels like the equivalent of being stabbed (I assume. I've never been stabbed and hopefully never will be, so I'm not 100% on this but you get the idea..). And trust me, many ultrasounds have told me that these buggers love to hang out down there.
But you, pill.. You've taken care of them! You've scared them away with your glorious hormone power and have helped me become stronger against them myself. And not only have you helped me banish those evil buttheads, you've also helped me protect myself against another villian; endometriosis (if you're unsure of what this is, it's basically scar tissue in and around the uterus. This is also very painful. I'm not an expert on this subject, so please google for more info!).
This bug has plagued my mother for many years, and she's feared that it would get to me too. She has a good reason for being fearful; her endometriosis almost made it impossible for me to be born. Her doctors were almost sure that she would never have another child after my brother! But somehow I managed to get here, despite the odds. My mother has told me many times that she hopes I will never have the same issues with fertility that she had. She doesn't want me to experience heartbreak from being unable to conceive, much like she did for many years.
Not only do you help my physical health, you also help my mental health. Because I suffer from a condition called PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), my depression can be worse than it normally would be. Luckily, my psychiatrist (a super wonderful lady that I will be eternally grateful for) suggested I go on extended birth control, not only to help with all my physical ailments, but also my mental health. It regulates all the hormones in my body so that it doesn't contribute to my depression as much. It allows me to have fewer periods, which means less hormone fluctuation, which also means a happier me! And again, I'll be eternally grateful because depression is nothing to screw around with.
Not only do you help my physical health, you also help my mental health. Because I suffer from a condition called PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), my depression can be worse than it normally would be. Luckily, my psychiatrist (a super wonderful lady that I will be eternally grateful for) suggested I go on extended birth control, not only to help with all my physical ailments, but also my mental health. It regulates all the hormones in my body so that it doesn't contribute to my depression as much. It allows me to have fewer periods, which means less hormone fluctuation, which also means a happier me! And again, I'll be eternally grateful because depression is nothing to screw around with.
So you see, I'm sorry you have such a negative connotation behind you. You're really a lovely, lovely person. You've helped me significantly, even before I became sexually active. And yes, you're definitely awesome for that too, but you've got a pretty great repertoire all around. You do so many things for my body at a time and I'm so glad you're in my life. And I know a lot of women also feel the same way! Hopefully our governing officials will also realize this, and end the war against women's reproductive rights. A women should always have access to low cost birth control because women deserve the right to choose and make decisions about their own bodies. I'll continue to stick by you until the very, very end, BC. You're worth it.
Love,
Mattea
Love,
Mattea
