A Bump in the Road

Just a friendly warning,

Probably this entire post will be a big TMI moment.

Still, I think it’s something that has to be discussed, if only because it is definitely one of the biggest things that impacts not only my appearance, but how I tend to feel about myself and the world in general.

Basically, I’m on my period.

Today was the first time in several weeks that I walked into my Nonfiction class with anything less than a swagger in my step.  Usually I’m lookin’ and feelin’ fine, some nice stuff on my face and a planned outfit.  I make sure that anyone who glances at me (as you all inevitably do, mostly because you know I’m doing this whole fashion blog thing) has an excuse to say ‘Oh, you look cute today!’.

Unfortunately today was not one of those days, and it was really weird for me, to tell the truth.  I felt like I was letting everyone down– most of all myself.  Which is weird for someone who wore the same pair of sweats for a week without any twinge of HYGIENE, let alone guilt.  But I walked in with my head down, trying to be ignored, because today was not a good day.

I could blame the African Lit paper I haven’t written, that has been slowly but surely driving me up a wall all week.  I could blame the spring fever I’ve suddenly been gripped with, making my mood all the more sour when I’m stuck indoors.  But those are tiny issues, small potatoes, compared to the real culprit.

Yes, my period is definitely to blame.

Yeah, well, if you had it you'd understand.

Anyone who has or has had a period and is reading this should be able to commiserate.  I mean, let’s set aside all the emotional issues those things cause and just jump straight to the physical effects.

It’s not just that your period makes you FEEL fatter– it pretty much MAKES you fatter.  Your period makes you retain all sorts of things.  The complicated process can be explained in any health or biology class, so I’ll skip the technical stuff, but I know it does.  If you feel bloated during your period?  You probably ARE.  Areas become tender and just… ouchy.  Not to mention the cramping.  DEAR GOD THE CRAMPING.

My fashion is impacted as well.  I use pads (really we won’t get into it, but I do), and they feel just EXTREMELY weird with any sort of tight, form-fitting legwear, especially jeans and leggings, aka the cute things I wear on my legs.  Seeing as it’s still freakin’ cold, this means the only things I feel comfortable wearing are baggy, stretchy, and loose pants– the sweatpants begin to sing their sweet siren serenade.  (Say that three times fast!)

So needless to say, not only am I not FEELING so hot during my period, my body is pretty much going through a mutinous stage.  As evolution would have it, I guess it is throwing a mini-tantrum that I’m not pregnant.  Well, excuse me!

I’m sorry, I don’t mean to make this some sort of weird, creepy rant about my period, periods in general, or how much they suck, although they really REALLY do.  My point is that my resolve and my desire to do things, already tenuous at best, just becomes IMPOSSIBLE when I’m on my period.

I wake up, and everything hurts.  Usually I wake up 2 or 3 hours early, because my motrin has worn off and my fallopian tubes are waging war on my uterus.  I’m feeling grumpy, and I’m feeling emotional, and I’m feeling fat.  This is a terrible combination.  I feel like there’s no point, like there’s no reason for me to even TRY to look halfway decent, and maybe there’s something to that– after all, if I feel so terrible, no amount of makeup is going to help that.

Right?

Well, maybe not.

Psychology works both ways.  Probably the best thing for me is to do all the things I DON’T want to do when I’m on my period.  Excercise, for example, actually helps with the cramping, go figure.  And when you look pretty, you FEEL pretty– isn’t that a kicker?  So if I actually forced myself to look nice, I wouldn’t have had to slink into Nonfiction, and I would have felt better about myself, instead of assuming everyone realized what a slug I was today.

Don't be fooled-- it looks all cute and cuddly, but it'll turn on you in a flat second.

The psycho-babble could circle around forever, but I guess I felt it was necessary to point out this particular thorn in my metaphorically beautiful side.  Just one more thing that needs to be overcome– and if trying to get more in touch with my body has made me realize that my usual method of dealing with it– aka curling up in bed for a week with a heating pad and popping pills— isn’t the best, well I should just chalk it up to one more lesson learned.

Still, by Monday I’m due to be back to my normal self, so maybe it doesn’t make any difference for the moment.

…But in a month we’ll be right back to square one, so I’ll have to try not to reach for the stretchy pants!

Thanks for listening,

The Chick in Sweats
(P.S. Hope you like the pictures! xDD <3)