Lately my periods have been playing silly buggers. They were as regular as clockwork from when they started at the age of 10, until I was on a drug that stopped them altogether for a while, aged 23 - yes, I know this is unusual. I used to be able to predict the start of bleeding to the nearest 6 hours. Once I got off that drug, my periods were unsettled for a while, but they eventually went back to roughly every 28 days, with me being able to predict the start of bleeding to the nearest 36 hours. Not ideal, but better than some of my friends.

Since my gall bladder went evil, my periods have been becoming increasingly fucked-up. (I don't think the gall bladder necessarily has anything to do with it, but it's a convenient marking point in my life history). Now my body seems to be doing some sort of alternating 21 day-28 day cycle, which stretches to 21 days-31 days whenever it's really inconvenient. The 21 day periods tend to be light with minimal PMS symptoms, whereas the 28-31 days periods are heavy, clotty, clumpy and come with all the mood swings and roundabouts you could (n)ever want, as well as fluid retention and pain. Yay body.

This has made organising things for the Canada trip rather difficult. I really didn't want to be travelling while my period was still heavy, or having to use disposable menstrual pads. I usually use washable pads which last for four to six hours even on a heavy day, but the only latex & plasticiser-free 100% biodegradable pads I've found last just two hours on a light day. They are only marginally better than wads of toilet paper, which is just silly. I can't use tampons at all - they hurt like hell, always have - and I just prefer an external pad that I can look at to see if it needs changing than an internal device like the Mooncup that I'd need to pull out and wash.

My guess, based on a 28 day cycle, was that my period was going to start on Sunday night or Monday morning. I knew with the wedding being Saturday that it would be impossible to miss my period altogether. So we procrastinated booking the flight as long as possible, and eventually went for Thursday, so I could travel with a light period rather than bleeding like a stuck pig. But do you think my body could co-operate with this timetable? I've certainly been having the "period just about to start" symptoms since Saturday - water retention, irritability, mood lability and no functioning brain. But my damn body decided this month would be a 31 day cycle, and only started with the actual blood thing today, meaning my period is clotty, clumpy and disgusting. I had a migraine last night, though I didn't realise it was one until after about 5 hours, and I'm still in brain-fog mode 24 hours later.

Waiting for my period to start, and the accompanying lack of brain, has made me really out of it the past few days, which is why we're so disorganised now. I hadn't sorted out accommodation prior to a few minutes ago because while I don't like travelling with a heavy period, I especially don't like sleeping on other people's bedding. It's bad enough to leak onto a hotel's bed, but even worse when it belongs to someone you actually know. Fair enough if you can be all direct communication, and your friend can give you the nasty red/brown sheets they use when in danger of bloodstains, but not so good if, 20 years after your periods started, you're still embarrassed about the whole thing, let alone talking about them to people who aren't your very bestest-like-family friends.

I think I've pretty much decided I'm going to travel with the Lunapads, rinse them out in the hotel bathroom, and figure out how to wash them properly when I'm staying with someone with a washing machine. But, oh, there really should be a sensible alternative :/

Tags: icky girlstuff, travel
Current Mood: annoyed