Period Anthology: Listen to Yourself

We are THRILLED to welcome Jess Dunegan to SheHopes today! Jess is the incredible artist behind the Women Empowered Market logo, has her own design business, and is a yoga teacher at Yoga State. Thank you, Jess, for sharing your story and for sharing HOPE with women and girls around the world!

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I’m so grateful I found a place to share my story. I have been wanting to put it into words in the hopes of helping other girls and women realize they are not alone. When I was eleven, I started my period while my family and I were on our way home from visiting my aunt. I was in the “way back” of my parents station wagon as we drove for what felt like hours back home! I felt nauseous and the cramps were setting in. I remember understanding what was happening to me, but I didn't know anything about the painful cramping! (My sisters were younger than me, and had not gone through this yet.) From that moment on my periods were always painful and miserable. On a few occasions I had the school nurse call my mom to come pick me up due to horrible cramping and leaking. I hid out in the bathroom of my middle school as I waited for her. She had to leave work to come get me –– I felt guilty about pulling her away from work. Luckily my mom was always comforting and understanding.

I dreaded my period each month, but as I got older I had a better appreciation for the purpose of a woman’s moon cycle. I realized it is a natural part of life for women, and I felt a strong bond with my friends who were experiencing very similar symptoms with their cycles. When I turned 18 I began taking birth control pills, which to my surprise helped tremendously with my PMS symptoms and leaking! About 5 or 6 years later, when I really began paying attention to how I was nourishing myself, I realized the pill was not something I wanted to continue consuming. I was never one for taking medication anyway. The downside was I immediately began having cramps and heavy bleeding during my first period after getting off the pill. Every Well Woman Exam I had came back normal. My doctors would tell me everything was fine, that I was just a “heavy bleeder”. Um, okay ... well, I had to learn how to deal with it. I would leak while I was at work, and sometimes I would have to leave work early or run home and change. On one hand I felt so defeated by my period, and on the other I cherished it because it was part of my womanhood.

The years went by, and I dealt with it the best way I could until about five years ago when my symptoms started to worsen, and I was experiencing blood clots every month during my period. I was checked out by a new gynecologist, and she discovered I had an enlarged uterus and multiple fibroids. Wow! At the time she said the fibroids were small, but I did have one cluster that was slightly larger than the rest. There wasn’t an immediate concern to do anything drastic, but I did go in for routine ultrasound tests. I also researched how to shrink fibroids naturally through nutrition. I added loads of fruits and veggies, as well as amped up my yoga and exercise routine in hopes that I could beat this thing naturally!

Now here’s when things start to change –– The following year my boyfriend and I took a trip to Las Vegas. I was excited to go, but I knew I was going to be on my period! I was not looking forward to that! I tried to have fun despite the bleeding (which was starting to make me feel ashamed and gross). We were there for a convention, and the entire first day I was stopping at each bathroom we came across ... I was a leaking mess! I wasn’t sure why it had gotten so bad. That night I changed into a pretty dress and knee-high boots. We went out to a nice dinner, and as we were getting up to leave I felt blood running down my legs and into my boots! I was so embarrassed! My boyfriend was very sweet about it. The hostess at the restaurant noticed what was happening, and she quietly rushed off to grab a handful of napkins for me. Of course, the restroom was outside the restaurant down a long, busy hallway!! I was done! I made an appointment with my doctor as soon as we returned home. I had another ultra sound and the larger mass of fibroids had grown to 8cm (it doesn't sound that big, but it was)!

I spoke with my doctor about different options I could take to get rid of these nasty fibroids growing inside my uterus. She explained all of my options to me, including undergoing a hysterectomy. I did not take this news lightly. All I could think about was how I didn't have children, and if my uterus was taken from me I would never be able to. Also, the thought of losing a very important part of my womanhood was quite upsetting for me. I knew I had to do something. It took me about six months to make a decision. My boyfriend and I researched all of the options, and when it came down to it, a hysterectomy was going to be the best option for me. Leading up to the procedure I was bleeding almost every day, and still experiencing huge blood clots weekly. I was starting to feel week. I was getting winded very easily, and could barely teach my yoga classes. This was not like me. I blew it off knowing I was going to have the surgery soon, and hopefully it would all be taken care of.

The surgery was scheduled and I went in for my pre-op appointment. I was all geared up to get this over with –– but not so fast! They drew blood for my lab work and discovered I was severely anemic, and rushed me to the women’s hospital. I was so scared! My hemoglobin level had dropped to a 3.8 –– I had no idea it was so bad. I was literally bleeding to death, and didn't realize it. The doctor told me I needed a blood transfusion immediately! That was one of the hardest, but most responsible decisions I’ve ever had to make. I ended up having two blood transfusions and an iron infusion. To top it off, the large fibroid I mentioned was starting to prolapse, so I was now in an emergency situation! My hemoglobin level needed to be at least an 8 before the doctor would perform the surgery on me. I added tons of iron into my diet through healthy food, and went in for 4 more iron infusions. I was finally ready for the surgery. It was a scary experience, but I am so much healthier now! I had to choose my life over keeping my uterus. They did a biopsy of my uterus after the surgery, and discovered I also had a small amount of endometriosis. If I would have known how sick I was, I would have gone through with surgery much sooner.

This story is to bring awareness to what we go through as women, and it’s not shameful or gross. Being aware of your body and what it’s telling you it needs is a very powerful tool. Please listen to yourself!

Luckily, I was able to keep my ovaries, so there’s still that possibility of brining a little one into the world!

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Every heart holds a story - and our stories are what brings us together, it’s where we learn and find meaning, and it’s what brings us HOPE! Do you have a story you’d like to share to bring HOPE to others? Send and email to Ginger@SheHopes.org or contact us HERE.

Thank you again to Jessica Dunegan for sharing her story with us today! Here’s how to connect with Jess:

Website: jessdunegandesign.com

Facebook page: JessDunegan Design

Instagram: @JessDunegan

Yoga State Facebook: @YogaStateYogaForAll

Yoga State Instagram: @YogaStateKS

Here’s to listening to ourselves, to celebrating womanhood, and to HOPE!