I think I'm getting my period. How do I know? Well, basically I've been trained almost since I can remember to write down the first day of my period in my calendar, in order to keep track of it and know when I'm "due", if it comes regularly, etc. etc. The usual stuff. And gynecologists seem to really rely on women keeping track of their period, because (at least in Austria and Germany), one of the first questions they ask you: So, when was your last period? (And they expect a reliable answer, too.)
Anyway, apart from the keeping track part that helps me to figure out when I will get it (and, funny enough, isn't that like putting down a "log" once a month as well?), I have a couple of bodily signs I usually can rely own: 1) being unusually hungry a couple of days beforehand, 2) having a craving for "unhealthy" food (chocolate, chips and the like), 3) being congested (sorry, I'm sure you don't want to read this, but it's true!), 4) my ovulation occuring a week or so beforehand (and NO, I'm not going to tell you how I know I ovulated!).
[Which reminds me of a really funny situation occuring during biology class in school, topic being male/female genitalia. So the teacher tells us that a woman ovulates about 400 times during her lifetime. Upon which one of the guys asked: So, that's cool, you can actually go and by 400 tampon boxes and you'll be covered for life.]
Anyways, coming back to my wonderfully elaborated "pre-menstrual sympotms" (btw: I never know: does PMS mean pre- or post-menstrual?), in retrospect I sometimes realize that when I was particularly "sensitive", emotional etc. the days before, I usually attribute it to getting my period as well (but that I always realize only afterwards, so it doesn't really help when I'm in that mood).
Of course, one could say that all these more or less mysterious bodily signs are just a result of a) my over-sensitiveness to the whole topic, b) me knowing about the "symptoms" you can have before getting your period and therefore actually having them or just using them as an excuse, c) whatever else constructivist-cultural shit. Which doesn't help when you feel like I do today: hungry and craving for chocolate, not been to the bathroom as I usually do, feeling a little bit stressed and anxious for no particular reason. But at least, I don't have to actually tell somebody about it (like in school when "having a period" was an excuse for not attending gym class), I don't live in a culture/time (at least, as far as I know) where/when I'm considered dirty or unclean because I have it and can't do a couple of things (like go to certain places, touch certain things or people, etc.) - and that, by the way, seems a bit like the good old school days and not being "able" to go to gym class (which is bullshit, of course, as if having my period really ever kept me from doing anything I wanted).
So, coming to my conclusion: one thing I really also want to state here (and I've said that for as long as I can remember having my period): Thank you soooooo much to the person who invented tampons; geez, that really made my life so much easier! So whereever or whoever you are: THANK YOU!!!!
Anyway, apart from the keeping track part that helps me to figure out when I will get it (and, funny enough, isn't that like putting down a "log" once a month as well?), I have a couple of bodily signs I usually can rely own: 1) being unusually hungry a couple of days beforehand, 2) having a craving for "unhealthy" food (chocolate, chips and the like), 3) being congested (sorry, I'm sure you don't want to read this, but it's true!), 4) my ovulation occuring a week or so beforehand (and NO, I'm not going to tell you how I know I ovulated!).
[Which reminds me of a really funny situation occuring during biology class in school, topic being male/female genitalia. So the teacher tells us that a woman ovulates about 400 times during her lifetime. Upon which one of the guys asked: So, that's cool, you can actually go and by 400 tampon boxes and you'll be covered for life.]
Anyways, coming back to my wonderfully elaborated "pre-menstrual sympotms" (btw: I never know: does PMS mean pre- or post-menstrual?), in retrospect I sometimes realize that when I was particularly "sensitive", emotional etc. the days before, I usually attribute it to getting my period as well (but that I always realize only afterwards, so it doesn't really help when I'm in that mood).
Of course, one could say that all these more or less mysterious bodily signs are just a result of a) my over-sensitiveness to the whole topic, b) me knowing about the "symptoms" you can have before getting your period and therefore actually having them or just using them as an excuse, c) whatever else constructivist-cultural shit. Which doesn't help when you feel like I do today: hungry and craving for chocolate, not been to the bathroom as I usually do, feeling a little bit stressed and anxious for no particular reason. But at least, I don't have to actually tell somebody about it (like in school when "having a period" was an excuse for not attending gym class), I don't live in a culture/time (at least, as far as I know) where/when I'm considered dirty or unclean because I have it and can't do a couple of things (like go to certain places, touch certain things or people, etc.) - and that, by the way, seems a bit like the good old school days and not being "able" to go to gym class (which is bullshit, of course, as if having my period really ever kept me from doing anything I wanted).
So, coming to my conclusion: one thing I really also want to state here (and I've said that for as long as I can remember having my period): Thank you soooooo much to the person who invented tampons; geez, that really made my life so much easier! So whereever or whoever you are: THANK YOU!!!!
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