I recently shared this note on my personal page...and since I had such a positive response, I was encouraged to share it with the world.
I’m breaking up with my uterus…and that’s ok.
There seems to be a type of social stigma facing women who can’t bear children. If it’s by choice, It’s not something that’s typically understood, and if it’s not by choice (let’s say because of some type of injury or medical issue) you’re most often faced with awkward questions.
If you decide not to answer the questions you’re mistaken as someone who doesn’t like kids, or if you decide to give an honest answer; you’re looked upon with pity, sorrow, or are given what folks in the south call the ‘bless your heart’ expression.
I think it’s time to change all of that. I can’t have children, and I don’t want pity or sorrow. I don’t want to be seen as a failure of a woman, or be made to feel like an outcast. I want to be able to rejoice in this decision. I won’t be suffering anymore, and that should be a good thing.
My period in and of itself has been an exercise in strength and patience. Throughout my life, my cycles would come on sporadically. They rarely came monthly, and it was typical for me to go 3-6 months without having one at all. Once it started though, it was hard to make it stop. It was painful, heavy, and horrible. I ended up in the hospital on several occasions because of potential hemorrhaging…and this has only gotten worse as I’ve gotten older. My most recent cycle lasted over 115 days!
Don’t get me wrong, there was a time in my life when I wanted children. I tried…boy did I try…I’ve seen my fair share of specialists over the years, but that part of my body is just plain stubborn, and I would end up getting depressed every time my period showed. I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that it just wasn’t working and no amount of exercise, weight loss, hormone shots, pills, supplements, implants, or otherwise has helped with any of this.
Deciding to have a hysterectomy is a difficult choice. But it’s high time that my uterus and I called it quits. That’s right…I’m breaking up with my Uterus, and that’s absolutely, positively, 100%... OK!
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