(Image of a pad with red glitter as blood on a pink background)
So Girl Talk.
Hello, Lovelies!
Let's talk monthlies.
Yikes, I know it seems like a dreaded taboo subject, as do most conversations when it comes to women's bodies, especially the 'V-Word' (VAGINA.) But it doesn't have to be!
So I just wanted to shed a little light on periods, ya know, being a chronically ill-autistic female.
To be a lady person (born a female) and dealing with periods is exhausting regularly, but then add in Autism and Chronic illness (facepalm). This just makes things more awkward and complicated.
So what is a Chronic illness?
*Chronic illness is an illness that lasts longer than 3 months, with no cure, can't heal on its own, and can't be prevented with vaccination. And they oftentimes overlap with others, yay fun times! (That last bit is sarcasm.)
Symptoms of Chronic Illness can intensify with menstruation. It does have an effect on how your body handles your health during your period. When your body is expecting that oh-so not that fun time of the month, your estrogen levels are on the rise, increasing your antibodies. This is great for helping your system fight off infections, but not so great if you have a chronic illness (or multiple like me.)
Why not, you may be wondering? Well because one of the ways that your body battles infection is by way of inflammation. The inflammation is a key to knowing something is going on because it's happening in response to a foreign entity that your antibodies are fighting off.
For chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, Mctd (mixed connective tissue disease), and Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) (All conditions I have,) the inflammation can be exacerbated in these and other conditions that already deal with access inflammation in the joints. And when you have an overactive immune system your antibodies start to attack everything! Even healthy cells and organs, because it can't tell the difference.
This can cause Fatigue, body pain, headaches, and flare-ups to increase during this time.
And don't get me started on the worsening cramps and heavier flows!!
Some conditions can cause your flow to increase and become heavier causing anemia during this time due to a decrease in iron.
Chronic illness could even cause your periods to be irregular! (If they weren't already.) Make sure to talk to your doctor as your periods are more involved in your life than you may be aware of.
Now, Autism can also cause some problems with understanding periods, especially with the sensory part.
This is because Autistic people take in more sensory input, such as dealing with smells, and different textures along with doing things in a timely manner.
So the scents or textures from the pads or tampons and the way blood feels when against the skin can be overwhelming and uncomfortable.
Some Auties (Autistic people) may not be able to deal with the pain, or the sensation of moisture, in a calm, constructive way and may require more help and bed rest because it is usually felt more intensely.
Autistic people also struggle with time management and doing things at the right times and in the right orders, and don't take changes to their routine very kindly. This is why offering different wearable, low sensory solutions that can be worn for longer such as period underwear and other products that can be worn all day, is important. It can make things go much smoother and help with things becoming easier to manage.
For (Autistic) children, this can be really stressful. Autistic people can be overwhelmed by too much information at once, so using pictures to explain what a period is, showing blood and how to use pads can be very helpful. To calm anxieties the explanation of blood is important as most children only understand that blood is associated with being hurt, and this could cause them to think something is wrong.
(I didn't understand right away what was happening and I was 13 when I first started.)
Periods are a hard thing to deal with, well period. (lol) But it creates quite the curveball when dealing with Chronic illness and Autism!
So be kind to yourself (and your daughters!) Drink your water, take your vitamins, get adequate sleep and if you need help don't hesitate to ask! We must stick together and educate each other, patience and love are key!
Remember,
Stay_Lovely