My Period Vol.003 - An Important Barometer of the Body I Discovered After Losing My Uterus

MH 42 years old Office worker First period: 10 years old Current average number of menstrual days: None (hysterectomy completed) Current average menstrual cycle: None (hysterectomy completed)
Currently using sanitary products: None


-What day is your period?

I was a swimmer and was in the pool every day, so it was painful and it was affecting my career.


-What image comes to mind when you hear the word "menstruation"?

It wasn't heavy, so I didn't really think much of it. I just thought it would be embarrassing and unpleasant to have to bring napkins to school.


- From here on, I'd like to look back on half of my life, focusing on menstruation. When was your first period? How do you remember it?

I got my first period in the fifth grade of elementary school. I'd heard about menstruation at school, but I remember noticing brownish stains on my underwear and wondering if that was it, but finding it difficult to tell my mother. I think I started menstruating early, so none of my friends talked about it. Gradually, more and more kids started observing gym class, and that's when I started to realize I was having my period.


-From what age did you start swimming until what age?

From the age of 1 to 22. I joined the swimmers course in the first grade of elementary school and went to swimming lessons every day, continuing until my fourth year of university. I also participated in national competitions such as the National Athletic Meet and the Inter-High School Championships.


-How did you swim when you were on your period?

I never even used a tampon, and swam without anything on. My period was light, with little flow and lasting only three days, so it wasn't a big deal, but some of my teammates had heavy periods, and they couldn't practice in the pool, so they trained on land. It was an environment where you couldn't take a break no matter what, so it wasn't a situation where you could say that you were embarrassed about your period.

By chance, 90% of the team was female, and we all helped each other out, so I didn't feel embarrassed. The tiles on the poolside were white, and while I was in the pool, the water pressure meant I couldn't get my period out, but once I got out, it would come out in a big gush. We all just washed it away with buckets of water, and it was the most natural thing to do. The coach was a man, and I had about two male teammates, but I didn't mind it because I just thought it was normal.

There's an exercise called a start dash, where you start from the starting block and have your time measured, but sometimes I would start bleeding, so I would say to the girl standing behind the starting block, "Sorry if that happened," and we'd have to exchange words like, "It's okay." When we were poolside, we would hold our blood down with chamois towels, and everyone seemed to be careful while doing it.

During practice, it's fine because there are only my teammates around, but during games and training camps, there are a lot of people from other teams, and I have to wait by the pool for about an hour before I can swim, so those with heavy flow would wear pads and remove them before going in, and from junior high onwards, I think the seniors would take the pill to avoid overlapping with game days. Also, there were people who didn't get their period for three months because they exercised too much. Some people were troubled by their periods and suffered because they couldn't see results, so I was really blessed to have a light flow and mild symptoms.
Also, when I was in high school or college, spats-style swimsuits came out, and I remember feeling a lot more secure because menstrual blood no longer dripped.


-And then, what about when you became an adult?

Even after I quit swimming and started working, my periods were so light I didn't have any particular problems, and I used really cheap, thick, stiff pads (lol). I only had to change them once a day. My period lasted three days and my cycle was 38 days, so it was really easy. I didn't experience any PMS, so I was busy working without worrying about my period. However, when I changed jobs in my mid-30s and had a little more free time, I started to experience PMS. I think some of the changes were due to age, but I also think it was because I had more time to feel it.


-How did it go from then until now?

I was diagnosed with cervical cancer last year and had a total hysterectomy, so I no longer have my period.
It all started when I discovered a wart on my vulva and went to the gynecologist to get it checked out. The wart itself was nothing serious, but I decided to get a cervical cancer test, which I hadn't had recently, and the test revealed suspicion of cervical cancer. I ended up having two surgeries, and the second one was a total hysterectomy, but the doctor told me after the first one that it was a total hysterectomy. At that moment, I had already given up on the idea of ​​having children, but I was still a bit shocked that the possibility of having children would be eliminated and that I would no longer have my period, so I think I was quite shocked that it was cancer and that my uterus would be removed. Looking back, that's about it.
Still, I had to prioritize my life, so I underwent two surgeries to remove it. However, after the first surgery, I was told that they had performed a cone biopsy on my cervix and had successfully removed the cancerous portion. So when they told me I should have a total hysterectomy as a preventative measure, I told them, "Can't you just monitor me for about three years?" Regardless of whether I had children or not, I wanted to preserve my uterine function because you never know when your life might change. Maybe I'll meet someone. If the person I met then really wanted children, I thought it would be better to leave that possibility open than to have a body that couldn't conceive. But, at age 40, after getting a second opinion, I finally decided on a total hysterectomy, and at age 41, I decided on a total hysterectomy.


-Have you experienced any physical or mental changes since going through menopause?

The surgery was scary and difficult, but I also felt a sense of loss after it was over.
Also, when my period didn't come when it was supposed to, I thought, "Wow, it really isn't coming," but now I don't think anything of it, I've gotten used to it. Now, almost six months have passed, and I no longer produce waste from sanitary products, so I've come to think it's a relief.


-How do you feel when you look back on your period?

In the end, I reached menopause without ever having given birth, and I found myself wondering what the point of menstruation was. It may not have been just for childbirth, but it was still quite a hassle.
However, there are some things I think about when my period stops.
When the amount, color, or date of menstrual flow changes, you might wonder, "What's going on?" You can sense changes in your physical condition or that you might be feeling tired, and I think it serves as a barometer of your physical condition. When this completely disappears, the only obvious thing that comes out of your body is your urine and bowel movements, so you realize that menstruation is an important way to learn about your body. Talking about it like this makes me feel a bit lonely.

"My Period" aims to provide an opportunity to think about and talk about menstruation, an issue that is often hidden, by recording and sharing how people of various generations and backgrounds have dealt with it. It does not endorse any specific products, services, or methods of coping. The content posted is based on each person's personal experience, so if you have any symptoms that concern you, please consult a medical institution.