OK- I’ve warned you I’m a chronic oversharer, but sometimes I’ll warn you when the post will be even more than usual too much information or TMI.  This is one of those posts.  It does not deal with Lefty, but other physical effects of the diagnosis on my girl parts. You have been warned.

I could just you know, not share this, but since this is the first time I’ve been truly pissed at Lefty and that’s more of the expected reaction, I thought I’d still babble at you all.

As I think I mentioned, my cancer is hormone receptor positive, which means that a) I need to not use any hormones for birth control, and b) I’ll be on hormone therapy for approximately 5 years after my main course of treatment is finished. This means they will basically shut down my ovaries & send me into early menopause.  Then I get to come OUT of menopause, and go through it whenever my body gets around to it on its own.

Fun huh?

But my bigger gripe right now is about part “a,” discontinuing hormonal birth control.  For the last 8 years, since my son was about a year old, I’ve had a Mirena IUD.  BEST. CONTRACEPTIVE. EVER.  For the last eight years of my life, I didn’t have to think  about contraception, other than when I hit the five-year mark and had to get it removed and get a new one.  And even better?  I have not had a full period since shortly after it was placed.

So I’d bet you can see the gripe coming… Friday it came out so that it was no longer feeding my cancer.  Sunday “Aunt Flo” came to visit.  It sounds dumb to whine about something that most women have to deal with once a month, but I’d forgotten how much having a menstrual cycle sucks.  I’m bloated. I’m cranky. I have cramps. And worst of all, MY FREAKING BOOBS ARE SWOLLEN AND LEFTY HURTS.

So there — I am having “normal” emotions about this shit.  Dammit Lefty!  This sucks!