My Journey with Cushing’s disease
At 30 years old, I was fit, healthy and naturally a size 8–10. I knew my body well, which is why, when it started to
I didn’t know what the day would bring, but I was game to find out. I was tired of my period being the worst part of every month. It was time for a change.
“Here we go”, I thought as I inserted my menstrual disc for the first time. Inserting period products had never been a problem for me, it was the removal that, frankly, scared me to death. I took a deep breath and reminded myself to relax; I wouldn’t have to worry about removal for hours yet.
There were many reasons why I chose a menstrual disc. I will share some here.
I’ve had extremely heavy periods my whole life. Wearing pads had always been like wearing a not-so-effective diaper. Leaks reigned supreme, cramps were unbearable, and with the onset of endometriosis I was in pain three weeks out of each month at least.
Tampons terrified me, were uncomfortable, and half the time I needed to wear a pad with them anyways, so what was the point? Period underwear had actually worked as a backup, but when the tampon inevitably failed, I was back to feeling like I was wearing a diaper.
The soft material of the discs and cups I have tried is extraordinarily comfortable. I cannot feel them when they are inside. They don’t leak if inserted properly and keep me dry and smelling fresh.
Using discs can help relieve cramps while on your period, and, from my experience, long term. It could be because my body isn’t dealing with the chemicals disposable products put into it. Part of it, I believe, is the lack of stress and dread making my body tense.
The other part of period life I hated was the feeling of the blood and tissue “letting down”. That rush, the stress of not knowing how much there will be, and where it will go literally freaks me out.
Switching to a menstrual cup was the first thing I had tried that actually offered me hope. The idea that I wouldn’t have to feel that rush again, that I could wear period underwear without actually needing it, sleep peacefully knowing my sheets would remain clean all night, and go about my day without even having to think about my period—priceless.
As I mentioned before, I have always had an extremely heavy flow. Absolutely nothing disposable has ever been able to meet the demand for capacity. My disc holds several tampons worth of menstrual fluid, and can handle whatever I need it to.
Period sex has always been a slippery slope for me (no pun intended). Usually I am much more apt to want to be left alone. However, if I am so inclined to indulge, a disc can make the experience mess free, help relieve cramps, and just give me extra time with my partner that would otherwise be off limits.
Removing menstrual cups and discs can be messy. However, you can do it in the shower.
People often ask me about use in public restrooms. Since you can wear them for up to 12 hours, and the discs often empty themselves, public restrooms are hardly ever a factor for me, even when traveling.
However, if I do need to use a public restroom, I try to get one with a sink in the stall. This way I have all the privacy I need. The other option is to bring a bottle of water with you to rinse over the toilet.
Menstrual discs only need to be rinsed after use during the cycle. Boil them between cycles so you can keep them clean and ready.
Reusable menstrual products offer consumers a chance to do something healthy and comfortable for them, while contributing less to the pollution of our planet. Material such as medical grade silicone offers safety that pads and tampons often fail to provide.
Privacy was a huge concern for me. When I started my period at the age of 11, my mother told me I was not to talk about it with anyone, maybe her, but it wasn’t to be a topic of conversation with friends or other family. She said: “It’s private”. So much of what my mother said to me growing up I basically ignored, but not that.
I was convinced that it was private, disgusting, and a literal pain in my butt until menopause. Opening the crinkly packages of pads and tampons in public restrooms (don’t even get me started on those) or other people’s houses seemed to scream to the world “that girl is on her period”. My cycle became the bane of my existence.
Not to mention the fact that my leaks were not discrete! They ruined my clothes, released smells I was ashamed of, and the stains proclaimed my predicament to everyone else on the planet. Sorry mom, periods aren’t private. Except that they can be, and they don’t even have to be, all at once.
Menstrual cups and discs offer the chance at privacy when you want it, and open up a whole new world of connection with other menstruating people. It’s hard not to shout your new found bestie to anyone who will listen. How do you think I got here, writing this to whoever will listen?
Aside from all the glorious reasons shared above, I chose the Lumma brand for my menstrual disc specifically because of the “tail” and the rim. I had tried other products before, some I had researched thoroughly, others not so much.
My first experience with a menstrual cup was one I purchased online. I had seen a video about using menstrual cups and was fascinated. I bought the first one I saw. It was a nightmare.
Insertion was easy and it worked relatively well. Getting it out was a different story. It was too small for me, my arms were not long enough, and I could not remove it on my own.
Now, I am all for breaking the stigma and taboo surrounding periods, but asking my husband for help was mortifying for me personally. We got it out, but I vowed never to use another one.
Except, I couldn’t quite let go of the concept or the freedom I had experienced for an entire 12 hours before. I was hooked, I just needed to find the right product for me.
Lumma was the first company I found to offer choices that could solve my problems without creating new ones.
I discovered Lumma offered a disc with a firmer rim, different sizes, fun colors, and a tail. This was huge for me.
The medium Lumma disc has the firmest rim for me. I switch from the high and medium throughout my cycle based on my flow, cervix height, and comfort level. They stay in place, are super soft, and give me everything I need.
The urine soaked string was always one of my least favorite of all the horrors when I used tampons, but it was a necessary evil for ease of removal. Lumma disc offered the perks of a menstrual cup with the convenience of a tampon with their silicone tail.
The tail, unlike a tampon string, is not absorbent and usually tucks inside my body. It stays out of my way, but right there for me when I need it.
My disc also empties itself when I use the bathroom. This is still mind blowing to me. I know it doesn’t work for everyone, but it is such a wonderful phenomenon!
Being able to spill some of the contents of the disc without having to remove it allows me to wear the disc for up to 12 hours at a time. That is several hours longer than any tampon or pad.
Now, you may be asking why having fun colors matters in a menstrual product. Here is my answer: Do you like wearing pretty undies?
Underwear can be fun and make you feel pretty and special, even if you are the only one to see it. Which, by the way, is another perk of a menstrual cup—you can wear whatever undies you want.
My discs are coordinated by their colors. All my size high discs are clear, my mediums are unicorn, and the short ones I get in the pink. It is fun and makes something usually mundane and miserable just a little bit better.
After 12 hours of bliss, it was time to remove my first Lumma disc. I nervously sat down on the toilet, took a deep breath, and began to pull the string and push.
Miraculously it came smoothly out easy peasy. I thought: “Where has this been my whole 37 years of life?”
Three years later it is still my go-to product. Any time I get the chance to tell others about my Lumma disc, I tell them: “It is life changing!”
There are many great products on the market today. I encourage everyone to find the ones that work for them, and make them feel more comfortable, celebrated, and the most like themselves on their period.
*This article is a personal experience piece and is not sponsored by or endorsed by Lumma.
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