I’m Grumpy Today

I’m grumpy today and grateful that I’m not living in the 1950s.  If I were, I’d probably be even grumpier today. Or, probably in jail.  But because I’m a modern woman, I’m just grumpy and (hopefully) nobody has been harmed.

Like many women, the week leading up to “Princess Time” is pretty rough for me.  I suffer from physical pain from the swelling and bloating.  My “coping hormone” feels like it disappears and I’m on the verge of tears for days.  When I was still a university administrator, I’d plan my schedule to have as few meetings as possible during this part of my cycle and spent a lot of time with my office door shut.

But, thankfully, those symptoms are minor compared to what they were before I started taking that magic pill.  Now I only lose a few days out of the month and I can be at least functional, if it is barely.  I am also no longer bed ridden when Aunt Flo comes to visit because of that magic pill.

My grandmother lived during an age when PMS was “all in your head.”  Have you ever stopped to wonder why the removal of a woman’s uterus is called a “hysterectomy” instead of a uteroectomy?  “Women’s Complaints” weren’t taken seriously but were just a sign of hysteria.

Hysteria?  I’ll give you hysteria!  Hysteria is the reaction to people who don’t believe that PMS symptoms are true!  I remember hearing about women going from doctor to doctor trying to find relief from their pain.  I remember when PMS was finally being discussed as a valid medical concern and some doctors were finally taking it seriously and trying to help women find relief.

I am fortunate.  I am just grumpy (and in pain and unable to cope).  The women of my grandmother’s generation could only find relief by murdering their husbands for merely asking about their day.