This is a different post for me and it was hard to write, for obvious reasons, but I hope it is educational and informative for anyone who owns or handles rabbits.
Today’s post is about how I discovered a rabbit of mine was sick with a parasite called Encephalitozoon cuniculi, or E. cuniculi for short. I’d never heard of it myself so I want to put the information out there for anyone else who has a pet rabbit. As a forewarning, I don’t have pictures of what happened but the story is a weird one.
First, let me give you some background on my history with rabbits.
When I was younger, I had pet rabbits. My mom used to have rabbits when she was younger, too, so that’s pretty much how my family started keeping rabbits. My first one was named Buffy and I had him for about 4 years. In 2011 I got my second rabbit, Twix, who really made a lasting impact on my family and me. We had him for almost 7 years. He was a little fussy but he had a lot of character and we taught him to do tricks (like jump on and off the couch).
So, none of us were ready for another rabbit at the time we had to put Twix down back in 2017. Oddly enough, both him and Buffy suffered similar cases of bone density loss and decreased mobility. During the last approximately 6 months of each of their lives, they weren’t able to function as a normal rabbit should. Of course, we wanted them to live a full and satisfying life and needed to do what was best for their conditions. Anyway, that’s what also made it particularly hard the last time around.
I’d begun to warm up to the idea of getting another rabbit toward the end of 2018 but I had a number of my own plans up in the air that I wasn’t sure I could add a rabbit to that mix. However, I did know that whenever I did get another rabbit, I wanted to adopt. I had gotten my first two at pet shops but, with the knowledge I have now, I know there are rabbit breeders and organizations to help adopt them, just as you can dogs and cats. The trouble was, I hadn’t seen any in my area.
Now, let’s flash-forward to March 2020 when I first adopted a rabbit.
It wasn’t until I saw a posting on the website of my local paper advertising a rabbit up for adoption by the Humane Society that I thought: this is it! I was excited thinking I had finally manifested my dream of adopting a rabbit. It seemed SO timely because here in the U.S. we are under quarantine and have shelter-in-place orders. What better way to enjoy being at home than with a pet??
So, I contacted the Humane Society but received news that the rabbit advertised was just adopted. Although, they explained, there are more options for rabbits at the Humane Society and at foster homes. I decided to go to the shelter to see the rabbit they had there. I honestly wasn’t too picky about how the rabbit looked because all rabbits are cute in their own way. I just wanted to get a feel for her temperament. The rabbit they had was an adult female, probably about 3 years old, and of Californian breed. She seemed intriguing; I considered setting up meet-and-greets with some of the foster rabbit owners, but soon decided that the big beautiful rabbit needed a home and I wanted to provide that for her.
It was a process because the Humane Society wanted to get her spayed before releasing her to me. So I filled out the adoption paperwork and was set to bring her home on Tuesday, March 31st. Cool. But all that weekend leading up to her procedure I had this nervous feeling about it. Like, I was worried something bad was going to happen.
I almost couldn’t believe that I was going to get to bring her home but come Tuesday evening, I did.
I brought her home and had a little space set up for her. I knew I needed to be careful not to handle her for a few days since she was still healing from getting spayed. What was troubling was that she didn’t seem to have an appetite or want to move around much. I’ve never dealt with getting rabbits fixed so I thought perhaps she just needs a little time and, plus, this is a new environment for her.
Truly though, she didn’t mind being pet and she seemed very chill! So, I held hope she would come around as she started to feel better. When she didn’t eat her pellets or hay, I had to intercept by syringe-feeding her this supplement called Critical Care that I got from the vet’s office. The rabbit would fuss a little beforehand but if held securely, she’d start to eat from the syringe. So, this is what I was doing on Tuesday through Friday of that week. It wasn’t until right after her lunchtime feeding that things took a turn.
My mom was assisting me with holding the rabbit while I fed her but when we were done, she turned to put the rabbit back in her space. We were sitting on the floor, ground level, and it looks like the rabbit didn’t get her footing. She stood in a funny position next to her water dish. My mom picked her up to rearrange her but she started kicking wildly. “Put her down!” I shouted. My mom let go of her but the rabbit kept kicking in what initially looked to me like a seizure.
It was the craziest and most saddening thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life.
After seeing that she wasn’t going to be able to stand up properly, my mom quickly scooped her back up and held the rabbit tightly in her arms. Our only guess was maybe she had sprained her leg or hurt her foot and that’s why she wasn’t able to stand and that spiraled her into the seizure-like panic attack. I called the vet’s office where she had gotten spayed and explained what happened, asking if I could bring her in and they said yes, right away. My mom drove while I held onto the rabbit with a towel, firmly holding her body and legs or else she would begin to kick and move.
Again, I thought maybe she had hurt her leg and she didn’t realize what happened. But there I was sitting in the backseat of the car and my rabbit’s body was twisted and one of her eyes was rolling to the side. It was disturbing and I just prayed the vet would know how to help her because what I was seeing did not make sense. She hadn’t shown signs of weakening mobility, balance issues, or anything prior.
We get to the vet’s office and somehow I’m able to transfer her from my arms to the table. I explained what happened to the vet and what we suspected may be the issue. He takes her to get xrays, thinking she may have thrown out her back. Yet, he comes back with the news that there are no injuries. That being said, he believes she has a parasite in her brain.
There is a parasite called E. cuniculi which affects the immune systems of rabbits.
It starts in the kidneys and sometimes they can get rid of it on their own. In mild cases, the parasite can cause the rabbit to lose mobility in its hind legs or suffer from a head tilt. Though, the rabbits can adapt and live, otherwise, happy, healthy lives. The vet said there are medications to treat it but 1) he didn’t have them in stock and 2) they aren’t guaranteed–especially with the state my rabbit was in, which was far past the mild symptoms he described.
In extreme cases, the parasite crosses the blood-brain barrier and forces the rabbits to turn towards one side in a spiraling motion. If I or the vet wasn’t holding my rabbit, she would do exactly that. It was like an endless, frantic spin to one side. The vet said an option was to see if she would come out of it on her own but, again, no guarantees. I didn’t want her to suffer through that because she’d surely injure herself, or give herself a heart attack, if left to just keep spiraling the way her body was forcing her to.
Looking into her eyes and feeling her rapid heartbeat, I felt that she must have been just as confused and frightened about the way her body was contorting as I was. I couldn’t hold her in my arms forever so, unfortunately, the only option was to put her down.
The real question I was asking myself was: why did this happen?
As the vet said, this was a parasite that she must have acquired somewhere. It can lay dormant and not affect the rabbit, sometimes they can fight it off, but it all depends on their immune systems. He said the symptoms can be brought on after a stressful event. “Like getting fixed?” I asked him. While the surgery itself wouldn’t cause this, the rabbit’s immune system could have been in a compromised state post-spay that the parasite now had an advantage over. The vet said sees about three cases a year where rabbits are affected by E. cuniculi but it’s not tied to them getting fixed.
Further research on my own showed me that rabbits are most often affected by it but other animals can acquire and pass along the parasite. The parasite can also be transmitted to humans and is most concerning for individuals who are immune-compromised. It seems that the parasite is spread through urine and high urination levels is a sign that the kidneys have been affected. I didn’t realize it was a problem until then but when I first adopted my rabbit, she was peeing a lot. I thought it was just because she was a big rabbit, so bigger pools of pee.
Since I only had her for three days, it’s hard for me to say what her condition was prior. The Humane Society said she was “fine” when she was there but was she peeing a lot at the time? Was she already losing her appetite? If she hadn’t gotten fixed, is it possible that she had this parasite in her and could have fought it off? Perhaps; but that wasn’t within my power or within my knowledge at the time.
I’m sorry to write a less-than-cheery post but I think this information is important, if only so that you’re aware. Pass it along to anyone who raises rabbits so that they can be informed and look out for the signs. There’s some information online about E. cuniculi and this briefing of a study proved informative for me. The good news is that while many rabbits can contract the parasite, very few actually become disabled or develop the severe symptoms I described. If they are healthy, kept in clean conditions, they should be able to get rid of it and be just fine!
Despite things not working out, I still wanted to adopt a rabbit. Since this incident, I have added a member to my family in the form of a small, Dutch rabbit…so keep a lookout for my next post introducing her!
Rediscovering yourself while traveling, owning your worth, and tips to make travel safe + feasible
On the season finale of the Make It Happen Podcast, Melanie is joined by artist, world-traveler, and American turned Canadian: Morgan Donovan. After only knowing each other through Instagram and writing letters to each other, they finally get to chat face to face and they discuss all things travel, self-worth, standing up for yourself, the value of skills, the importance of paying creatives for their work.
Morgan share what some of the hardships are for female travelers, tips to make travel feasible, and the cute story of how she set off to find herself and ended up meeting the love of her life along the way. Morgan is wonderfully open about the struggles that she has faced and how she has solidified her self-identity in a way that makes changing circumstances, like starting a new relationship and moving to a new country, possible.
Listen:
Book recommendation: The Overstory by Richard Powers
Check out Care/of to get a month’s supply of customized vitamins straight to your door. Get $40 off using this affiliate link:https://takecareof.com/invites/mm8qye
In relationships, I’ve always felt like there were people for certain things. I had friends to talk to about movies, friends to go out to lunch with, and friends to have deep chats about the universe with. It plagued me to think that I had to limit my interests or adjust conversation topics if I was with a different friend. Yet, I didn’t know any other way to be. There was always this feeling in me that I had different selves. With each person, I’d show a different and select part of me but, over time, this felt isolating.
From the very beginning, I was trained to have a public self and a private self.
As a child, I was raised by very private, Jehovah’s Witness parents. My dad was strict in his religion so my mom converted from Catholicism when she married him. Some of my earliest memories regarding religion are getting dressed up to go to church and sitting for hours (in kid time) through sermons. Not too unusual from other church experiences, I imagine. However, it was what happened outside of church that really caused division in me.
While church only felt like 5% of my life, it seemed to dictate everything. Among my father’s relatives, they had long known of his belief system and there was a respectful separation between him and his family members. Therefore, I didn’t see too much of them growing up. My mom, on the other hand, was much closer to her own family and tried to make sure my sister and I spent proper time with them. She did the best she could given the circumstances but, since my mom’s side of the family was all Catholic, for nearly the first 10 years of my life, I never went to any holidays, birthdays, or seemingly festive get-togethers.
I have vivid memories of visiting my aunt’s house (on my mother’s side) and playing with my cousins. Then, when it would come time to leave, they’d ask if I or my family would be going to their [insert holiday celebration] special occasion. I’d always get the questions and I’d always wish the answer wasn’t no. My cousins were close in age to me so I felt like I was missing out on a big part of their lives and the kind of lives that I imagined other children had, too.
In elementary school, my teachers were always made aware of my religion but it wasn’t something I could talk about with friends. I was trained to keep quiet about it because “they wouldn’t understand”. I think my mom would’ve loved for me to just go through the “normal” childhood experience of celebrations and holiday activities but we lived in a small town and word would get around. How? Well, there was another kid in my class who also went to my same congregation. He knew I was Jehovah’s Witness so if I slipped up and participated in something I shouldn’t, he could easily tell his parents and they could get mine in trouble.
When there were class Christmas parties or school-wide Halloween carnivals and Easter egg hunts (yupp, my school did this), I stayed home. The only thing I ever remember participating in was May Day and that’s barely a holiday. Sometimes I would go to school for attendance reasons but my mom would often pull me out early or else I’d just get sent to the library or another classroom to read and work on assignments while everyone else was celebrating.
At home, my mom would sometimes do festive activities with my sister and I because she did not want us to feel left out. Occasionally, I’d try to talk to my dad about what was going on at school but he was not as understanding to the woes of a 7 year old. I remember once being at my aunt’s house on a day they were celebrating one of my cousin’s birthdays. They bought cake and simply sang happy birthday. I knew it was something I was not supposed to partake in but I was already there so why not have some cake? I later told my parents and, from the little bit that my kid brain could gather, my father was not happy I was included in that situation.
The thing is…I was living these different versions of me with my mom, my dad, my church, my friends at school, and my extended family. I felt like I couldn’t just be me. I was hiding some aspect of my life from everyone I was with. All I wanted was to be honest and, instead, I was full of secrets.
What the constant secret-keeping created was anguish and insecurity in me. It wasn’t even that I was telling lies; I was just withholding expression of certain thoughts or parts of my life from people. This manifested in other relationships I had as I grew older.
I changed elementary schools a couple of times and at one point I even made up a story about having a twin. Oh, little Melanie was constantly a ball of excitement and good-hearted mischief. Yet, I was also easily embarrassed because I never knew what I could say or what an okay way to behave was. I’ve always felt like I did not fit in and had an alternative way of being (a story for another day) so I told my few friends that I had a twin. The way I played it was that my twin would “coincidentally” be the one who went to school in my place on those days when I said or did something really embarrassing. I apologize to anyone who actually does have a twin but I did not know better at the time!
I was in a total identity crisis and, when there was news others couldn’t handle, I thought having a different self was the answer. I didn’t keep up the twin story for long but, as I got older, I learned to internalize my feelings instead of express them like I did as a kid.
With time, I’ve been able to assess the ways I’ve separated my essence into easily digestible, bite-size pieces just to get along with others. Admittedly, this was reinforced when I was misunderstood by those close to me. I would feel lit up by an idea, dream, or hobby of mine, only to share it and feel squashed or ignored. Moreover, the lack of understanding from my friends says less about their conversational downfalls and more about the kind of people I chose to surround myself with.
All I’ve ever wanted is to be whole.
I had a professor in college who once said that, in terms of relationships, it is a ridiculous thing to think that someone else can complete you. She said, that idea just makes people walk around thinking they are incomplete pieces until they meet The One. The way I see it, the same could be said for relationships with people, hobbies, tasks, social causes, locations, or anything.
In my mixed up state, I sought validation from any source that would provide it. Each of my different selves thought this person or that thing could be the solution to my inner division. However, I’ve learned that my lack of honesty with me is what sabotaged and repeatedly killed me throughout my life. Now, I seek to integrate the varied parts of myself that I’ve spread out in different places and with different people.
It is exciting but there is still a small voice inside of me that has concerns. It is the insecure child in me that wonders what is going to happen if I don’t have any different selves to hide behind as a defense mechanism. All I can presume is: I will be authentically myself.
Thank you for reading! Have you ever felt like you have divided yourself into different selves for different people? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
I hope this piece can help you if you need to get your wisdom teeth removed or are considering the procedure. Of course, this is only MY EXPERIENCE so please consult your dentist or an oral surgeon for an understanding of your individual situation.
Prior to me getting my wisdom teeth removed, I heard horror stories about people having outrageous pain, being swollen for days or weeks, and having to take up to a month to recover! I know everyone is different in terms of age, teeth placement, oral health, and pain tolerance—and these all play a factor in how soon you can recover from wisdom teeth surgery. Though, I feel like the internet is too saturated with these horror stories so I wanted to share the positive experience I had with my wisdom teeth removal.
In June 2018, I got ALL FOUR of my wisdom teeth removed at once 🙂
For the past year, each time I’d have my dentistry check-ups, I was told my wisdom teeth would soon be ready to be taken out. In December 2017, I was told I had some time but they needed to come out in 2018. Again at my check-up in June, it was mentioned that my teeth were “boning” (breaking the surface) and needed to be removed. So, I bit the bullet and made an appointment for the end of June to get all four removed.
There are pros and cons to getting all four removed but here is why I decided this was the right choice for me:
One-time pain – I would only need to deal with the mouth pain and recovery one time versus taking two out and then two the next time. Also, I would get occasional wisdom teeth-related pains/headaches so removal would alleviate this, too. The less time spent in pain, the better!
Convenience – Like I said for pain, it saves me the trouble of having to repeat the experience. I would only need to take time off of work for this and deal with the prep and post operative discomfort (headaches, lethargy, restricted eating, etc.) one time.
Get it over with – As I said, I’d known I was going to need to get them out and, rather than prolong the experience, I wanted to get it over with. I like checking off pending items from my to-do list! 😉
Age – My dentist and the dentistry team informed me that early 20s are the best time to get wisdom teeth removed. Of course, it varies by individual but wisdom teeth are more difficult to extract later on in life. (plus, you’ll potentially be dealing with them pushing on other teeth and causing pain)
The day of my wisdom teeth removal, I walked in to my appointment feeling slightly nervous but ready to go. My plan was to stick with local anesthetic rather than get laughing gas or be put to sleep. I had four molars removed a few years back when I got braces so I had an idea of what to expect. The surprise came when I had to sign a waiver.
The waiver listed possible problems that could occur due to my teeth extractions such as a dry socket, limited jaw mobility, and more. I asked my dentist about that and he said these were not likely but the real reason I needed to sign the waiver was due to another cause for concern. My bottom wisdom teeth had grown to the point where they were grazing the top of an important nerve that runs through the bottom of my jaw. If the nerve gets damaged, it could result in lip area numbness for a few weeks, months, or permanently.
Basically, that’s when I lost my sh*t.
The chances of that happening are slim with an expert’s hand but my dentist admitted this wasn’t common among wisdom teeth patients. I knew I needed to get them out either way. So, I gave my consent to proceed.
My dentist began to numb my mouth, injecting anesthetics into my gums. Spoiler alert: this is the most painful part. I felt stinging pain shoot through my gums and up the sinus canals in my cheeks. He started out with just a few injections to gauge how much I would need. He then left me alone in the room to ponder my situation.
I felt the numbing agents start to spread and, as I lost feeling in my mouth, I started to panic. I remember lifting my hand and seeing it tremble. My heart was racing and anxiety escalated rapidly. That day, prior to the procedure, the dental assistant took my blood pressure and my numbers were a good 30 points HIGHER than my usual BP numbers. Admittedly, I have a low BP on the regular but that just shows how freaked I was.
My dentist came back after a while. I told him where I was numb and where I still had feeling in my mouth. He gave me additional anesthetics which did the trick. If I had to guess, the anesthetic took nearly 20 minutes to kick in but then we were good to go.
The procedure itself went by really quick.
I could not feel any cutting or tugging that most certainly occurred in my mouth. Every once in a while I could taste metal (from blood) but the dental assistant kept a sucking device at the ready so that blood/saliva wouldn’t pool up. At the end, I got stitches before being rewarded with the sight of my removed teeth (what a treat!).
Honestly, there isn’t much to say about the actual procedure because I couldn’t feel anything. When it was over, I felt a bit lightheaded and an assistant helped walk me out. I’m sure I could’ve driven myself home but, luckily, my mom was there to help me out. I was sent home with a few strips of gauze to place on my bloody sockets and instructions for post-op care. You know, how to clean my mouth and what to look out for in case I’m not healing correctly. My dentist also kindly included his personal cell phone number in case I needed assistance over the weekend. This was super nice since my procedure was done on a Friday.
Post-procedure life wasn’t half bad, either.
The Friday of my procedure, I chilled with Nashville episodes and gauze on both sides of my mouth. The paper instructions said I only needed the gauze for 30 minutes to 1 hour to stop the bleeding. I found myself needing it for about three hours. Even then, blood still keep trickling into my mouth. I avoided spitting out the blood (which can loosen the blood clots in the sockets). Instead, I carried around tissues for me to drool into for the first two days.
Numbing was all gone by the second day. (meaning: the previously mentioned nerve damage concern was not an issue!! :)). Saturday, my gums were bleeding much less but I still had to be careful when eating, rinsing my mouth, or attempting to brush my teeth because any jostling made my gums bleed. By day three, this was less of a problem.
I slept upright for the first two nights so I would: a) allow for blood flow away from my face and b) not choke on my own blood and saliva. On the weekend, I skipped my usual morning exercises though, by day 3, I felt like I could handle some movement. I definitely felt a little weak so some light standing aerobics and walking was enough. The most frustrating part was just being unable to lean over for a solid week. Forget downward dog—simply leaning over made my head/face feel hot and heavy. I know it was related to the inflammation but it was a very uncomfortable feeling!
MEDSSS
My dentist prescribed me three medications: one antibiotic to safeguard against infection, a high dose ibuprofen for pain, and a steroid to bring down the swelling faster (than without). I HATED the idea of taking an antibiotic. Still, I figured the last thing I’d want to deal with is a potential infection in my mouth! So I obliged and took the medications as instructed.
The ibuprofen was helpful for the first 2-3 days but I really didn’t need it after that. Surprisingly, my jaw or sockets where my wisdom teeth once were did not hurt. The antibiotic caused the usual side effects and wreaked some havoc on my microbiome. (more on that for another post). However, the steroid was awful because it affected my blood sugar. It made it impossible for me to feel calm within the hour after taking it. My face did still get swollen but I suppose it could have been worse without the steroid….
But, Melanie, what did you look like?!
I’ve been getting asked for pictures left and right. Sorry but, silly me, I didn’t want to take pictures of myself when I was puffed up like a chipmunk. Believe me when I say my lower jaw area felt swollen and looked swollen! By day 4, fortunately, it was less noticeable and practically back to normal. Also, a slight yellow bruising developed day 4; though I was able to easily cover it up with a little makeup.
What did I eat?
Friday evening I drank some broth and that was quite fine. The next day I tried to stick to thin-textured soups and liquids. I made a cold smoothie of coconut water and chocolate protein powder for breakfast, a red lentil and butternut squash pureed soup for lunch AND dinner. The following day I tried cooking pasta and veggies until super tender and that seemed to work for me. Mashed beans, overcooked rice, and mashed avocado (no lemon!) also became my go-to meal.
After the weekend, I could pretty much eat anything I wanted. I feared opening my mouth too wide would tear the stitches so I stuck with easy-to-chew foods. Obviously, no raw vegetables (crunchy salad greens were unappealing) but I could manage to eat more foods than I expected.
That’s a wrap!
I got my stitches removed a total of ten days after my wisdom teeth removal and that went well. My dentist just reminded me to be careful about cleaning the sockets…there was a small piece of food in one. At this point, the holes are still there and probably will be for a while. When I brush my teeth now, I will brush but also swoosh to get to the corners of my mouth. Plus, lately I’ve been swooshing coconut oil around (oil pulling) and I think that is a good addition to my oral health at this time.
I’m looking forward to the day when I don’t have to poke pieces of food out of the back crevices of my gums. LOL. Though, for now, I’m doing alright! Everyone will have a different experience but I hope I put you at ease if you have some concerns about how the procedure and recovery go. Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll be happy to answer based off my experience.
Also, let’s share stories! Have any of you had your wisdom teeth removed? What was that like?
I used to be the girl with the perfect period. In my school years, my friends would talk about missing periods, backaches, cramps, acne, and other uncomfortable period symptoms. My period would come and go in a few short days but I never had problems. Until a few years ago, when I lost my period.
When that happened, I read anything I could find online from WebMD, to small blogs, and even random online forums to just get as much information as I could about why this was happening to me. Admittedly, I know what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for everyone else. The advice I found online was just to eat more or cut out exercise completely but neither of those felt right to me. For nearly two years, I lived without my natural period but I finally found a method that works. My hope is to share my experiences and possibly be a resource to someone else who is struggling with the same problem.
Melanie Tries to Get Fit
First, I’m going to take us back to summer 2015 when I was bright-eyed college student looking for a distraction. I was taking an online class and wanted an activity to break up all of the sitting-at-my-computer-work. Throughout my life, I was never into exercise but, now, I thought it would help me channel my pent up energy and get fit at the same time. I found Tone it Up on YouTube and spent any time I wasn’t working on schoolwork getting sweaty 😉
In fact, I started spending an obscene amount of time working out. I would exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Each day, I would kill 3-4 Tone it Up workout videos like: HIIT, a total body workout, arms, and an ab video. I felt the exercise high for the first time in my life and overdid it big time. I was working out at a high intensity (especially for someone who used to be a couch potato) and consistently did this each day for two months.
Lettuce Eat Low Calorie
Here is the cherry on top: you know how I said I knew nothing about exercise? I also knew zilch about nutrition. Basically, I was aware of calories and I knew that people who wanted to lose weight needed to eat less calories. So, I stayed away from any food with fat and calorie-dense carbs. I used an app called MyFitnessPal on and off to track my calorie intake. It served me well and my proudest days (at the time) were ones where I had calories remaining so therefore I was in a deficit. At the end of a day, on MyFitnessPal, the words “If every day were like today you’d weigh…” came onto the screen and I would either jump for joy or punish myself if I wasn’t happy with the number.
So, to put it plainly, I exercised and starved myself into losing my period.
My disordered thoughts around eating were long-standing ones (a story for another time) but now I was exercising, too. I needed to eat way more than I was allowing myself and that took a toll. Finally, after going the summer without my period, I went to see my general practitioner in fall of 2015. She said I was just too thin and needed to eat more. My GP assured me exercise was not the problem and I just needed some fat on me to kick my body back into period mode. In the meantime, she referred me to a gynecologist who then had my hormone levels tested.
It turns out, I was low in progesterone so she gave me a prescription for progesterone contraceptive pills. I held the prescription in hand and remember asking the gynecologist if there could be any other reason as to my mysterious period absence. You know, if there was a reason, then I could try to fix it. Instead she told me I could just try eating more. In addition, the pill would help my hormone levels balance out and, in a year, we could see if my body was ready to produce a period naturally. I stayed on those pills for almost two months before I switched to an estrogen + progesterone pill. Both pills made me feel emotionally unstable but the latter ones were manageable. That is what I took for the entire year of 2016.
Although my body had a rocky adjustment, my hormones eventually evened out. Well, evened out enough so that I didn’t feel like an emotional mess. I took the bleeding week each month as a sign that my body was having a period and all was good. Deep down, I knew I needed to make some minor changes but the contraceptive pill was enough to allow me to carry on with my fitness routine. I followed the Tone it Up workout schedules which involved lots of cardio, HIIT, and strength training most days out of the week.
While the cardio high kept me thriving, I made an effort to fuel myself with larger meals, too. I ate a bit more but filled up my meals with lots of low-calorie fruit and splurged on desserts regularly . Looking back on it all, I thought I knew what I was doing. I was so dedicated to my workouts that I could not go a day without exercising. I was burning calories like crazy but feeding myself mostly sugar in return. Realistically, my body was exhausted and wanted a break but my mind was telling me to push forward.
So, around the month of October 2016, I dabbled in lighter workouts. I found yoga through Boho Beautiful on YouTube. Her yoga workouts were challenging but satisfying for days that I didn’t want to do a crazy hard workout. Then, I learned about Yoga with Adriene and her 30 Days of Yoga Challenge. I still did my regular Tone it Up workouts but added on a yoga video. Though, I’d look forward to the moments I’d get to do the lighter, gentler, yet invigorating yoga workouts. I started to think maybe this was what my body needed.
Come January 2017, Yoga with Adriene was doing a Yoga Revolution 31 Day challenge and I decided to quit all my other workouts to just focus on this. I strictly allowed myself one yoga video and then carried on with my day. It also seemed like the perfect time to stop taking the pill. The changes in my fitness routine encouraged me to tune into my body’s signals and something told me I would feel better without the pill.
Well, I definitely did not feel better off the pill. Without the fake hormones to assist me, I could feel my energy and emotions were all over the place. Still, I persisted.
On Instagram, I sought out others who had experienced the same and finally learned about a book called Woman Code through Lee From America. I finally checked it out for myself at the start of summer 2017. If you haven’t heard of the book, it is an incredible guide to improve and balance a woman’s hormones. The doctors I previously saw would tell me to eat more but not what to eat or when. Or what life factors could be affecting me. Unlike WomanCode author Alisa Vitti, they didn’t have a holistic understanding of my issues. They were not something I could simply put a band-aid on.
I am now proud to say that after following the recommendations in the book, AKA cycle-syncing, I was able to bring my period back. 🙌
Along the way, I’ve picked up a few specific tips that worked for me:
Establish a routine
A few set patterns can really help bring balance to our bodies. Our bodies function optimally when we have a consistent schedule for our basic needs. When our bodies have reliable sleep and wake times, meal times, and even an evening relaxation time to wind down, they will know how to proceed through the day. If we are constantly skipping meals, staying up late, napping through the day, then our internal clock is thrown off.
Reduce stress
Emotional and physical stressors take a toll on our bodies. I wasn’t giving myself proper recovery time between exercise and different life factors weren’t helping. One way I alleviated stress was by adding a peaceful morning ritual of journaling and yoga each morning. I feel so much less tense and more emotionally stable when I can start my day calmly and gently.
Eat more fats instead of sugar
Fats are what help keep our blood sugar and energy levels stable. Sugar causes disruptions in that stability which then throws off our endocrine system functioning. Personally, I love sweets. I was the girl who would eat 4-5 servings of fruit a day not long ago. Fruit it not the enemy but sugar can be. I’ve since trained my taste buds to crave the richness of fats which allows me to comfortably intake less sugar. You can read more about how to begin in my post on How to Reduce Sugar In Your Life.
For women, our periods are just one sign that our bodies are functioning as they should be. Inconsistent periods can also be a sign of a deeper hormonal issue that can have a number of other repercussions. As you may have gathered from the tips, I believe our bodies are sensitive to even the smallest disruptions. If we lack a routine, are filled with stress, and further throw off our energy levels with constant sugar in food, it is no wonder a period may skip or be out of the picture for months.
Over the past few years, I tried to ignore my period problem and that didn’t benefit me. I attempted to eat more food and workout less but that wasn’t the magic ticket either. The tips I shared are probably the biggest takeaways I’ve noticed in myself. Still, I can’t recommend checking out WomanCode enough if you haven’t yet. I’ve also got a series here on my blog to journal my cycle-syncing observations when I started.
At this point, I’ve happily enjoyed a period the past two months. My monthly cycle lasts a bit longer than it should but I feel good about what I’m doing. I really believe in my tips and the WomanCode protocol to regulate my period (and hormones in consequence!). Please, feel free to reach out if you want to chat more about this. I’d love to be a resource to others who currently face these same issues.
As a disclaimer, this post is my period story. It is not intended to diagnose or treat anyone else’s individual conditions. I’m not a medical professional and am just sharing tips that work for me.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
