Along with new friends comes new medical knowledge; something I learned this weekend, when my new “friend” decided to share. Out of the blue, she informed me that, at the ripe age of thirty-seven, she has never tried a tampon. (Men, stop reading here).
Okay. First of all, I’m not one to discuss menstrual issues—even though we all have them—because it’s not exactly a pleasant issue. Second, how do you respond to that? Being inexperienced in this line of conversation, I responded as any baffled person would. “Why?” I asked, with my chin hanging just above the ground.
I was expecting some corny answer like, "I'm scared," or "it's gross," or "I was raised by 18th century nuns." But no, life is never that easy. Her response was this:
“When I was young, my aunt died from getting a tampon stuck in her uterus.”
Too much information! If my chin wasn’t on the floor before, it was definitely there now. To actually know someone who knows someone who died from having a tampon stuck in her uterus! It might as well have happened to me!
It took years for me to try tampons in the first place. My fear spurred by my mother’s confession that removing a tampon felt like getting your guts ripped out, and then her later warning that tampons caused toxic shock syndrome and certain death. With time, I was able to overcome the words of The Beast. But this…
Okay. First of all, I’m not one to discuss menstrual issues—even though we all have them—because it’s not exactly a pleasant issue. Second, how do you respond to that? Being inexperienced in this line of conversation, I responded as any baffled person would. “Why?” I asked, with my chin hanging just above the ground.
I was expecting some corny answer like, "I'm scared," or "it's gross," or "I was raised by 18th century nuns." But no, life is never that easy. Her response was this:
“When I was young, my aunt died from getting a tampon stuck in her uterus.”
Too much information! If my chin wasn’t on the floor before, it was definitely there now. To actually know someone who knows someone who died from having a tampon stuck in her uterus! It might as well have happened to me!
It took years for me to try tampons in the first place. My fear spurred by my mother’s confession that removing a tampon felt like getting your guts ripped out, and then her later warning that tampons caused toxic shock syndrome and certain death. With time, I was able to overcome the words of The Beast. But this…
6 comments:
I think I should have listened when you told us men to stop reading.
That was for your benefit, Sean, not mine. My conscious is clear.
Aaagh! Aaagh!
I should have stopped reading too.
If it's any consolation, I think you've got to leave it in for like DAYS before you're at risk.
Still, Aaagh!
Wow, how can that happen? Wouldn't it be blocked by her cervix?
Anyways TMI but I am 19 and have never had a tampon in longer than 5 minutes. I find it so uncomfortable and am SO scared of getting TSS. I really should get over it because pads are kind of gross but for whatever reason I can't.
This conversation has got to stop!
Sean:
You like it!
***
Anonymous:
I was the same way, but once you go tampons you'll never look back! Unless of course you take into consideration the story about the uterus. ;)
Post a Comment