Monday, July 26, 2010

bfg on ladytime

Just watched my last True Blood in Canada. God! I love that show.
(FYI: I am a Team Bill fan but my heart pitter patters for Eric. Yum!)

Speaking of blood, I just realized while taking my pill this evening that ladytime is scheduled for... SATURDAY MORNING for me. That is right - it seems I am cursed with my moon-time every time I take a plane. When I went to Spain three years ago, I slept the whole way on the plane only to wake-up twice to eat and throw-up.

Yes, I am requesting an aisle seat.

Honestly, a big damper on my week knowing this dark cloud is looming ahead. I packed two advils and hopefully it will do... This paired with the fact that my tampons (go OB!) weigh a whole pound makes me resentful. It really pisses me off - like I know dudes can't help it but say can't the airport claim "We don't count menstruating equipment when it comes to weight!" I would really appreciate an airline to do that!

Eric is the one in the middle.
God, I hate vampires but I adore this show...
and Vampire Diaries.
But this also brings me to writing this post in the first place. Someone asked me why I was down and I told them, "I am frustrated because I am getting my period the day I fly out of Canada which sucks not to mention my tampons take up way too much space in my suitcase." And this person was astounded that I told him... the TRUTH. What am I supposed to do? Lie? Are we in the 18th century? You asked, please remember dear.

One big concern for many female JETs is getting the Yakkan Shomei, which is like a passport for your drugs, for Japan. In Japan, usually women have to go see a doctor every three weeks to renew their oral contraceptive prescription - in Canada it can be administered for a year and a pharmacist can give you an extra month or so if they feel it is okay. The YS is really complicated to fill out because it asks for technical details. I had to have my pharmacist help me as they asked for exact ingredients, company and manufacturer information not to mention copies of prescription (I already had one but had to re-get a new one so I could scan it and send it).

Now, a girl  can take a pack of 21 pills or 28 pills. The difference is the seven extra are just sugar pills as day-holders (see the green pills at the bottom of the pack in the pic to your left?); so you don't get out of the annoying habit of having to worry about the function of your ovaries. Fine. In my file, it is written that I don't care - whichever box is in stock I will take, I usually just throw the sugar pills away or feed it to the dog.

My big mistake. I ended up not being specific to my pharmacist that I had to get the exact one on the prescription, Alesse 21, and she gave me twelve boxes of Alesse 28. In Canada, no one cares but I am so worried about what will happen at Narita airport. I really don't want my first month in a foreign country, which has its own challenges, to include me having so many hormonal fluctuations. Getting off the pill is not necessarily easy (or hard, it depends on the woman) but I don't want to risk it.

All these girl concerns... and I read on Facebook and other forums women apologizing for asking for advice and talking about it. Screw that. I am concerned and am frustrated right now and if you are going to ask me in person or continue reading on this post, that was your choice, ne?

3 comments:

  1. Honestly, I had the same worry...6 months ago when I figured that I'd have to do that Yakkan Shomei if I went to Japan. Luckily for me, my prescription was up and I needed a new one. I researched alternatives. Because of my screwed up work+school schedule, I always forgot to take the stupid pill anyway so it ended up being really stressful. I read about the Mirena IUD and just thought, why not? Many of my friends had switched to it and besides a few side effects during the first month or so..it seemed okay. I met with the doctor who told me all the ups and downs, I asked my mom if it was covered with her insurances (the joy of being at school, parents insurances...well I'd have it at work anyway) and made up my mind.

    The day my gynaecologist put it in was, by far, the worst of my life. I used to have painful cramps before being on the pills and I thought the world ended every time. Had I known it could be worse!!! It started hurting from second one, the thought of asking my gynaecologist to stop right there and take that thing away crossed my mind, but I went through with it. I hardly made it on the bus back home, I skipped my evening Japanese class because I literally could not stand up from the pain.

    The next day? No pain anymore. And guess what? The first month I had it was the last one I got my periods, except when I took meds after having my wisdom teeth pulled (another proofs that painkillers and meds in general mixed with hormones f**k up our system!).

    So I went through a real day of pain instead of going through some psychological pain of filling that YS form ^^; And if I don't get my annual medical exam in Canada, I'll have so much fun getting it in Japan. I still remember the time I was sick in Japan and I had to explain to the doctors/pharmacists that I was on the pill (I had the exact Japanese name and they were still ?_?).

    But honestly, stopping the pill has been a blessing for me. I used to stop every once in a while (when I was single/away of course!) because hated having to think about it every single day!

    So that was my girl concerns story ;) So we can be 2 weirdos talking openly about that stuff!

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  2. Wow - you are brave. I don't trust the thing in my body. I don't know... it seems to me to be something a bit psychologically disturbing - like what if you fall badly? Could it move and fuck up your ovaries?

    I hate taking the pill not just because of the nuisance but also because i feel like all the responsibility is on me and if I fuck up it is my fault. I don't think that is fair in the least and I am lucky enough to be with someone who has accepted some responsibilities (picking it up at the pharmacy, reminding me all the time) and hearing me out.

    I guess I am just lacking info but now it is too late - I can't even get a GP to look at me much less a gyno. Sigh.

    Thank you for that though.

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  3. Wishing you the best for your big adventure!!

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