In a story of gratitude and perspective, 26-year-old Naina Darcy is giving thanks that her period is just painful in the normal way, not blindingly, excruciatingly painful like it is for some people.
“I don’t have endometriosis or any other number of painful period conditions, thank god,” she said from under her comforter, hunched in the fetal position over a warm water bottle. “Like, yes, once a month I have to take a few days off and pop more ibuprofen than they medically recommend, but at least it’s not worse than this!”
Naina is currently on day two of her period, famously the worst and bloodiest, yet she remains positive, considering she is not currently in the hospital.
“I mean, yeah, one time my period cramps did send me to the hospital,” she admitted while visibly tearing up from the pain. “But at least my doctors believed me and started an IV right away. Some people aren’t so lucky! My period is really not that bad in the grand scheme of things.”
Among Naina’s friends, seven have had ovarian cysts, two have endometriosis, one has an unexplained 11-day period, and another has somehow had spotting every single day for the last three months, which is neither here nor there. All are in pain almost constantly.
“I thought my appendix was coming out, but it was just period pain,” laughed one of Naina’s friends, Penny Wilkins. “Well then, of course, there was the other time I thought I was having period pain, but it was just a burst appendix. Silly me!”
Doctors confirm this kind of thing happens a lot, which is crazy when you think about it. It probably says something about the daily level of pain women are expected to experience, but why press further?
As far as whether she would get on birth control to make her periods a bit easier to deal with, Naina is hesitant.
“I would in a heartbeat, but I have a history of blood clots, so I can’t take the oral birth control or risk dying,” she said. “Plus, one of my friends got a Nexplanon implant, passed out from the pain, and still gets her period anyway.”
As a closing comment, Naina said, “I just thank my lucky stars that my period pain isn’t any worse than this.” At least, reporters think this is what she said, as she was biting down on a blanket at the time.
