Thank you for this, Michelle. I decided with my doctor’s blessing to continuously use my ring. That was a few years ago. I’m in perimenopause and the symptoms were hell. I have so many other health challenges I decided to manage perimenopause by skipping periods.
I ended up in the ER with my first period, hemorrhaging. I was 14 and the nurse was venomous with me, thinking I was a slut having a miscarriage. So wrong on so many levels. I hadn’t even kissed a boy yet.
I then had heavy, painful periods, bleeding through clothes.
When this started happening again at age 39 I was pretty freaked out, not only by physical symptoms but when I remembered how out of control my mental health issues got when I started my periods (and so little was known, medication was frowned on for mental health).
I have an article floating here about that somewhere.
Anyway, choosing to prevent hemorrhaging, excruciating pain, night sweets, and extreme mood changes has been the correct choice for me so far.
I haven’t yet written about this because it doesn’t feel culturally acceptable yet. So, thank you so much ch for being brave!
For the people who hated BC pills. Me too.
My doc explained BC pills have much higher hormones than the ring does.
And, sure enough, the don’t have the mood problems I did with the pill.