I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar

04.04.13

Despite having more pain-inducing nerve receptors than a man, I endured childbirth, and then willingly endured it two more times. It's a good thing my body was built to be more flexible. Contrary to popular belief, women are not made of sugar and spice -- our bodies actually release more sulfur than a man's. My liver is smaller, so it has to work harder. Having estrogen means that my body will produce about 8 percent more body fat than a man's. And on top of that, I have less connective tissue and thinner skin, making my fat more visible.

I am perfectly made. I am woman.

I have an entire reproductive system in my pelvis. I have gonads. They are in my ovaries and they produce eggs. Every month, my unfertilized eggs dry up and leave my body through my uterus. About a week before that happens, I experience acne, bloating, fatigue, backaches, sore breasts, headaches, constipation, diarrhea, food cravings, depression, irritability, and difficulty with concentrating or handling stress. Meanwhile, a group of lipids called prostaglandins, cause me to have severe abdominal cramps for a few days. When my eggs are fertilized, I grow a human inside of my body over the course of about 280 days, and then I push it out and feed it with my boobs. I have some pretty amazing parts, but they do come with great risks -- some of those risks could lead to infertility, miscarriage or the loss of a child. We, unfortunately, don't have any special parts built to handle the unexpected reality of such things.

With or without child. I am woman.

For those of us who do not want a child, or additional children, we get to choose from a wide range of contraception, sometimes prescribed without important warnings that could save us from negative, life-altering effects. And then there's abstinence, which is a great choice for an unmarried woman, but not really a choice for a married one. There's the option of having our tubes tied or our husband's having a vasectomy, if they can be convinced that they can survive a weekend of pain and anguish. Or we can just be like Michelle Duggar, and maybe then we could have enough children to open up a small family-run carnival. The idea of having that many children is so far-fetched that it might just get you your own reality show. Not to mention, a choice to reproduce without any restraint would be made difficult by a world that is tailored for a family of four.

I make difficult decisions. I am woman.

I've got plenty of nerve and loads of endurance. I smell like roses, despite my sulfur. I have the thickest, thinnest skin you could imagine. I have fat and I have gonads.

I am not bitter. I am proud.

I am woman. Hear me roar.

Skyla & Mirena: 2 IUDs in a Pod?

02.27.13

Oh, how my heart aches thinking about all the unexpected aches that more women will experience from Bayer's newest contraception, which appears to be Mirena, Jr.

The FDA recently approved a new IUD, manufactured by Bayer. It's called Skyla.

It's a pretty name. Sounds harmless. The name Skyla is Dutch in origin. It means scholar, or shield of knowledge.

So, for name's sake -- let's shield ourselves with some knowledge.

"The [Skyla] reservoir is covered by a semi-opaque silicone membrane, composed of polydimethylsiloxane and colloidal silica." [SOURCE: http://www.rxlist.com/skyla-drug.htm]

Same as Mirena, Skyla uses silicone, which is known to cause autoimmune issues that will cause your body to attack itself. The result of that can only be left to the imagination. It can affect your body in countless ways and possibly cause permanent damage, including lifelong autoimmune disease. In my case, I was diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome (an autoimmune disease) after using Mirena.

Also like Mirena, the active ingredient in Skyla is levonergestrel (or LNG), which is a hormone (a second generation synthetic progestogen). It's no secret that hormones are linked to an increase in clotting. But in my opinion, it is not something that is discussed enough.

Just six months after having Mirena inserted, clotting caused me to develop Avascular Necrosis (bone deteroriation due to lack of blood supply) in my hips and shoulder. You can read MY STORY to learn more about the serious effects AVN has had, and still has, on my life.

The difference between Skyla and Mirena is that Skyla is intended to release 13.5 mg of LNG, while Mirena intends to release 52 mg of LNG. Skyla seems the better option, having less hormones involved. Though, I would never go out far enough on a limb to suggest to any woman that a hormonal contraception is a good choice.

In my opinion, the daily release amounts of LNG cannot be trusted. One study I previously shared showed that women with low body weight or high SHBG (Sex hormone-binding globulin) levels, increased amounts of LNG were released. That same study shared that, in these cases, the LNG could also become systemic (meaning that it affects the entire body, and not just the uterus, as it is intended to do).

Skyla, unlike Mirena, is being marketed to women who have not had children. It is also marketed as a 3-year IUD, whereas Mirena is marketed as a 5-year IUD.

As I've stated before in my blog, I am not a doctor. I only wish for women to educate themselves about the harmful possibilities that could affect them. I always advise women to take a close look at their family medical history. Based on my experience and research, if autoimmune disease or clotting is a your in family health profile, I would suggest avoiding Mirena and Skyla altogether. There are other warnings provided by Bayer -- please read those also.

If you are able to explore other options for birth control, I'd suggest staying away from synthetic hormones. They are not good, natural hormones.

Above all, make an educated choice. I did not, and because of that, my health profile went from nearly perfect to just plain scary.

Don't be fooled by a pretty name. It's what's on the inside that counts.

Please visit this link to learn more: Mirena IUD Lawsuits Don’t Deter Bayer From Getting New IUD Approved