Mother Nature Rocks

This post may be a little too much information (TMI) for some of you, so if you feel unnerved by this disclaimer please feel free to stop reading when you arrive at the *WARNING*
As a person that has struggled with an eating disorder for over 10 years now, I’ve struggled with having a body that functions as it should.  The effects of an eating disorder can be seen on the outside, but the interior effects are also present, and extremely hazardous to the person whom is struggling.  These are things that the outside world cannot see.
Memory loss, trouble with bowel movements, trouble sleeping, feelings of fatigue, brittle nails, hair loss, etc.  One thing that is specific to a woman is the loss of menstruation.
*WARNING:  THIS IS WHERE THE TMI COMES INTO PLAY*
I remember when I got my first visit from my monthly friend. It wasn’t a moment of happiness, it was like, ‘Well, crap.  I guess I’m a woman.’  Since that first time, I never really had a consistent cycle.  I finally went on the pill, to help regulate my cycle, but even when I was on the pill, I wasn’t having a monthly visitor I could rely on.  I never cared too much about it, because clearly my health wasn’t the top of my list of concerns.  
To be frank, I cannot tell you the last time I had a ‘normal’ month.  When I left treatment, I was somewhat closer, but most months I would wait and wait.  Being that my body was not at a weight appropriate for my height, my body was not able to function correctly. i.e. go through menstruation.  I tried to convince myself that not having a period was great!  No worries, I didn’t have to deal with the annoyance that other woman had to, I was better off, I was happier...this, however, were the lies I told myself to make things not seem as bad.
Being married for over 5 years now, having a family is something that my husband and I have talked about, regardless of the conversations we’ve had, deep down, I’ve know that pregnancy wasn’t a serious option, a. until my body can function as it should and b. Until I could learn to take care of myself.  
I am slowly learning how to take care of myself, more and more everyday.  My body, while still a work in progress, is starting to function as it should.  I’ve had feelings in recent weeks that I was getting my period.  I would wake up every day hopeful, but nothing happened...until the other day.  On my drive to work, I had a strange feeling...and that feeling was correct. My heart rate increased and my stomach dropped.  I was ecstatic.  Mother nature rocks.  In that moment I was so incredibly proud of myself.  I’ve come so far, and was greeted with something that some women dread, but I had nothing but joy and gratitude in that moment.
I know that this may be a post in which you are like, ‘what the hell, why would we need to know you’ve gotten your period.’  This is more than that.  This post is showing how important it is to treat our bodies right.  This post is to spread my joy, and my greatest accomplishment in recent years.  I now know I can menstruate without the help of a pill; I can do this by simply caring for myself.

Be kind to your body.  Love what it does for you.  Love what you do for it.

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