Somewhere along our journey we were taught that it’s improper to talk about female matters openly. THAT’S DUMB!

If those matters weren’t a secret I would have known years ago that my mother has cystic breast and maybe the process of finding a lump would not have terrified me to the point of tears. I shared everything I learned with anyone that would listen in hopes of providing a detour from panic attacks and anxiety.

There’s an image of my mammogram posted on social media with a plea to my female friends to take their breast health seriously. People can see my breast and identify my cyst so that if one ever appears on their images it won’t seem frighteningly foreign.

I know my body, I understand the triggers that cause my cyst to swell, and I can calculate approximately when they’ll be at their worst. I’m good – so I thought.

More recently, I’ve been told that I am premenopausal. I’ve been anxiously awaiting this process for years, not nervous but ready to embrace this next chapter. I was advised of the potential side effects: hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain, etc. I prepared a plan to cope and waited for the change to happen.

Several months into the premenopausal cycle I noticed my monthly became erratic . I transitioned from a 26 day routine to a 30, 37, 42 day routine. I was totally ok with that because I knew it meant menopause was closer.

Educational break: menopause has not been reached until you’ve gone without a menstrual cycle for 12 months straight. Menopause lasts for 1 day then you’re considered to be in the post menopausal phase.

After a few months I noticed a change in post period discharge and chalked it up to the fluctuations in cycle days. It wasn’t painful nor embarrassing – it just looked and smelled different. I made a mental note to mention it to my gynecologist and kept living my best life.

I’m 14 months into premenopause without having achieved a cycle free quarter, so that full year isn’t happening anytime soon. I have hot flashes, but they’re bearable. I’m a Sagittarius so mood swings come naturally and I love food so weight gain is expected. What wasn’t predicted was the drop in estrogen creating a rise in the vaginal ph level resulting in an overgrowth of bacteria.

That change in discharge that I noticed was caused by bacterial vaginosis (b.v.) B.V. is often characterized by a change in discharge and a not so fresh smell, sometimes fishy. It can clear by itself but for some women it requires treatment. Testing to confirm b.v. is painless and the results were available in a few days.

My gynecologist thought it best to prescribe a gel insert treatment and we’re hoping this isn’t my new norm until I reach menopause. If it is, there’s a long term plan for that as well, one that I’ll happily share if I need to cross that bridge.

My thought for tonight: let’s talk about our body. Let’s educate ourselves and others on the multitude of complications that exist within our temple. Suffering in silence doesn’t benefit us nor does it offer support to other women dealing with the same situation.

If you’ve noticed any changes in your body speak to a medical professional. YouTube University and Dr. Google can’t replace proper diagnosis and treatment – you’ll thank yourself later!