health
From the ovaries, outward, all about female-focused health and medicine.
Hysterectomy and the "Hysterical" Woman
Hysterectomy is a word that often strikes fear in the heart of a woman. It is plagued with a history of heartbreak and pain and even now isn't something taken lightly by many. The word hysteria and that of hysterectomy are not coincidently coordinated, but are stemmed from something that was one in the same. Women who were considered to be emotionally unstable were considered "hysterical," and in order to cure their hysteria, they were often put into asylums. Some of these places put women through a procedure that removed what they believed was causing all their emotional distress—the uterus. Thus the surgical term for hysterectomy was born and paved the way for many medical shortcomings for women for years to come.
By Becca Volk8 years ago in Viva
Changing the Stigma of a Woman's Period
When I first started my period, I was horrified to walk on the path to womanhood. The women around me talked big about how painful the NORMAL life process was. At a young age, I already had a preconceived idea that being on your period was something to dread. “You're moody today. Are you PMSing?” is a common phrase used by men and women. It seemed to me that a normal part of a woman’s monthly process has become an excuse for men and woman to blame unrecognized emotion.
By Sadie Ansen8 years ago in Viva
PMDD & Perimenopause
I entered perimenopause about four years ago. It not-so-coincidentally was accompanied by an intensification of my PMDD that eventually made me realize I had PMDD. Up to that point, I thought I was just the lone grumpy bitch everyone thought I was once a month for most of my life and that, for some reason, I had turned into a bigger grumpy bitch at the age of 45.
By Cheeky Minx8 years ago in Viva
Pro-Choice, Pro-Life, Pro-Feel
A sleeve of chill bumps wavers across my body as I exit the waiting room. The chilling reality of how cold it was hadn’t unnerved me until now. The nurse ushers me into the next room and urges me to take off my jeans. I was instructed to leave on my shirt.
By Micky Thinks8 years ago in Viva
The Scalpel That Changed It All
"Why didn't I bring my husband?" was the thought running through my head. My Dr. stared at me, waiting for me to respond. "Did you hear what I said? I am going to cut you from hip bone to hip bone to remove the tumor. The MRI shows that the tumor is growing in your abdomen wall. You will lose your belly button in the process. My colleague will then come and perform a tummy tuck and close you up. Do you understand?" I nodded my head, not trusting my voice.
By Nanette Tenpo8 years ago in Viva
Living with Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a disease that can affect women of all ages. Despite the fact that most people have never heard of it, one in ten women experiences endo. Many women go undiagnosed for years, only finding out that something is wrong when they can't have a baby. This article isn't meant to take the place of medical advice but to tell my own personal experience with endometriosis and how I have dealt with it.
By Jessica Purvis8 years ago in Viva
Adventures With PCOS
So for those who don’t already know, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition where hormones in the body are off so there’s a high testosterone level in the woman’s body and symptoms such as weight gain, hair growth in male patterns, and irregular periods which can cause infertility.
By Jessica Enas8 years ago in Viva
PCOS: Cure or False Hope?
Like many others, I woke up on Tuesday to the news that not only had doctors discovered "the cause of PCOS" they had also discovered a "cure". The article was everywhere on social media, quoted from various trusted scientific institutions such as The New Scientist (1) and IFLScience (2).
By Rivka Spicer8 years ago in Viva
Living With PCOS
Since I can remember, things were just different for me compared to other girls my age. Doctors would tell me: watch what you’re eating, exercise, drink water, etc. You know the normal things they tell people to lose weight. But it just wasn’t the working. I could eat the right things and still not lose the weight. I could exercise on a daily basis and only feel more depressed and see no results in the weight. At the age of 12, the beginning of womanhood, I wasn’t regular and I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). At that age it was scary to hear I had something wrong, but I was sent to a specialist in which I was told to just take birth control and it would regulate everything. For the next ten years, this was what I continued to use. But, like mentioned above, it never helped with weight, hair, or your typical symptoms of PCOS. Finally, at the age of 24, single, educated, and working on my future, I decided to look into my diagnosis.
By Amber Nickol8 years ago in Viva
