The story of a very happy bunny.

My head hurts, my back aches, I have painful tummy cramps and I can't take any more painkillers for another three-quarters of an hour. Yet I'm the happiest I've been all day. I would say I'm the happiest I've been all week, but that would be lying as last night was a lot of fun (I'm in the process of writing a post about it).

Why all the happiness? I've just started my period. Okay, any other girl wouldn't see that as a cause of celebration, I know that. But this means my last cycle was 25 days. Okay, usually, also not a reason to have a party.

Ages ago I wrote a post with one sentence. It's here, and it's along the lines of "I've had FIVE days period free!" I said I'd give an explanation. Now I will. If it takes me 40 minutes then I can take my pain-killers and go to bed, so that's my target.

At the age of 16 me and Sean had an accident that resulted in my confiding in an older friend. She took me to see the lovely people at the family planning clinic and, after giving me the emergency pill, they put me on a course of contraceptive pills. My family history is such that I can't take the combined pill, so I was put on the mini pill. Three months down the line, everything seemed ok except that my periods had become light. I was reassured that this was a nice side effect for me to have - my periods always used to be heavy. La-de-dah. Life goes on, right?

Another three to six months go by. My periods, though nicely light, start becoming long. Up to 15 days long, to be precise. The lovely people change my pills. Six months down the line, same story. The lovely people decide that the mini-pill isn't for me. They decide my ass is ripe for injections. I carry on with the three-monthly injections for roughly a year and a half. Everything seems to be nice; periods still light, but no PMS to speak of and they didn't last for more than a week.

The problem is, though, my body seems to have a way of either correcting itself or wanting to piss me off. My periods become long again and by the 18th month of injections they are up to three weeks long. And because everyone should have a "28 day cycle" I was having one week out of four period free. That is, three weeks on, one week off. Three weeks on, one week off. etc.

Oh, did I mention that at this time my depression started kicking in big time? No? Well, my depression started kicking in, BIG TIME.

I go back to the nice people, all ready to give up the hormones, tell them to shove it and that I'm having my baby anyway thank-you-very-much. They say, okay, well, um, this is unusual. We haven't seen this before. Gee, lots of help. They decide that I should give the combined pill a go anyway, it'll regulate my periods for me. Don't worry about the family history (or your own, for that matter) we're just being cautious. Okay, I say. More fool me.

Combined pill goes in, blood pressure goes up. Okay, they say, maybe that isn't for you. I know, we'll double your dosage of the mini-pill, that'll sort out your problems. It doesn't. They up the dosage. Still no change. 4 pills a day, still my periods are nice and unusual. Hmm, okay, well, you really are unique. How old are you? 20. Hmm. Well, your too young to not have anything.

Too young? Lady, women my age in the 19th century and even early last century were already happily married with four children. Okay, four may be an exaggeration. I want my baby!!

You could try the coil? If you have a read of this leaflet and you like the idea, I'll have no problem getting you up on the bench right now and fitting you with one. You are young though... She tells me that it'll hurt, my periods will get heavy and painful... But on the upside it's non-hormonal and so my periods will self regulate like the good old days of four years ago. I take the leaflet and go home. I discuss about it with Sean. I search the internet for information. (Bad idea, more horror stories and misinformation than sound advice) and we finally decide this is the way to go.

I go back to the clinic. This is December '05. I get the coil fitted by the first man I've seen working there. That was embarrassing, but only until the pain took my mind off of it. Oh yes, it was painful - he had to clamp parts of my insides and measure things and finally put the (little) coil in. Ouch. And after, I had period cramps for the first time in three or four years. But, looking back, it was worth it.

So here I am, a very happy bunny who has had her first normal cycle in four years.

Did I mention that I still want a baby? Though now, to have one I have to get the coil ripped back out. The thought of which makes me cringe. So, for now, I'll settle for just practicing making babies.