How a Model Lost Her Leg to TSS and Why I Don't Use Tampons

I originally read about Lauren Wasser over on Hello Giggles.

Lauren Wasser is a model who valued her beauty and athleticism. Both of which she felt were rocked when she lost her leg to TSS. Hello Giggles quoted her saying,

"You live your whole life and thinking, 'I'm an athlete,' or, 'I'm a pretty girl,' but this was something physical that I had no control over. It took me a while to figure out if I was still worthy, if I was still pretty."

We know she's still worth and pretty. Of course. Losing a leg doesn't change that. But I think we can all sympathize since is is something no one would want to go through.

Something you think would never happen to you.

So what is TSS?

The Mayo Clinic defines TSS as:

"Toxic shock syndrome is a rare, life-threatening complication of certain types of bacterial infections. Often toxic shock syndrome results from toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria, but the condition may also be caused by toxins produced by group A streptococcus (strep) bacteria.

Toxic shock syndrome historically has been associated primarily with the use of superabsorbent tampons. However, since manufacturers pulled certain types of tampons off the market, the incidence of toxic shock syndrome in menstruating women has declined."

Just because you use tampons doesn't mean you will definitely get TSS. It's pretty rare. To minimize your chances of getting the potentially-deadly infection, here are some things you can do:

-Wear the lowest absorbancy tampon. On light days, wear light tampons.
-Change your tampon every 4-8 hours, or whatever time-frame is suggested on the tampon box.
-Wash your hands before you change your tampon so you don't spread bacteria. 
-Use alternative menstrual protection, which I'll list at the end.

How do you know if you have TSS? There are the signs to watch for, according to the Mayo Clinic:

-A sudden high fever
-Low blood pressure
-Vomiting or diarrhea
-A rash resembling a sunburn, especially on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet
-Confusion
-Muscle aches
-Redness of your eyes, mouth, and throat
-Seizures
-Headaches

I personally avoid tampons anyway, which is what I recommend you do for the sake of your health. Not only are tampons associated with TSS, but mainstream brands are full of chemicals, fillers, and pesticides. All of that gets absorbs into your blood stream through the walls of your vagina. Remember, we love our vaginas, so we should keep them healthy!

I used to swear by tampons. I loved the clean feeling. But I now use safer, greener products that save me money in the long run. And still keep me clean!

This post contains affiliate links. That means, if you click on the links and make a purchase, you help support Period Fairy! Thanks if you do, but no pressure.

The product I can vouch for the most is the Lunette Menstrual Cup. Click here to read my review.
Click here to visit lunette.com/store/


 
This beautiful little cup can be worn for up to twelve (twelve!!) hours without risk of TSS. You simply fold the cup, insert it and push until you feel it pop open, wear, and remove to rinse so you can wear it again. Best thing ever. 

My second suggestion is a product I bought last month, but won't be able to use for quite a while. (Because I won't have periods for nine months!) This product, my friends, is The Sea Sponge Tampon.
I wrote more about it here.
Honestly, I'm more excited to try this  than to use the menstrual cup again. For one reason: The minerals. Because this sponge comes straight from the sea, it has all the wonderful minerals from the sea. And just like chemicals from tampons are absorbed through our vaginas, the minerals from the sea sponge would be absorbed. That's a good thing. Women have even said it made their periods less painful. Yes, please!

There are more green products out there, but these two are my favorite. No-risk. 


Stay informed. Stay safe. And love yourselves, ladies.
 
     

Throwback Thursday: Vintage Pads and Tampons Ads

Hello! Before I jump into today's post, I want to thank everyone who reads this blog for your amazing support! It means so much to me. Yay!

And now, as you could tell from the title, for #ThrowbackThursday I'll show you some vintage ads that have to do with periods. First up is my favorite because it's so ridiculous. YOUR GUY WON'T LIKE YOU UNLESS! Enjoy.

So, what do you think about these? Pretty funny, right? We've come so far!

Please leave comments. I would also love it if you showed your support by sharing this blog with your friends, Liking my Facebook Author page here, and Following me on Twitter @Je55ieMullin5. Thanks a ton! 

U by Kotex: You Had Me at Hello

As you know, I adore U by Kotex. Madly. The very reason I love them today is the reason I was drawn to them in the beginning. THOSE COMMERCIALS. Am  I right? What IS it with the white clothes in the field of lilies? Gag. No thanks. Periods are horrendous! The uterus becomes our nemesis. And U by Kotex isn't afraid to say so. Plus, I'm not going to lie...I do love the little black box! It's the new LBD. Go Team U by Kotex! I love being a part of this. So, why do you love your favorite brand?

 

"...Like a flower!"

Yes. Exactly. 

Generic Pads, Why Bleeding Sucks, and Why it Still Rocks to be a Girl: A Guest Post by Heavan

This is Heavan. And this guest post is her second, so let's give her a hot round of applause! (Seriously, do it. Thank you.)

Hello Ladies!

Hope all is well!  I'm very thankful my lovely ginger has invited me to write for period fairy.  I really wanted to talk about a few things on this post, so please forgive me if it's long.  Okay here it goes.
Let me start out by saying my visit from the fairy was a little unexpected.  February always sets my schedule back a week or forward a week in march.  It's always a guess with her.  Anywho, since the visit came unexpected, I was unprepared and very broke.  Enter visit to dollar general where they have two dollar overnight thin pads.  Which is what I use from U by Kotex. Well, for starters, THEY BLOODY SUCK. (pun intended.)  These little buggers stick to EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING.  Now, I've been using them all week, and I have a rash on my bum.  Why?  Apparently they're scented too.  Who DOES that? Anyway, don't ever buy a brand that isn't yours ladies. You might have an itchy butt by the end of the week.

Now onto other things.  The go of the flow! I know, a bit gross, but c'mon ladies let's face it.  Bleeding sucks.  I happen to bleed a little heavily, which I realize isn't "normal", however I know everyone feels like this.  You know, you sit down for a small period of time and then get up and it's like Niagara Falls just erupted in your panties.  Then you freak out, go to the bathroom, and realize it wasn't even that much.  And you feel like a noob because you just had a mini panic attack.  God forbid you wear any light colors.  I once ruined my favorite pair of jeans because of a Niagara falls incident.  Never again.  All black, all week. :D

This may be weird for you ladies, but I want to encourage you to name your uterus's.  It sounds stupid, but let me tell you it's really... therapeutic to be mad at someone rather than someTHING.  I named mine Olga.  She is a very robust, very pissed off woman.  Hence the German name. lol.  So the next time you're on your period and you want that brownie or hot wing, you can simply tell your boyfriend or whoever is listening "SO AND SO IS HUNGRY NOW".  They'll laugh because you named your body part, and know it's okay to be a little casual about something so natural that is a faux pax among society.  Try it.  I promise it helps.  By the way, Olga says hey. She's being the B word right now, so I'm kind of mad at her.

Lastly, I want to share why I love being a woman.  I used to hear my mother complain all the time when i was younger that she wishes she were a dude so she wouldn't have to go through a period.  And let me tell you, though it hurts, I cry WAAAYYY too much, and eat ALL the things...I love it.  I love waking up and being able to put on pretty things and paint my face.  I love putting in earrings and going to get my nails done.  I love gossiping about boys and drinking wine and loving love.  I love it when boys hold open doors and pay for things.  And TELL me I'm pretty.  I love the fact that I can hide when I'm aroused and talk about my boobs more casually than a guy and his junk.  I like being clean and smelling pretty.  I like being held and kissed on the forehead.  I was made to be a girl.  And like it or not girls, you were too.  Embrace it.  Talk with your boyfriends about your cycles and make them as comfortable with them as your girlfriends.  Trust me, my current boyfriend wasn't comfortable, but I made him understand what exactly I go through.  Why I need chocolate and violent video games.  Why one minute I'm laughing because he's hilarious and the next minute I want him out of my sight because I'm being pissy.  And frankly ladies, if he doesn't understand, he doesn't deserve you.  A TRUE gentleman respects EVERYTHING about a woman and wants to make her feel like a princess.  Just sayin'.

That's all for this week lovies.  I'm going to do a shameless plug and tell you to checkout my classygirls blog at heavansentler.blogspot.com; and remember that your visit from the period fairy isn't as bad as you make it out to be.  LOVE LOVE LOVE! :)

...

Thank you, Heavan, for this! Made me laugh and I coudn't wait to share it.
To my readers, Period Fairy will now come once a month (just like Period Fairy does!...Usually...) instead of once a week. I apologize for any weeping this may cause, but a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do.

My First Time Using a Tampon

I was in tenth grade when I used my first tampon. I explained in this post why it was at this point I wanted to go from wearing pads to using tampons. I mulled it over for a while before I decided to use them, weighing whether or not it was worth the risk of TSS to have comfort and to feel clean. If you follow the link above, I talk about all the pros and cons there. I finally decided...Yup! Tampons.

Tampons are my friends! So cute. I want one...

I was at Walmart with my parents when I bought them. I remember saying, "I need some feminine products." Back then I was so shy about periods and thought that was less weird-sounding than, "I need some tampons."

My dad said, "What do you mean? Like makeup?"

I was mortified. And then, to make it worse, my mom said, "No, I think she means pads." 

"No," I said, "I want to try tampons this time." I also wanted to die from embarrassment because I had to say the word out loud. (Boohoo, right?)

But wait, there's more! My mom got all weird, and was like, "Do you know how to...you have to..."

"Ahh! Stop talking about it!" I said. "I'll figure it out."

And I did because the box of tampons I bought--Tampax Pearl--came with instructions (as does every box in every brand, so far as I know).


Thing is...I didn't put my first tampon in all the way. So when I stood up afterward and walked around, I could feel it. That's not supposed to happen.

And it freaked me out so much I passed out in the kitchen.

That's not even the worst part.

My boyfriend was over that day. Yup. Which, I mean, wouldn't even be a bad thing if it weren't for the following few minutes.

My mom found me on the kitchen floor, seconds after I passed out, and asked me what happened. Because I didn't wan to give her the secret real answer, I mumbled something about my period.  

She walked me into the living room and told me to lie down. My boyfriend sat down next to me and asked if I was okay just at the same moment his mom knocked on my door. I don't remember why. But she came in and saw that I looked awful and asked what was wrong. Then my mom chimed in with, "Oh, it's just woman stuff. We won't mention it in front of Gary." Gary being my boyfriend. And I know she was trying to be discreet for my sake, but I'd rather she just said it outright because the obvious secrecy was so...embarrassing. Like..duh! He knows what you mean by that. And then she said, "Maybe Gary should go home since Jessie's not feeling well."

And he left.

I'm over it now. Obviously, or I wouldn't be sharing. 

If you're unsure how to insert a tampon, like I was, here's an instructional video by U by Kotex:





Was your first time using a tampon easy or does your story sound like mine? Leave a comment below or email Period Fairy at jessie(dot)mullins5(at)gmail(dot)com!

Lots of love,
Jessie
@Je55ieMullin5

Tampons vs Pads

Which do you choose? Vote in the new poll at the top of this blog!

When I first started my period in seventh grade (read the full story here), I told my teacher because I didn't know what to do. Mrs. J took me to the bathroom and showed me this cabinet that contained pads and tampons. I remember she said something like, "There are pads in this drawer, and tampons in that one, but you won't want to use those." So I stuck with pads, plus it's what my mom used.

In eight grade, the topic of tampons and pads came up at my lunch table. One girl, we'll call her Anna, mentioned she used pads. Another girl, let's say Vicki, started making fun of pads and said they were for losers or were wimpy--something to that effect. Anna argued that she didn't want to "stick something up there", and then I'm sure the conversation veered off to sex. (It always did.) I just ate my food and wondered about the pad and tampon thing.

Here are the biggest reasons people hold a grudge against either:

Pads:
1) Uncool, uncool, uncool.
2) Feel like giant, wet diapers.

Tampons:
1) Afraid it will hurt.
2) Think they won't be a virgin anymore if they use them.
3) Afraid of TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome).

Wrong! On all accounts.
Wearing what is comfortable to you is never uncool.
It won't feel like a wet diaper if you change the pad often.
Tampons miiiight hurt a little sometimes* (ok), but not if you do it right. Helpful instructions come in the box.
You're a virgin until you have sex. Using a tampon is not having sex.
TSS is extremely rare, but does happen. Remember to take your tampon out every 6-8 hours. If you develope symptoms similar to the flu after having your tampon in for too long, seek immediate medical care. TSS can be fatal, but is easily treated if caught on time.

So. What do I prefer? Tampons!
Why? Well, it all actually started when I went to the movies once, on my period, put feet up over the back of the chair in front of me, and leaned back to enjoy the movie. When I went to the bathroom afterward, there was blood on my underwear. I had been wearing a pad, and the way I was sitting...caused a leak. This is also a common occurence while sleeping unless you wear an overnight pad.
No one gave me these fine print instructions--I learned them the hard way.

I was fed up with having to sit or lay a certain way during the day to avoid leaks, so I got curious about tampons. I found them to feel much cleaner and give me more freedom. What's the reason for your preference? Email me at jessie(dot)mullins5(at)gmail(dot)com or leave a comment below!

Next week I'll give you the embarrassing story of the first time I used a tampon.

Bear Grylls...I have_done_that_before.

  *If you take your tampon out too early, and it's still dry, it can cause discomfort. This happens to me all too often. The discomfort does go away. It might also hurt to put one in if you're doing it at the wrong angle. Read the instruction given in the box to learn the proper way to insert a tampon.