The Mirena Miracle

I have had a Mirena for about 11 years now. And I didn't realize how much I owe to it until very recently.

I used to have terrible periods as a child, teen and young woman: every possible periods-horror story you can think of, I have had it- cycles that lasted over 25 days, immense cramps, major clots that would gush out of me with a torrent of blood, staining everything in its path including the jumbo pads, layers of undies, clothes and sweaters worn in an attempt towards discretion.

By the time I was 18, I basically could do no physical activities whatsoever- anything even slightly robust would bring on the dreaded bleeding. I once carried my niece on my lap for a few hours in a car while we were going somewhere, and knew, a couple of hours into the drive, that just that pressure against my uterus had started the bleeding again. I was anemic, had no muscles, couldn't be left alone because once the bleeding started, I couldn't do much (my mother accompanied me to my undergrad- she basically moved herself from Mumbai where my dad was, rented a house and refused to let me attend hostel, where there were 12 toilets for 200 girls.... my inability to stay in a hostel was a huge source of embarrassment for me and resentment against my mom throughout my college years), bunked several days of school and college, experienced severe and constant pain in legs, unending bloating etc etc. This was despite several cycles of hormone treatment.

I see these same symptoms in my daughter and I feel terrible for her. But I think treatments have improved over the years and I hope that she doesn't get affected by this too much (more than she already has, I mean).

Anyway, long story short- after my first kid was born, in my late twenties, I basically didn't have a period for more than a year. And when it restarted, it magically reset itself. For the first time, I had periods like any normal woman would: 4-5 days, a bit of pain and tiredness, but nothing like what it had been before.

And by the time my second was born, I was basically done with the whole reproduction thing. I had absolutely no desire to experience periods ever again. Started the Mirena, renewed it after 5 years and then we come to present day.

I had thought I had another year on the Mirena, but apparently I had gotten my dates wrong- I was off by an entire year. So, a few months ago, when I got my periods after nearly 11 years of blissful period-free life, I was a bit surprised, but didn't attribute it to the dwindling efficacy of the Mirena. It took me two months to figure it out: two months where my normal life slowly ground to a halt- I was bleeding every day again, couldn't go running (or walking or anything else) without bleeding, couldn't have a bathroom break without a little blood clot popping out, felt immensely tired and experienced a constant dull ache throughout my lower body all the time.

Finally went to the Gyn on Sat, told her the story, realized that the Mirena had actually expired several months ago (yikes!) and promptly got it replaced.

Fast forward three days: I went for my first run in a long time this morning. My energy levels are so high that I am still wide awake- more than 18 hours after waking up and having a full day of meetings and running around. No pain, no blood, no fatigue.

If this option had been there when I was in my teens or twenties, how might my life have been?

I might have been so much fitter! Still, better late than never!

No matter what, I need to ensure that D doesn't suffer and doesn't plan her entire life by what her menstrual cycles will allow.

Most of us think of medicines or fancy types of surgery or treatment when we think of medical miracles. For me, it is this IUD that has given me a life that I didn't even appreciate fully until it suddenly disappeared. My gratitude for it, and for the fact that it was so easily available and accessible to me to renew immediately, has no limits.