Blatherings of Boredom

Bashir takes good care of all of us. :)

My reaction to my first day isn't that bad, but it's still not a day that I feel like doing much beyond sleeping. But I am sure that they'll be able to entertain themselves downtown for a bit.

It's gorgeous out. I'm taking advantage of my need to run an errand to enjoy a bit more of it.

From:

They actually are leaving right now, which is fortunate, as dinner reservations were moved a half hour earlier (and they were cutting it close before).

They skipped Daedelus, which is probably fortunate, in light of the changed plans. They'll just have to visit again with more time to get lost in the labyrinth.

From:

klwalton.livejournal.com

Sistah! 8:00 this morning, like clockwork.

It's a lovely fall day. Virginia is so beautiful this time of year.

I am really looking forward to seeing it again. Virginia in the fall is beautiful.

From:

lyrical1.livejournal.com

I'm always lethargic and achy on my first day too. I'm pleased that it came today rather than on Friday as scheduled. This way it won't ruin my weekend.

Feel Better!

From:

So what do you ladies think of this:

http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/09/04/new.birth.control/index.html

Seems like a good idea to me...

From:

Well, oral contraceptives are a bad thing for me, but the concept of skipping periods with the pill is nothing new. Since the 60s, doctors have been letting women skip their periods for 2-3 months or so while on monophasic pills.

From:

I've never been interested in anything that stopped my periods. That I'm sleepy for a day is made up for by the rush of energy beforehand, and having a period shows that my body is functioning normally. That's what it's supposed to do.

From:

I know. I think this is the first time it is "on-label" though.

From:

I was reading my girl's Vogue which has an article about the same thing this month. They argue that it is NOT supposed to do that. Apparently the pill stops ovulation, so there is no need to have the other symptoms of the cycle.

They took the position that some doctors decided that that was the way things were supposed to be, and so developed the pill the way it is. A quote: "if women had developed the pill, they would never have done that."

I don't know. I don't have the right parts to be qualified to truly comment on this, and I think that is part of the problem. I believe that almost all the people who went into the design of these drugs were men, and they had their views of how it is supposed to work. I'm curious as to what actual women think.

The one thing I do wish is that more of the science was part of the discussion. Even on NPR tonight, they had some male bioethicist talking about right and wrong. Huh? And then some anti-abortion crazy people saying that the new drug is evil. None of which helped me understand this, or help me to emphasize with my girl.

From:

I don't take oral contraceptives, so they don't enter into the discussion. That's the way my body works: it ovulates. When the egg it produces isn't fertilized, it sheds the nest it made to host a potential baby. I get sleepy for a day while it does this. Some women experience cramping while the uterus contracts to evacuate the nest.

Right and wrong are irrelevant to me in this, honestly. This is not a moral issue, I simply am not interested in monkeying with my body chemistry to fit someone's theory of how it's supposed to work. (I've heard about the theory. Doesn't seem likely. Human female bodies have worked this way for a long time.)

From:

Yes, the choice of time period for oral contraceptives is more or less arbitrary. However, the bleeding one has while on the pill is not actually a menstrual period--it's hormone withdrawal. It's a lot like a menstrual period, but it's not really one.

The reason women used to menstruate less is because they were frequently pregnant or nursing, both of which have a habit of inhibiting ovulation. Without ovulation, there is no menstrual period.

While there's some speculation that frequent menstruation can be blamed for everything from osteoporosis to anemia to heart problems, women are also living far longer than they did 100, 150, 1000 years ago.

Controlling one's ovulation and menstrual periods can be useful for many and even a health benefit for some. It's a health liability for others. I think that it's dangerous to let women continue to view their menstruation as an inconvenience easily treated with artificial hormones.

From:

I think there is something key in what you said: viewing menstruation as an inconvience is bad. But what about the hormone withdraw? That's not natural in the first place, so if (for other reasons, discussed with your health care professional, carefully thought out) you are on oral contraceptives, why have the withdraw?

Oh, well. I seem to be arguing in favor of this, and I think that's not out of any strong feeling one way or the other, but more a dislike of what the anti folks are saying on the radio. I think their arguments are terrible, but I'm not sure they are wrong.

From:

lcohen

hmmm, this reminds me to ask the two of you--what do you think the weather will be like at the end of october, temperature-wise? long sleeves and sweaters or do y'all stay warm a little longer?

and i just checked--i should get mine two days before my initial drive so i should be mostly cramps-free by the time i take off. hallelujah!

From:

It could be cold, chilly, or warm-ish. Pack layers.

By the end of October, I can generally count on velvet-friendly weather and wool-cloak-wearing. There are warm days here and there, but generally no warmer than 60 or so. Most days will be chillier and nights will have frosts now and then.

http://www.weather.com/outlook/health/allergies/weather/tenday/22902
That's my zip code.

red_frog's might be a digit different, but we're within a couple miles of each other. ;) No micromicroclimates here.

From: