Let's Talk About the "Other" Hole

At the risk of alienating some of my male readers, it's time to talk about the 'gina.  Specifically why I hate having one, and what it's like to gush from two holes at the same time.  I hope you're not eating while reading this.

I've always noticed a correlation between my monthly "gift" and my gut problems, but this time around it's much more of a pronounced bond the two share.  I'm actually home from work today because I was up all night with the trots.  Well, that's an exaggeration, I got up thrice to poop, but I've got firehole as though I'd been going all night.  I was having issues all last week and was cramping so bad yesterday I ran to the gym on my lunch break to do a few yoga poses. For the record, cobra and bow pose are great for lady pains.  

I was actually supposed to taper my Prednisone to 5mg every other day starting last week, but I knew Hurricane Flo was on the horizon so I waited.  It's a good thing, too, because I'm sure I would have shat myself at some point if I'd tried to wean while raggin' it. All last week I was exhausted, breaking out like a fry cook, and shitting like a cremee machine.  After what seemed like an eternity of PMS I finally started bleeding yesterday morning, and as of around eleven o'clock this morning my pooh was starting to get back into shape after a long weekend of loosies.  This is good because it means I'm getting back to normal, but it also really worries me because I don't want to have to go through this every two weeks.  When I get PMS or anything related to the timing of my period, it begins a week before my period, and lasts through my period, which generally lasts 5-7 days.  Two weeks on, two weeks off, it's a friggin' nightmare.  And I for one get terrible anxiety during the two weeks off, because I know what's eventually coming and it's exhausting.  My gastro seems to think that it'll get better once I'm fully in remission, but I'm skeptical.  I'm also extremely pissed off that, while doctors acknowledge the bowel/menstrual connection, there's nothing conclusive to be said about disconnecting the two.  Should there be some way to handle this with hormone treatments?  I remember when I was on so much Prednisone my period stopped- the one nice side effect that drug ever gave me!

I know women who have full remission during pregnancy, and other women who reach the brink of death when trying to carry a child.  I have no doubt that hormones play a significant role in agitating and relieving IBD, but to hear my doc tell it there are shamefully few studies on the matter.  If anyone out there knows of any, point the way! 

image source: dvdbeaver.com