When it was “that time of the month” nearly everyone around me knew it. My parents knew that my snarky responses had less to do with my attitude and more to do with my discomfort. My sisters knew to secure anything chocolate. Even my teachers knew, as I was typically absent at least one to two days a month. It wasn’t long until I was diagnosed with menorrhagia.
Bleeding disorders from Von Willebrand disease (VWD) to hemophilia A and hemophilia B can be difficult to manage and treat, but the Canadian Hemophilia Society has gathered a collection of stories showing courage, perseverance and strength from women who bleed too much.
Lost teeth, sprained ankles, bumps and bruises… they’re routine parts of growing up. Heck, for those of us clumsier adults, this blogger included, it can be a rite of passage that extends right into adulthood. For people who struggle with blood disorders, those routine falls and missteps can mean uncontrolled bleeding, trips to the emergency room and, sometimes, even unscheduled surgery.
Uncontrolled bleeding doesn’t always happen in controlled environments, and the survival techniques to manage that bleeding can sometimes take on the look of something you’d see in a remote M.A.S.H unit.
One story retells a tale of mandatory trips to the hospital for simple tooth extractions. Another shares memories of sitting on the front porch using a four-liter ice cream bucket to help manage nosebleeds. Others share heartbreaking stories of miscarriages and hysterectomies to control bleeding after childbirth.
