Orchids look like vaginas. Get it? (Photo courtesy of audreyjm529)

I discovered that I had cervical dysplasia after my second or third trip to the Gynecologist. My follow-up pap smear was also abnormal.  I have friends who have had to undergo biopsies after repeated abnormal pap smears, and I’ve heard a horror story or two about how painful it can be. Needless to say, I wanted to avoid that.  My sister told me that she read a few things online about natural remedies for cervical dysplasia, and I did some research for myself shortly after that. A lot of the blogs and articles that I found suggested discontinuing the use of bleached tampons. I stopped using tampons altogether almost immediately, and I also began drinking the Female Toner Tea that I posted about a while back. Around this time, I also started taking folic acid after hearing and reading that birth control causes a folic acid deficiency in a disturbingly high number of women.  Although I had no idea at the time that birth control was/is linked to cervical dysplasia and cancer, the knowledge that it was robbing my body of something that it needed persuaded me to stop taking that as well (Not to mention, birth control also made me feel like I was going absolutely crazy).

My most recent gynecological exam was a few weeks ago, and my pap smear results came back normal. I hardly think that’s a coincidence.

If any of these topics make you uncomfortable, then please read no further. Also, if you’re a girl, why are you uncomfortable with periods? They’re not going anywhere until you’re about fifty. Deal with it.

I once was a huge fan of tampons.  Sanitary Napkins (or pads, if you’re not big into fancy talk) were basically diapers for adults in my eyes; I wanted no part of that.  Still, the idea of stuffing bleached cotton in my vagina did not sit well.  I eventually decided to make the switch to unbleached tampons, but I quickly realized that my job does not pay well enough to treat myself with such luxuries.  My only other option was to give the pad another chance. I started buying them, and discovered that bleached cotton resting upon the vagina feels just as wrong as bleached cotton inside the vagina. I went to my sister, Disfordelicate , for advice. She had a simple solution, as she always does. She gave me two homemade pads that she had sewn together out of old t-shirts. They are stuffed with flannel to make them extra absorbent, which is great because I can honestly and unashamedly say that I have a stupidly heavy flow.

The verdict:

I am sold. They’re comfortable, reusable (Just rinse them with cold water, and then wash them with your towels.) and more environmentally friendly than the dozens of pads/tampons that I easily go through in a year’s time. I will absolutely be making more when the next Crafternoon rolls around. I will also be posting pictures of the process, if anyone’s interested.