foryoursexualinformation:

maggiegetsamicroblog:

rainbowrowell:

teacupdream:

vandigo:

bitch-jerk-assbutt-teamfreewill:

one-lastmiracle:

intangible-rice:

When I was 17 my appendix ruptured because I thought I was just having period cramps and didn’t go to the hospital so don’t tell me PMS symptoms are no big deal

this actually happened to me during my math final and i didn’t think anything of it and when i was later admitted to the hospital my math prof was asking me ‘you didn’t have to take the final! why didn’t you tell me it hurt?!?!’ and i told him i’ve had cramps worse.

he gave me 100

This is actually an extremely common occurrence simply because in sex ed they don’t teach you how to tell the difference between menstrual cramps and other more serious pains. The way to tell the difference between cramps and appendicitis is that while menstrual cramps are generalized toward the middle of the stomach below the belly button, pain from a swollen or burst appendix will start in the middle of the stomach and relocate to only the lower right side, even lower than menstrual cramps, and is a very localized pain. It also comes on extremely suddenly and will worsen over time or when you make a sudden movement, like a cough or a sneeze.

Basically, if you’re feeling any sort of pain, even if it’s menstrual cramps, don’t hesitate to tell the school nurse or a parent, or if you’re out of school and home even make a doctor’s appointment. Chances are if your cramps are that bad there’s something they can do to improve that as well.

I am boosting the shit out of that reply, because I am twenty-fucking-five years old and did not know how to tell the two pains apart

Adding another diagnostic tool! This is something we use in the ER called the rebound test. Basically, appendicitis and cramps react differently to certain things. If you’re still not sure if you have cramps or appendicitis, take two fingers and press them into your abdomen where the pain is (try repeating this on the lower right quadrant of the abdomen just to be sure.)

When you press in firmly, it will probably hurt. Here’s the test: LET GO. Does it get better or get worse? Appendicitis will immediately hurt worse when you let go. Cramps will not. Go to the ER if the rebound test makes it worse!

THE REBOUND TEST IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

My husband got sent home from the ER with a rupturing appendix. When he came back and was rushed into surgery, the surgeon was super angry – “Why didn’t anyone do the rebound test?!”

Apparently you can also have pains while ovulating, as I learned from a girlfriend last night.

I used to have cramps that would stop a freight train, which is why I was on the pill for 15 years. Because of science!, I wasn’t ovulating, so sure, I didn’t know there was that possibility of pain.

Now with an IUD (yay, being older!), my ovaries have apparently woken back up and are letting me know they’re still there with great gusto.

But don’t think I haven’t googled “symptoms of ectopic pregnancy” more than once over the past few months because I’m paranoid as shit.

foryoursexualinformation, anything to add?

This seems to all be pretty great information. I’d add that when someone is on their period, really feel it sometime. I know that may sound painful and not fun but I’ve done it a few times where I’ve really focused on the pain so I can try to differentiate new pains from cramps. Recently, I had a kidney infection but I really should have gone in sooner because even though I knew the pain wasn’t cramps, it didn’t hurt as bad as cramps so I didn’t think too much of it at first. I think it is good to go in whenever a new pain presents itself. 

With the ectopic pregnancy, I believe the pain is slightly different and a person wouldn’t get their period (but @maggiegetsamicroblog, this may be different depending if the IUD is hormonal or not).