The Wordsmith&#39;s Forge

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fuzzyred, you can now read the rest of "A Better Place for Everyone." Shiv draws some outrageous social alert buttons.

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I was going to say I didn't think Shiv had that much kindness in him, but he learned kindness from needing it, and once he knew he needed it, he encourages it as much as he can. And I feel for poor La'Tavia - I've had friends with chronic pain, and I know what it's like when your uterus decides to get all stab-you-in-the-belly and depressive and nauseated and not interested in sex. Wow, when does the next dimensional shuttle leave for Terramagne?

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>>I was going to say I didn't think Shiv had that much kindness in him, <<

A few years ago, he didn't. Most of the people he grew up with were neglectful and/or abusive assholes.

Then Shiv joined the Ebonies & Ivories, and Boss White started teaching him better skills.

Next came the Finns, who gave Shiv as much love and care as he would put up with. Two years of that, and he has learned quite a lot about taking care of people.

So, put together Boss White's lessons about inclusivity and the Finn lessons about taking care of people, and Shiv is capable of handling this situation even if he panics a bit over girlstuff.

>> but he learned kindness from needing it, and once he knew he needed it, he encourages it as much as he can.<<

Sooth.

>> And I feel for poor La'Tavia - I've had friends with chronic pain, and I know what it's like when your uterus decides to get all stab-you-in-the-belly and depressive and nauseated and not interested in sex. <<

Yeah, that situation sucks.

>> Wow, when does the next dimensional shuttle leave for Terramagne? <<

If I knew, I'd be on it too.

Still, most of the stuff shown here -- from the comfort supplies to the social alert buttons -- is replicable with local materials.

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When I still owned a uterus, I never saw anything like the supplies Shiv shows to La'Tavia. We had pads, tampons, and Midol, and that was all.

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Supplies are available in wider diversity now, but some of the options are much older. Tea and hot-socks have been around for ages. The Chinese blends are thousands of years old. Some other stuff like menstrual cups is more modern.

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"Hot socks"? We had red rubber hot water bottles (the kind that can double as enema or douche bags). None of the herbal teas my hippie friends gave me did the slightest bit of good. I really don't miss my reproductive organs.

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A hot sock is a piece of cloth, often an actual sock, stuffed with something that will hold heat such as rice or walnut hulls. Historically people would use bricks, or farther back, actual rocks.

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I believe they are marketed as 'bed buddies':
https://www.amazon.com/original-bed-buddy/s?k=the+original+bed+buddy

They come in a variety of shapes to better fit around different body parts, and some have herbs mixed in.

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Disposable pads, reusable pads, tampons, and painkillers are all still options.

There are also a few more exotic examples, like sponges, period underwear, or silicone Mooncups for the messy part. For symptoms, I've heard of everything from light exercise or tea to massage and acupressure.

Of course, most people have a couple of things that work well for them and won't have tried the whole list.

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The whole point to have a shelf's worth of supplies is that not everyone has the same complaints (other than the primary mess) or finds the same solutions helpful. But all of it works for some folks. You just have to experiment and find out what works for you.

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It's nice that we're getting more options though. And it's nice that there's more, hmm, awareness of these issues along gender lines.

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Exactly.

Even though the locally available items are slightly different here, anyone -- from a person who hosts womb-active guests to an employer of same -- could collect a box or a shelf of assorted comfort supplies. Any business could put out a basket of basic hygiene supplies for free, like toilet paper is free. It's not hard. It just takes caring.

And really, wouldn't we all be happier if menstruating people were more comfortable and thus slightly less inclined to rip everyone's ears off?

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>>Any business could put out a basket of basic hygiene supplies for free, like toilet paper is free.<<

Well, if anyone complains, we could start pointing out that providing TP is such a terrible waste of money, and cutting into businesses profits. I mean, shouldn't people show some responsibility, and buy their own toilet paper?

Then when someone objects, point out that menstrual products are the same, and technically, providing sanitary supplies like soap and TP but not menstrual products is discrimination (because it places a disproportionate burden on a protected class).

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I"ve looked at the absorbent underwear (for urinary incontinence as well as menstruation) and I can't believe they work. A thin piece of polyester knit fabric will never absorb hundreds of milliters of liquid. Exercise always made it worse for me. When just standing up straight makes my belly hurt, how can I lift weights or run or do anything else involving exertion?

The only thing that ever worked at all, back when I had a uterus was cannabis. At least it's now legal for MEDICAL uses like that in many places (including where I live).

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It sounds like the absorbent underwear might be a good second layer over pads/tampons/whatever. And I do think there are a few people who find them a bit more psychologically helpful than pads/tampons.

I do keep hearing that weed is a good painkiller.

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What you need over pads/tampons/etc is waterproof panties.

Weed isn't a painkiller; it just makes you CARE less that it hurts.

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