The Tampon Trees

Oh my I KNOW some of you read that title and are about FREAKING out, I KNOW if my big brother Mike ever read my blog he would not only FREAK out and turn red but he would also laugh knowing what this is about.

Let me rewind back to the last day of school of 8th grade.  I was a later bloomer than most of my friends...my period came for the very first time the LAST day of school in the 8th grade.  I was MORE than prepared thanks to ALL of my friends already having gone through it and the stack of books my Mom quietly laid at the end of my bed.  Telling me if I had any questions I could ask her.  (times have changed a bit in the sense of chatter about "girl" and "boy" stuff I am afraid)

At dinner that night my Dad brought home flowers for me...with tears in his eyes he gave them to me telling me that he was so proud of me, and that I was officially a young woman now.  I thought it was so sweet.  When the topic came up at dinner my brother Mike, didn't think so.  I vividly remember my Dad saying this "today is a big day, Susan is now a young woman" and my brother looking across the table at me about ready to DIE.  Mike telling my Dad, that was enough we were eating dinner.  :)  So funny now that I look back.

Here is where the tampon trees come in....you see I LOVED to tease Mike about tampons, pads and all things girly.  He hated it, and I loved it.  When we were in High school Mike got a Nintendo game system for his birthday and in one of the levels...the trees are everywhere and look just like the shape of tampons.  I called the the Tampon Trees.  He hated that and couldn't wait to blow through that level just so he could quit thinking about it.  It was SO funny to me.

The summer before my freshman year at Luther I went to Target for my pre college shopping trip, think I brought 10 boxes of tampons to college.  NO JOKE.  My friends STILL tease me about it, like there was going to be a tampon shortage in Decorah?  I think I just wanted my parents to foot the tampon bill vs my hard earned summer money paying for them to be real honest.  (truth be told I ran out of that money by Christmas anyhow right Dad?)

You wonder where this is all going now I am sure....well I have been having talks with Tommy and Drew lately about girl stuff, and periods and yes even tampons.  They don't LOVE the conversations but I know their wives will thank me some day.  And Jack, well I need to rewind a bit farther and explain some other stuff to him before I can share the Tampon Trees with him.

Why is this all necessary you ask...that is if you are still reading and not mortified yet that I am blogging this topic.  Well my body has been really struggling since Max was born with periods...you may know and you may not, but when he was born I lost a lot of blood, had to have 2 blood transfusions and was in the hospital for 5 days.  My uterus has HAD it, and it has let me know that more and more and more.     I always had difficult periods, cramps, you name it, I had it...and it has only gotten worse. So the time has come for me to have a hysterectomy.  It is something my OB has wanted me to do for some time.  We have tried SO many other ways to get things under control and they aren't working.  So at the end of this month, I will be having surgery....and I am sure all will be well.  Scott and I are both at peace with this decision and feel it's best for my body.

But...although I will NEVER miss tampons, I will always LAUGH and remember the Tampon Trees that still exist in the Old Super Mario games...