Independence Day

Those words have a new, and somewhat selfish, meaning for me this year. I'm free of the pain, free of the bleeding for 3 weeks out of the month, free of fear of knowing something is wrong but not knowing exactly what it is, and so much more.

And, one of the Hyster Sisters has declared July "Get Rid of Your Panties Month." I was waiting for the right time to do it because I can't stand seeing the reminders of all the problems. I don't know how many pairs of panties I bought in the last few years because I didn't have any "good" ones because my period would show up unannounced or would be so heavy that flooding was inevitable. Right now I have about 40 pairs, and only one good one and that's because I bought them 2 weeks before the surgery and refused to wear them until after the hysterectomy. Anyway, during the discussion at Hyster Sisters, people were talking about getting rid of panties altogether and "going commando." Honestly, I really never thought about that as an alternative. (I only went commando once in recent years because I didn't want panty lines showing when I wore a new pair of nice-looking pants, but I was so nervous about my period showing up unexepectedly that I didn't enjoy it. OK. At first I did, until I started thinking too much.) So, this morning after my shower I said "I'm doing it. I'm going commando." Talk about independence day! It feels great!

So, here's to independence in all its various forms!