I have been sitting at my desk today wondering why women are still expected to work through periods that feel like a monthly natural disaster. I am literally doubled over with cramps that feel like my uterus is tearing itself apart.

I am wearing what basically feels like a diaper under tight business casual pants. I can barely stand up straight. My stomach is twisting, my back feels like it is being wrung out, and I am supposed to smile at coworkers like nothing is happening. I am supposed to reply to emails, sit through meetings, and force myself to act normal while my body is bleeding and fighting itself.

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It makes me angry how normal this expectation has become. This misogynistic and sexist culture tells women to push through pain that would send most people home immediately. We are told to stop complaining, even when the bleeding is heavy, even when endometriosis or chronic pain makes it feel impossible to function.

We are told to be productive, professional, calm, pleasant. We are told to hide something that is already exhausting and physically overwhelming. And the worst part is how guilty we are made to feel for even thinking about taking a sick day once a month.

I only get five sick days a year. Five. That is not even enough for one day a month to deal with something that I cannot control. Corporate culture treats sick days like a weakness. I work for a male boss and the awkwardness of calling in sick at the same time every month feels humiliating.

It feels like I have to lie or downplay what I am going through so I do not look like a slacker. Some other countries give menstrual leave. Some companies actually understand that chronic pain is real. Meanwhile I am here pretending I am fine while my body is screaming.

I appreciate the people who reached out with kindness. The advice about managing endometriosis has been genuinely helpful and I am looking into intermittent FMLA because I should not have to suffer in silence. I just needed a place to vent and open a real conversation about something so many women experience. I was never saying every woman should get automatic paid leave every month. I was saying that workers with chronic conditions deserve better laws, better understanding, and better protection. Pain should not destroy your career. No one should be shamed for needing care or rest.

And for the people who told me to stop complaining or insisted women deserve less pay because we bleed, I hope you never experience a debilitating condition and have people tell you to get over it. For the men who DM’d me just to harass me, I hope one day you develop enough emotional intelligence to respect women’s experiences and deal with your own mental health.

Thanks to everyone who actually listened. I am exhausted, but at least I am not alone.

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