still a woman?

‪#‎StillaWoman‬ is, apparently, a hashtag of choice, chosen by someone, somewhere for this month’s first ever Hysterectomy Awareness Month. WTF.

[I’ll leave my rants about specific-health-condition-awareness-days-and-months for another time.]

You are, apparently, all invited to join in and show your support and to remind women like me feel that we’re Still A Woman.  You can do this by choosing some images of flowers to share on social media, complete with some truly inspiring words. Flowers, obviously.  I give you a taster of the gems on offer below.

This may resonate with some women who have undergone a hysterectomy and are struggling with the multiple challenges that can result; I am in no way reducing the importance of acknowledging this and I know that I don’t represent every woman who has undergone a hysterectomy (and I’ve written about this previously)… BUT I find it counter-productive to continue to reinforce normative notions of what Being A Woman supposedly means.  It makes me feel like I’m the one in the wrong for NOT having grieved the loss of my uterus (and other bits) or my inability to make babies, and that I was selfish to jump straight to recognising how fortunate I was to be able to access a diagnosis, treatment and surgery so quickly.  I’m more interested in hashtagging my way around ways to ensure I get the most appropriate follow-up and monitoring, and in spreading support to other women with this strange diagnosis.  And I’m way more into #‎CelebrateLife  ‪#‎SurgerySavedMyLife ways of being.

It’s a shame; genuinely.  Hysterectomy is misunderstood and considered taboo.  It can result in hectic physical and emotional challenges.  And women Do need support.  The website DOES have some helpful information, put together by the Hysterectomy Association in the UK and HysterSisters in the USA, and is a very-user-friendly portal.  Please DO read up on the facts, get informed.  But don’t start asking if I’m Still A Woman.

Still A Woman?  Fuck off.  ‪#‎Its2015