I believe it was real for your sister. I had cramps, violent diarrhea, and vomiting. I didn’t get much done at work one day per month. Thank goodness the deep awfulness went away after I had my first child, though it was still no picnic. So grateful all that is over with and I feel good all the time.
Now it’s my daughter’s turn. I’m so sorry to see that she has some of the same issues. She is a very hard-driving and determined young woman, but she is miserable one day and sleep-deprived for two days.
It’s not like we want to be this way. Pain is no fun. The whole situation is infuriating.
It’s really awful. I power through, but those first two days are just hideous. Hangover combined with flu. The months that Day One falls on a Saturday, I am so happy... I’ll cheerfully spend the weekend curled up on my sofa (and running to the restroom every 2 hours) and I don’t mourn the loss of my weekend at all. I’m just grateful not to be going through it at work.