Hyster Sisters, For Lack of a Better Name

So when I found out that I was going to have to have a hysterectomy, I started researching on the internet about hysterectomies. Everything kept coming up from the HysterSisters website. Wow, what an annoying name! I know it's clever because it rhymes and everything, but what if you don't consider yourself a HysterSister?! I begrudgingly joined.

Excessively gendered language grates on my nerves quite a bit. Ladies. Gals. Maam. Etc. I can do without the niceties and politeness, as I don't relate to those words at all. I'm into more gender neutral language and wish that it were used more regularly in our society, but alas, I think it will be a while before that happens. I don't correct people if they lump me in with the ladies or refer to me as maam, just as I don't say anything when I get called he or sir by someone. I wish I could honestly say that they're just words, but language has such a strong hold on our society. I hope that someday gender will have been deconstructed and that there will be more pronoun and general language choices for people to use for the very genderqueer world that I envision existing.

Not surprisingly, the HysterSisters website is sexist and heterosexist. It is assumed that all of the women have a husband and that they are cookie cutter, ultra feminine, right out of the box women. But darn it if the website isn't one of the best! It's chock full of chat rooms, message threads, articles, resources, etc. that tells one everything there is to know about having a hysterectomy. If I had the time and the resources, I'd start a website called HysterBois or HysterTrannys or something like that. I know it doesn't rhyme and therefore lacks the "catchy and cute" effect that HysterSisters has, but it sure does allow for the existence of the many female bodied people who do not feel comfortable in a sexist and heterosexist environment. And you can't tell me that there aren't a lot of gender variant, transgender, single, masculine, very much not in the box women out there who have to get hysterectomies.

I spent time on HysterSisters, but I haven't been on in a while. I think I could easily make myself crazy with the gathering of any and all information relating to hysterectomies. Anyone who knows me knows that I tend to be anxious and that I have the capacity to be neurotic, so I have to monitor things like information gathering. And I may have to have a unilateral (and hopefully not bilateral) oopherectomy (removal of ovary), so don't even let me get started on that. In some cases, all I can do is trust my doctor and trust that ignorance is bliss.

If you can think of something as clever as HysterSisters to go with Oopher, you'll win major brownie points in my book :)