Learning the language of your body: How intuition and cycle tracking helped get an ovarian cyst diagnosis

For years, Eva experienced irregular periods and often felt unseen and dismissed by healthcare providers when she raised concerns. Like many people with unpredictable cycles, she assumed "that's just how it is."

But in 2018, Eva started tracking her cycle with Clue. What started as an attempt to better understand her irregular periods gradually became a way to build confidence in her own experiences and advocate for herself during medical appointments. 

Over time, tracking helped Eva develop a deeper understanding of what was “normal” for her body. Years later, that awareness helped her recognize a change in her pain levels that ultimately led to the discovery of an ovarian cyst.

We spoke with Eva about the power of body literacy and what can happen when you learn to work with your body, rather than against it.

Why should you track your cycle if your periods are irregular?

Tracking can help you identify patterns, understand symptoms, and establish a baseline for what is normal for your body, even if your periods don't follow a predictable schedule.

Eva explains why she decided to start tracking despite having irregular periods:

"At the very beginning, I wasn't sure how tracking would actually help me because my period was so irregular. I was essentially looking for clues to figure out if any kind of underlying pattern even existed. 

Before this cycle tracking journey, I didn't really have an understanding of my body in its cyclical nature. I just assumed that this is how it goes: you might have a period, then you might not have one for a couple of months.

I finally decided to start tracking because I realized I was constantly looking for answers about my body outside of myself. Eventually, I realized that I was much more likely to find an answer if I stopped looking externally and started looking within."

As Eva gathered more information about her body over time, she also became more confident in discussing her health with healthcare providers.

How can cycle tracking help you advocate for yourself at the doctor's?

"Before I started tracking, I never felt fully understood by healthcare professionals. When I tried to get answers about my irregular periods, I was often told, 'That's natural,' or 'That can happen.' But I never felt fully seen.

Through tracking, I developed a better understanding of my body and a deeper connection to it. I now feel more confident advocating for myself with healthcare providers because I have a better understanding of what's going on in my body.

I'm definitely bolder when communicating what I think I need and what I want from them, too."

That growing confidence wasn't just useful during medical appointments. It also helped Eva recognize when something in her body felt different from her usual patterns and trust herself enough to push for answers.

How did tracking your symptoms help you find an ovarian cyst?

"These days, I'm super lucky to have a fairly regular, predictable period. But when that's the case, you notice the small 'off' moments immediately. Around two years ago, I noticed that my period pain and pre-period pain had increased significantly.

Because I knew how my body usually behaves, I made an appointment with my healthcare provider to get it checked out. That's when they found a large ovarian cyst. It was growing pretty quickly, and after checking it twice, we decided to remove it.

I'm not sure I would have found out about the cyst if it hadn't been for cycle tracking and noticing that increase in pain."

While tracking helped Eva notice an important change in her health, its impact extends beyond those major moments. Today, she also uses what she's learned about her cycle to make decisions about work, social plans, and rest.

How can understanding your cycle help you plan your daily life?

"Tracking has really helped me understand the language of my body. The more I understand my cycle and my body, the easier it is to build a day and schedule that actually works for my system and keeps me in my power.

For example, I might allocate my high-energy working days and social plans during my ovulation phase. Then, during the pre-period phase when I'm feeling more inwards, I allow myself to nest and be by myself. 

It also translates into how I communicate with others. Knowing that I might have different needs at different points in my cycle, and allowing myself to communicate these needs to a partner or to a friend, is really important.

It's helped me be gentler with myself too, and give myself permission to rest when I need it. 

I think living in the system that we live in, we're also always encouraged and pushed to, especially as women, go harder, go faster, do more. There is barely any space to take a rest and listen to our bodies. 

Understanding my cycle has helped me not only advocate for myself with healthcare providers, but also advocate for what my body needs in everyday life. And sometimes, what it needs is a lot of rest."

Through tracking, Eva has developed a deeper understanding of her body's needs throughout her cycle. For people who are new to tracking, she believes the first step is simply learning to pay attention to your body.

What advice would you give to someone who hasn’t started tracking their cycle yet?

"One piece of advice I would give is to realize that our bodies are constantly communicating with us; we just have to learn how to listen. You could compare the relationship with your body to an actual relationship: it has to be taken care of and tended to.

And that's where the tracking comes in for me, because through tracking, I get to know my body better, just as I would get to know another person.

Using Clue has helped me to reconnect with myself and my body because it’s allowed me to learn the unique language my body is speaking."