Yes, you read that right and no, I never thought I would write such a thing but I was surfing the net a couple days ago and ran across this story which lead me to this story and this story. In a nutshell, ob tampons which many women (including myself) swear by are suddenly unavailable. Then I hopped over to eBay and Amazon. Surely if there is a shortage these pillars of the free market system would know and according to the prices that are now listed on these sites--from $20 to $90 a box for what usually costs $7 a box--there must be some kind of problem.So out I went the next morning in a hunt to bulk up my stocks (actually I was running pretty low and knowing that I was nearly to my monthly PMS freak out, I thought I would be proactive--although I was freaking out a bit nonetheless). I went to Walmart first, no luck. Then Target, no luck. Then Fred Meyers which is a large chain store in our area and their shelves were bare too. Finally I stopped by a small pharmacy which I rarely see anyone shopping at and I raided their shelves. Imagine the surprised look on the cashier's face when I stepped up to the counter with literally an armload of tampons. She didn't ask and I didn't say anything. I then stopped by Safeway, a grocery store, and got their last two boxes so I am set for a while (after spending nearly $100! ouch).
When emotion gets wrapped up with your purchases, sometimes common sense goes out the window. And you can't really tell a girl being held hostage by PMS not to be emotional. Sure there are other tampons out there but I don't much care for them as I thought ob was perfect. There are even better, more logical options out there, namely the DivaCup and similar products which are reusable silicon cups that...well suffice it to say that hubby NEVER wants to hear another explanation of what a DivaCup is. But I did do some thorough research and when I get over the ick factor and possibly more desperate, I may give it a try. FYI, for more than you ever wanted to know about "alternative" feminine hygiene products, click here. And yes, these alternatives are way cheaper than mainstream products (a one time purchase of $25), way greener (you aren't throwing away wrappers and disposable products because you reuse the product forever), and better in other ways as well (I didn't know you weren't supposed to flush tampons until one day our mainline drain got clogged and the young plumber guy went to work on it and asked if anyone had flushed a mop down the toilet...yikes). So hopefully the powers that be will get the situation figured out and my favorite product will soon be restocked but until then, I am hoarding my supply (hubby did kind of look at my pile of product then look at the prices on Amazon and got dollar signs in his eyes but I told him not to even think about it...).
LOL I am flashing to an episode of The Big Bang Theory where Sheldon questions Penny's money saving abilities. He swears that she should buy her tampons in bulk since it's a regularly used product.
ReplyDelete"You want me to buy 30 years worth of Tampons????"
heh
Wow, that is suprising that ob's are nowhere to be found! Could it be that they have been found to be associated with toxic shock syndrome, like the Rely tampons?
ReplyDeleteI whole-heartedly support the use of Diva Cup, being a Diva-votee myself. Besides the reasons you list, I don't experience as much cramping pains. When I switched from ob tampons to pads, I experienced the same result. Perhaps its because the flow is not hindered with pads and the Cup as it is with tampons. The Diva Cup has also helped me accept the fact that I am a woman with a monthly flow that is a natural part of being a woman. The ick factor diminished quite readily after that. :-)
I used Instead (a disposable cup) while I was on hormonal birth control for several years with great results. Once I got off hormonal birth control, though, my menses changed and I developed a tendency to leak, so I switched back to cotton products. If you do switch over, let us know how it turns out.
ReplyDeleteThis should really be a much bigger and much louder deal than it is. I'm most concerned about the lack of Ultras...
ReplyDeleteThat's funny about the OB Tampons! Reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine runs out and buys boxes of The Sponge 'cause it's the only birth control she uses and doesn't want to "run out", she then interviews her bf and asks if he's "Sponge Worthy"... lol!!
ReplyDeleteAll this to say, i've debated trying the Diva Cup too... just so iffy on it... i'm not exactly the most "graceful" person and worry that i'd ruin every pair of jeans I own! lol!
I'm just waiting for some disgruntled Johnson and Johnson employee to post the real reason for the interruption of production.
ReplyDeleteWhat a hilarious post! I laughed so hard while reading the part about the plumber thinking the mass causing the clog was a mop :) Amidst the humor you still manage to educate me ~ I'd never heard of the Diva Cup. Thankfully I'm not in need of these products anymore, however while raising two daughters, I sure resented having to spend money on pads every month!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all of the comments. Guess I was a bit PMS-y when I wrote it and a bit ranty. I will definitely update when/if I decide to get experimental on the topic!
ReplyDeleteI just got back from buying the last 5 boxes that are in Joplin, Mo, evidently. I'm not switching to the divacup because I know it would not end well due to my lack of grace gene. My husband doesn't understand the issue, but was supportive of my search. I'm not paying the outrageous prices online though.
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