I started my period yesterday. When I tried to insert a tampon, I couldn't. I could only get the tip of the tampon in and then it was like something was blocking the way and it was too painful to push it all the way in. So I wore a pad the rest of the day and tried a few more times with the tampon only to have the same thing happen.
Today I still could not put one in. By the end of the day my vagina was noticeably swollen and irritated (not the lips or anywhere else, only the vagina). It seems to be getting worse and while it is not excessively painful, it is very uncomfortable and persistently bothersome.