MONTHLY MISERY (PART 2) – HOW IT ALL STARTED

Answered Prayer Turned Sour

Finally, my prayers were answered when I got to JSS 3. I was happy when I first noticed it one afternoon and rushed to present myself to my aunt for inspection and confirmation. My flow lasted for a day that month. The next time it occurred was in April. I remember the month because that was when my misery started. It came with severe pains, and its duration was longer than any I had seen or heard. Mine lasted 7 days. I presumed it was so because I had just started menstruating. But it remained so for the longest time, and eventually, I got to accept it as my fate. “It’s normal,” I was later told.

The Painful Reality of Each Cycle

Whenever it was that time of the month, it meant I would be bedridden, restless, and suffering from diarrhoea and nausea, which would eventually lead to vomiting. Severe abdominal pains would weaken my legs, hindering me from standing. I would also experience heavy bleeding, so I made use of extra heavy-flow sanitary pads, often doubling them as a norm. It also came with fever and a loss of appetite. By loss of appetite, I mean my body would automatically reject food. If I tried eating, no matter how little, to gain strength, I would vomit the first spoonful before even taking the second.

Coping with the Monthly Ordeal

As a result, I would sip garri just to have something to throw up instead of the gastric juices, which made me really weak. Usually, I would soak garri in a large plate, let it swell, and then add enough water to it. During this time, I had a bucket close to me to throw up in. It was more frustrating because the medications were not even working. I tried several of them, and I didn’t even know the names of some of them. I couldn’t cry no matter how painful it was, so I would bite myself to feel pain enough to cry. I would constantly pray for sleep, and whenever I did sleep, it was deep. This was unusual for me since I am normally a light sleeper.

To Be Continued…