MENSTRUAL FLOW 101
Intense period cramps are not demons I have to struggle fighting, at least that is one thing I have been excused from and am gratefully thankful for that. However, the uncalled for changes, heavy flows and mood swings that normally come with my menstrual flow are tussles that I am yet to come to terms with. The struggles were much worse during the first two years after my menarche. I remember the times when having my menstrual periods were five hell days on earth. One time, after a long sleepless night with several trips to the washroom every four hours of the night, I finally woke up in the morning, depressed, gloomy, sweaty and ready to bash a face. What a way to start a new day.
The morning was wet and cold, a way of nature reminding me that we were together in the gloom. I rubbed the eye bags dominating my sullen look, then turned to confirm whether I had left something behind because I always had to confirm or else the next thing I might be hearing after leaving the room are the hushed tones of my elder sister summoning me to go see the mess I left behind. True to my suspicions, there were red marks on the white bed sheets. How I loathed those marks! Especially those that screamed for attention like the violent angry red ones in indefinite crooked circles and those heroic ones in streaks of two or three that celebrated their victory of escaping arrest from the disposable menstrual products. They were always demanding, unapologetic weirdoes that always chose the white bed sheets because what’s the point of showing up on black anyway? They always have to be noticed and white is just the color they need.
With the heaviness of my body and a tongue for a weapon, I let out grumbling sounds, cursed the useless pads then made my way back to the washroom. By then I was certain that the toilet bowl had gotten enough of me already but too bad, its services were still needed and it would be so for the next four more days. One violent flash and a loud bang of the toilet bin. Oh the toilet bin! That too needed to be emptied before mama did what she does best, laying accounts of all my mistakes since time immemorial then labelling me the most careless child she has ever met. I could recall one time when she scolded me for two consecutive days because I had left a used tea mug in the sink and left for school without caring a hoot. Her words were sharp and piercing when I showed up at the doorstep eight hours later. I even overheard her narrating the ordeal to one of her friends from work. She scolded and every phone call she received from a close family member, the tea mug would constitute the better part of the conversation. So with that in mind, I had to act, and I had to do it quick because it was unpredictable what drama would ensue with a half full toilet bin and a stained bed sheet.
My moods shifted from depressed and gloomy to miserable, tormented an fervently panicky. Everything on sight chagrined me. I dragged my feet with a slouched back and an aching head, not knowing whether to go for the beddings first or settle the bin before any other thing. The beddings first, I thought decisively then set back to the bedroom. My elder sister, also my roommate, was now wide awake and her hawk eyes, now comfortably set on her phone, had already noticed the creatures that had been haunting my morning and was waiting for me to act appropriately. She repeated her ‘good morning’ twice and both went unanswered. Instead, she received a heavy sigh accompanied with a bored smile.
The soiled sheets stared at me, sending a discomforting plea for me to rid them of the red foreign marks. I then felt an industrious vigor, pushing me to do the right thing. Immediately, like a flash, I set myself up for work. The beddings were scrubbed, wringed and rinsed, the bedroom was turned upside down and everything dusted and cleaned and in two hours, the bed was neatly spread with new, crisp clean beddings.
You must be wondering why I am talking about my menstrual flow so openly. That is because I am not in any way ashamed of it, period. Menstrual flow is not a taboo nor an offence and no woman should ever apologize for going through it. No one should ever be shunned because her body is communicating. It is a natural phenomenal that everyone, girl or boy, woman or man, must strive to understand because in one way or another, we all know someone who goes through it. Just like other bodily reactions, menstrual flow should never be considered unhygienic so instead of being tyrranical and unwitty when it comes to matters menstruation, I kindly beseech everyone to look at it on a natural perspective and give us peace during our adventures of mood swings and blood flow.
The morning was wet and cold, a way of nature reminding me that we were together in the gloom. I rubbed the eye bags dominating my sullen look, then turned to confirm whether I had left something behind because I always had to confirm or else the next thing I might be hearing after leaving the room are the hushed tones of my elder sister summoning me to go see the mess I left behind. True to my suspicions, there were red marks on the white bed sheets. How I loathed those marks! Especially those that screamed for attention like the violent angry red ones in indefinite crooked circles and those heroic ones in streaks of two or three that celebrated their victory of escaping arrest from the disposable menstrual products. They were always demanding, unapologetic weirdoes that always chose the white bed sheets because what’s the point of showing up on black anyway? They always have to be noticed and white is just the color they need.
With the heaviness of my body and a tongue for a weapon, I let out grumbling sounds, cursed the useless pads then made my way back to the washroom. By then I was certain that the toilet bowl had gotten enough of me already but too bad, its services were still needed and it would be so for the next four more days. One violent flash and a loud bang of the toilet bin. Oh the toilet bin! That too needed to be emptied before mama did what she does best, laying accounts of all my mistakes since time immemorial then labelling me the most careless child she has ever met. I could recall one time when she scolded me for two consecutive days because I had left a used tea mug in the sink and left for school without caring a hoot. Her words were sharp and piercing when I showed up at the doorstep eight hours later. I even overheard her narrating the ordeal to one of her friends from work. She scolded and every phone call she received from a close family member, the tea mug would constitute the better part of the conversation. So with that in mind, I had to act, and I had to do it quick because it was unpredictable what drama would ensue with a half full toilet bin and a stained bed sheet.
My moods shifted from depressed and gloomy to miserable, tormented an fervently panicky. Everything on sight chagrined me. I dragged my feet with a slouched back and an aching head, not knowing whether to go for the beddings first or settle the bin before any other thing. The beddings first, I thought decisively then set back to the bedroom. My elder sister, also my roommate, was now wide awake and her hawk eyes, now comfortably set on her phone, had already noticed the creatures that had been haunting my morning and was waiting for me to act appropriately. She repeated her ‘good morning’ twice and both went unanswered. Instead, she received a heavy sigh accompanied with a bored smile.
The soiled sheets stared at me, sending a discomforting plea for me to rid them of the red foreign marks. I then felt an industrious vigor, pushing me to do the right thing. Immediately, like a flash, I set myself up for work. The beddings were scrubbed, wringed and rinsed, the bedroom was turned upside down and everything dusted and cleaned and in two hours, the bed was neatly spread with new, crisp clean beddings.
You must be wondering why I am talking about my menstrual flow so openly. That is because I am not in any way ashamed of it, period. Menstrual flow is not a taboo nor an offence and no woman should ever apologize for going through it. No one should ever be shunned because her body is communicating. It is a natural phenomenal that everyone, girl or boy, woman or man, must strive to understand because in one way or another, we all know someone who goes through it. Just like other bodily reactions, menstrual flow should never be considered unhygienic so instead of being tyrranical and unwitty when it comes to matters menstruation, I kindly beseech everyone to look at it on a natural perspective and give us peace during our adventures of mood swings and blood flow.
#WinterABC2020 challenge
ReplyDeleteDay 5: 'We are sitting in your class, what can you teach us'?
Great lesson. Women should share more on what they go through during that time of the month. It's helpful even in how we as men will treat our partners.
ReplyDeleteIt's time you start writing articles for magazines, newspapers and televisions. You're good at this. I love love ❤️❤️
ReplyDeleteThank you! Thank you! Thank you!
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