Moderate my happiness? Control my excitement? Drawing a line between enthusiasm and over-excitement? How do you control excitement? Those were the questions that flooded my mind after
I was told my first period was due to over-excitement.
It was right in the middle of the finals of a
netball tournament when I felt unwell and debilitated.
A migraine had taken its toll. I felt abdominal cramps thought I was bloated. I tried so hard to pretend to be the strong girl I had always been, but alas, I had no control over this state.
I decided to raise my hand and signify that I am having a problem. The referee whistled to stop the game and attend to the raised hand. I laid to her the story as is and I was excused from the game.
My netball coach who had happened to be my teacher hastily runs to me, and I told her how I am feeling.
She utters, “My girl, you now on your menstrual cycle, you were over-excited; that’s why this happened.”
On hearing that, I was disturbed. How can over-excitement have anything to do with menstrual cycles? How? She quickly opened our first aid kit and gave me a few sanitary pads. She utters, "follow me". We went to the restroom, she explains what menstruation is all about and how a sanitary pad is used.
She, in a kind manner explains how this happens and how I should do it.
To me, womanhood sounds like a jail of its own. How can one be told to moderate her happiness? How do females cope with such pain?
I failed to cope as the abdominal pains seemed to get intense with time. My teacher then suggested I rest in one of the classrooms while we wait for transport that will take me home.
My teacher then gave me pain killers as I was in pain. As I grew up, I got to read on my own and understand that it’s not because of over-excitement that a menstrual cycle starts. It’s part of womanhood that one goes through at that stage. Therefore, we have to embrace who we are and since then my period is now my pride.
Submitted by Sikhonzokuhle Tshuma