Menstrual Memories AKA “The Curse”

Phase 1: 

Why is it that there are so many names associated with the menstrual cycle? Cute little sayings like “The curse…the blessing… the curse ( again), the change…the end” are the words we learned to describe “Your period” as a girl growing up. And then we really had no idea what anyone was talking about. It took living though each phase in order to fully understand the meaning behind them.

If you were born prior to the 1970’s, the onset of your menstrual cycle was “The event not to be discussed”. Oh of course we all had some vague idea of what it entailed, but none of us ever thought we would ever really get it. (At least not in elementary school! It was something that happened when you got old). Our mother’s would only refer to it as “Menstruation” and tell us it would happen someday. “We will talk about it SOMEDAY” But there was always some unlucky girl who was wearing a white dress (Why was it always white?) who got her period while at school and ended up with the evidence smeared all over the back of her dress. Oh the humiliation from her classmates pointing and snickering, but no one actually telling the poor girl.  Everyone in school knew that “(Fill in the blank) got her period!”  And each girl then promptly went home to check and make sure it hadn’t happened to her. All we knew for sure was that it was red, gross, smelly, painful, and resulted in the wearing of that belt and the pad with the long straps on each end. We also KNEW that everyone could tell when a girl had her period because of the resultant waddle from that thick wad. EWWWW! No one ever explained anything so that we could actually understand it. As for counting the days in between, who knew? It showed up when it felt like it, usually in the middle of class and never when the girl was wearing navy blue or black.

Ah, that’s what they meant by the phrase “the curse”.

Fortunately as time went on, the big thick pad was replaced by a variety of menstrual supplies (“boo-boo accoutrements”).

Unfortunately, no matter how well prepared we thought we were, somehow it still managed to get in the way of life. No matter how regular you were, if you were going away on vacation it would show up. If you made plans to wear a bathing suit, it would show up. If you had a “hot date”, it would show up. If you wore white, it showed up. And if you worked with a group of women, you all ended up being on the same cycle. Go figure.  You remember how it was. But you accepted it as a fact of life and moved on. You learned the signs of its imminent arrival. You learned ALL about PMS. (But DON’T EVER let a male say “It must be the wrong time of the month”. Not if he wants to live.) You learned exactly how many boo boo accoutrements were needed to make it though a day of work. You thought you knew your body. You had it under control.

Until you hit your late 30’s.

HAH! Coming next – the late 30’s / 40’s and the beginning of perimenopause.