The pains of being a woman...1

If you happen to have X and Y chromosomes, this might be a bit too graphic for you!

*You have been warned*

Growing up, I was made to understand that I was one of the lucky ones. Now, it looks like my luck has changed.

I started my menstrual period when I was quite young, about 12 I think, although some people claim to have been younger. Imagine seeing Aunty Flo ( as Buttercup) would call it at age 9? Ha my God!!! Even at 12, it still felt very weird and cringe worthy.
Anyways, my mother used to tell me that I was very lucky because I never had menstrual pains like my sister whose world usually stood still for that 5-7day period every month. She would wail, cry, wobble (because she couldnt stand straight, as her legs would give way) and generally just break down. But now that she is a mother, its all stopped (I have no idea what the explanation for that is).
That used to scare my mom and I think she prayed hard that the rest of her kids would not have to go through the same thing. One woman, four girls...I dont want to imagine the pain she herself went through for my older ones.

So instead of the usual stomach pains, back pains, all my body did was to swell...as in PUMP up like a balloon. As naive as I was, I never noticed, for months until my mother would ask me such questions like, what have you been doing with your pocket money, eating junk abi or its either you are on your period. Apparently, when I've had too much sweets and junk in general, my body bloats...according to my mother sha! So over the years, my feet and breasts especially would swell and indicate that madam was on her way. Now, those were the good times.

This time, the story has changed!
The reverse is the case.

A few months ago, it started. This unbearable pain in my lower abdomen. God, I cried my eyes out, it was even worse at uni, when there was no one to help me! Then back home during the hols when my sister actually saw me in pain, she joined me in crying and asked me several questions, like "Please tell me, what have you done? What happened?" She was thinking along the lines of sex, contraceptives or maybe even abortion. Me too I cried my responses back at her, nothing o...nothing. That was the beginning of my monthly sorrows.
It didnt end there. Now, my legs have started to give way. As in the pain is enormous. The best way, I can say it is in yoruba when you say "ese nro mi" and then there is "ese n dun mi"...thats where the difference is. The latter sounds like you've done something to the leg, may be bumped into a wall or done too much exercise that it hurts. But the former is as though the pain is flowing through your blood stream. Its inexplicable.

To worsen the case, my sister said to me "pele, just bear it, cos when you get pregnant, thats the same way it'll hurt"
Ha??? Mo gbe! Why is she telling me this now? Now that I've been bumping into so many pregnancy and child birth stories, that I'm beginning to think....hmmm??? Do I really want to go through this?

That one is a story for another day.