Rachel M • New South Wales, Australia • 33
I may be considered a late bloomer as it was a week before my 17th birthday when I finally got my period. I was an avid reader of Dolly and assumed I knew everything and was somewhat prepared as I particularly loved reading the stories covered in Dolly Doctor… WOW was I wrong!
I went to the toilet, pain free - just to do a wee and as I was cleaning up, I noticed the toilet paper covered in blood. I screamed! I honestly thought I was about to breathe my last breath. I remember thinking that that was too much blood to be a period and obviously something inside me had ruptured and death was inevitable. Tears were streaming down my face. As educated as I thought I was - I had no idea what was happening.
Mum found me in an emotional mess, slumped on the toilet. I told her to call an ambulance and she told me 'congratulations darling, you have your period.' She handed me a tampon. I looked at it... what the f@#k am I meant to do with that? (insert awesome teenage attitude) I out right refused to insert anything inside me because I could not wrap my head around that at all at that stage. Then I was given a pad. I was more comfortable with that idea. I placed it on my undies, pulled them up and cried even more as it felt like I had an inflatable mattress between my legs.
And that was MY first period story.
