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I was on holiday and me and my friends were in the pool. It was a normal day... warm weather, blue sky... It was perfect. Until my friend pulled me to the corner of the pool and told me I had a stain on my swimming costume.
I thought nothing of it until I saw the red pool of blood forming around me.
I was twelve and a half when I got my first period. All of my friends got theirs earlier than me so I celebrated when I got mine. I went around school telling friends in excitement and I felt like a grown woman. I’ll always remember the date as well: 25th of January in 2011. It started on the first day of the 2011 Egyptian revolution. I remember telling my mom in excitement in the car and then hearing a report from a big news radio station in America that the revolution had started and felt my whole mood changing.
Not a lot of people associate their periods with huge historical events, but I do and also think about how grateful I am that my biggest struggle that day was needing a pad. Looking back, I have no idea why I wanted to menstruate. I think it was because I thought I was a late bloomer and that there was something wrong. But I’m glad now that my misery started later and I didn’t have to deal with endometriosis pain at a younger age.
When I was 13, my childhood best friend was over with his mom and it was around my birthday. I had to use the restroom. When I went to the bathroom, I saw a little brown spot and didn’t think much of it since I tend to have a lot of discharge. I changed underwear and continued my day with my old friend. That night, I went to sleep and woke up around 1AM and was in so much pain. Still the worst pain I can remember feeling.
I went to the bathroom and when I looked down, I had bled through my underwear and pants, but not on my bed. I took a pad that I had ready for my first period and told my mom that I started my period and was in a lot of pain (all while in tears).
I took Advil and she told me to try and go back to sleep. I was up until 5AM crying in pain from my cramps and having to change my pad every hour and a half. I was able to fall asleep around 6AM and slept till 11AM. When I woke up, I didn’t feel much pain anymore but there was sure A LOT of blood.
