Women share their worst period stories
PERIODS can be a real pain — from appearing unexpectedly and ruining your well-made plans, to confining you to infirmity with days of cramps and depression. And while most women understand that having a period is a natural part of being female, this doesn’t make the experience any more tolerable for many.
Have you ever felt like your period was out to ruin your life? Readers share what they have described as their worst period experiences below.
Shinique, 32, travel agent:
I hadn’t had my period for a few months, but I have endometriosis and that causes me to have irregular periods so I just always try to prepare for it. Usually, the associated pains give me enough warning before it starts. Unfortunately, last summer after about two months without a period, I was wearing thin, white shorts into our town with my sister, of course, with no protection in tow. We were there lyming when out of the blue I started having severe cramps. I felt the gush and had to grab my sister’s sweater to cover up and she called a taxi. To top all that embarrassment off, I had to waddle to the car like a duck because it’s the only way I felt a little comfortable.
Kelly, 37, paralegal:
I had been invited by some friends whom I went to university with for a tour of the Big Apple. I was excited because a little shopping doesn’t hurt anyone. The short of it is, we were out and I thought that my little stomach pain was from the food I had earlier (I have a sensitive gut). My nightmare started when I messed up my friend’s car seat. And if that was not enough, the next morning I not only vomited while everyone else was having breakfast, but in the thick of us mapping out our adventure for the day, I fainted. It was terrible — the girls didn’t judge me, at least not out loud, but if I knew Aunt Flo was going to stop by early, I wouldn’t have accepted the invitation because I knew the possibility existed for these things to happen.
Davia, 19, customer service agent:
I was 16 years old at the time and had only recently started my period. Anyway, I believe it was the third time around and I had no clean tights so I wore close-fitting underwear instead. Sadly for me, I think because of all the day’s activities, the wingless napkin rolled out and fell out while I was walking. The good thing is only my friends saw and they alerted me and we went to the bathroom together. But to this day, whenever I think about it, I am horrified. I now avoid dresses and skirts around that time of the month.
Deborah, 35, accountant:
I’m still grossed out thinking about it. I was going to the beach and I grabbed a tampon. My flow was heavy and I was in pain, so much of my time was spent on the sand. I was there listening to music and sitting in a yoga position when a friend came to check on me. We were mid-conversation when I looked down and my worst nightmare happened — it was like a flood. To make matters worse, I was sitting on a white towel. I’m sure some people noticed and I just wanted to sink into the ground.
Amanda, 21, student:
It was my boyfriend’s birthday and we were off to a great start — Aunt Flo wasn’t due for another six days. But in the midst of everything, when things were getting really great, I realised that my lady bits got really moist. He noticed it too, and so he slowed down and when he checked… you guessed it, she was here. It was obvious that he was nervous and anxious about it, even more than I was. It was embarrassing, but we learned to look past it and he is still my boyfriend after three years.
