period pains, pangs and pissed off

Now that I’ve had what feels like a million periods, I’m more familiar with my body’s pattern, and this makes “that week” more predictable. 

However, back when it first all began, it was a very different story for me. I had heard of mood swings, but I wasn’t really sure what that meant, something about your feelings suddenly taking a wild turn, and for no apparent reason? I couldn’t picture that, although, now looking back, that would explain why a couple of my friends would act a little strange (compared to normal). 

Nevertheless, I was still quite confused when I was continually grumpy over some simple things that usually wouldn’t really bother me. Or when I got emotional super easily over something that was only a little sad. I’d even end up blaming something totally random to justify my odd reactions. 

Like, this one time, I felt angry for absolutely no reason, and then I decided that it was my dad’s fault. I mean, how dare he come into my room to ask me a question and then leave! It was a simple question too, something about dinner maybe. This was such a bad excuse, it didn’t make sense, not even to myself, and it was only when similar things happened on my next period that I realised this kind of behaviour was connected to my cycle.

What I was able to connect straight to my periods were the cramps.

For me though, they weren’t actually that bad, just kind of annoying. I was a bit baffled about this, as I’d heard so many different girls complaining about the aching and grogginess periods caused them, and I had this idea that it really was painful and awful. 

I just assumed that I was lucky, as the only feeling in my stomach at the beginning was this slightly uncomfortable and bloating weight that would hang around for ages. So it kind of surprised me when on one period after many, I got a dull but lingering and definitely painful ache down there. It didn’t last too long, maybe a day or so, but I finally understood what others would complain about, though it still wasn’t as bad as I’d expected it to be.

I’m not sure if I’m the only one who’s cramps kicked in late. Maybe it had something to do with my body getting used to the pattern? Who knows? But I count myself as pretty luck that I don’t get the excruciating pains I’ve heard others have to deal with on the monthly.