It was the summer after 6th grade and I was 11. And even though I'd had the "this is going to happen" talk, I really didn't get it, fully. Bled, made a mess, got confused, freaked out at my mom, got all cleaned up, and then expressed relief that "at least it was over"--- and then she clarified that it was going to continue for *days*. I was horrified. My best friend kept phoning to see if I wanted to go swimming- the answer to that being a resounding NO, and I spent most of a week sitting on my bed reading books.
A couple years later, I taught myself how to use tampons while away at summer camp. There was a lot of trial and error and near panic involved, but I eventually figured it out. I college, I got a Keeper and some natural sponges, and those have contributed amazingly to my sense of body image and my willingnes to talk about menstruation (4 syllables!). I'm much more confident now about this 'curse'; the shame finally lifted.
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Date: 2006-04-20 06:20 pm (UTC)My best friend kept phoning to see if I wanted to go swimming- the answer to that being a resounding NO, and I spent most of a week sitting on my bed reading books.
A couple years later, I taught myself how to use tampons while away at summer camp. There was a lot of trial and error and near panic involved, but I eventually figured it out. I college, I got a Keeper and some natural sponges, and those have contributed amazingly to my sense of body image and my willingnes to talk about menstruation (4 syllables!). I'm much more confident now about this 'curse'; the shame finally lifted.