Chronicles of the woman’s menstrual cycle (using myself as the case study)

I felt I should start writing this down because so many people—especially men—love to argue about our "monthly visitor" like they understand it or know how it actually makes us feel.

So I'll begin these chronicles for this month and carry them through the year. For the record, this is the second time in March 2024 that my monthly visitor has shown up.
Yes—are you shocked 😯? It happens sometimes.

What helps me track it is my period calendar app. Most times I don't even remember the details myself, so I downloaded one that logs how many times it visits in a month, how many days it lasts, and roughly how many weeks until the next one.

For some months now it's been on a 25-day cycle, which feels pretty cool, and usually 3 days of flow. Judging by the calendar, this second March visit checks out.

Every month comes with its own drama. This one started with serious cramps and severe acne—I could barely recognize my face. People who know me kept asking, “What’s wrong with the sudden severe acne?” before the flow even began.

When it finally started on March 27, 2024, I slept an entire day like a child with nothing to do. Little to no pain while sleeping. Toward evening the waist pain kicked in. I managed it by kneeling, lying on my stomach, propping a pillow under my lower abdomen, and just being restless. I hate medications.

Funny part: the severe acne face I had while expecting the visitor suddenly became smooth and less oily the moment the blood 🩸 started flowing (all on day 1).

The volume on day 1 was different from usual, even though it still tried. I stick to the 4-hour pad change rule. Before bed on day 1 I calculate how many times I'll need to wake up and change. You might think I set alarms, but once your body gets used to the pattern, it wakes you automatically—or a stain on your clothes or sheets will do the job.

No matter how heavy the flow gets, three days is always three days.

Oops—didn’t mention the constant farting every few seconds 😭😂. Good news: they're odorless. Emotions stayed calm; I just wanted to be left alone, no disturbance, just eat and sleep.

I felt grumpy 😠, mild lower-abdomen cramps, and of course staining (inevitable—calculated times aren't always accurate; sometimes the flow decides when you change). Heavy flow on day 2 is normal. Even if it's not heavy, changing every 3–4 hours is mandatory.

Going out on your period is always risky—you can get stained anytime, anywhere. I get drained over and over. This is when I seriously dislike the monthly visitor: it never gives you time or place to hide.

Pain stops during the day, then comes back worse in the evening. Early in the day my emotions are everywhere; all I want is bed, isolation, sleep, or maybe a film (but movies can feel boring then). Isolation is the real therapy. Not music, not friends, not food (though I still ate), not movies—just being alone and sleeping.

Night flow wasn't so heavy; I slept like a log and woke at 6 a.m. on day 3 😂. Some nights you're so exhausted all you need is sleep, and the period behaves—no heavy flow at night. But if I'd slept longer, clothes and bed would've been soiled 🥹. Some nights you wake to stains and have to wash immediately so the blood doesn't set.

By morning on day 3—no pain at all, just wanting to sleep more. Flow back to normal, and by midnight 🕛 it dries up. No more pad changes until next time.

Safe days after the visitor? Only two 😭😭😭😭. Two days to have fun if I want. Not terrible—some people get five solid days—but my cycle gave me just two. If that's not wickedness, I don't know 🤷🏽‍♀️. Two days for hormones to rest. Two days of peace!!!!

After those two days, day 3 = high pregnancy chances according to the calendar. Body ready to make babies (ovulation). Eggs released. Any mistake here = pregnancy.

Funny thing: during the ~7-day ovulation window I get uncontrollably horny 😂. Don't know if it's just me, but around day 6 the horniness peaks insanely high—and that's exactly when fertility is highest.

During ovulation your body is primed for babies. If you're horny and do nothing about it (no sex to ease tension, and especially careful not to give it sperm), it builds. By peak day, if you can't control it, horniness affects mood, daily activity, everything. (That's why some say “sex helps” when emotions start taking over.)

Good part of the two safe days: no discharge at all—starchy or watery—which makes going unclad super comfortable, especially home alone.

It's now April 1. Calendar says happy hormones rising, fertility high. Body doing jiggy jiggy. One reason I love the calendar: it tells me moods, hormones, how my body reacts emotionally. Keeps me in sync with my cycle so I know when something's wrong 😑 or when I need medical attention. Super aware of my body.

You should get a period calendar too (I use Flow).

Another day the calendar flagged tender breasts. I felt it slightly. Calendar also said “sex drive may be hitting its peak.” Didn't lie.

It keeps updating: “feeling pretty zen” = relaxed, not worrying about unchangeable things. True, but lately heavy watery discharge. Pregnancy chances low—more 50/50.

It tells me I'm in the second half of my cycle, back ache (true, mild), empathy high, cravings, bloating. Not exact for everyone—bodies differ. Calendar isn't 100% right, but often ~50% accurate. See a doctor if symptoms get too severe or something new appears.

It warns when a new cycle is days away. That's why doctors always ask your last period date—if illness ties to cycle, they calculate from there.

After notifying new cycle soon, it predicts cramps and tender breasts for next visitor.

And here we are—period arrived two days late. Lateness can come from stress or health issues, but I'm lucky ☺️ this time: no breakouts, face smooth, loving the glow 😊. Wished every month could be like this.

Day 1 cramps put me in no-talking mode, but not severe—I could do things and forget them. Super sleepy 🥱, slept all day.

Day 2: still cramps (milder), bloated, then runny stomach like diarrhea.

During the 3-day flow: breasts extra sensitive, no breakouts, not-so-severe cramps. Day 1 = fatigue + mild cramps → slept day & night. Day 2 = mild cramps, bloating, runny stomach. Day 3 = very light/no flow → done.

Like I said, every month has its wahala. Visitor came twice in March. Normally after flow ends I'm discharge-free, but this time discharge started immediately. New cycle = cycle length changed from 25 to ~27–28 days. Happens once a year unless stress/health issues.

After this flow I got four safe days—lucky! Then straight to ovulation on May 1. Highly fertile—sperm + egg = baby possible. If not, prep for next visitor.

Last flow gave smooth face & glow. This ovulation started with tender breasts, painful nipples, little breakouts. Overly happy, playful, sex drive peaked.

Some days super sociable. Guessing next visitor has an interesting package.

Some days calmer than usual. Body temperature high without sickness—saw doctor, told I'm fine (no headache/body pain). Breakouts made me mad after last cycle's glow. Hormones up/down. Didn't let them dictate life. Some backaches, mostly at night.

Reached second half of cycle. Moods fluctuating like Nigerian light 🤣, cravings, bloating, sluggish.

New cycle came earlier than expected. Mood was high—no sadness, joyous even as flow began. Thought I had three more days per calendar, but every month has its own package.

Some months you're prepared; some you're clueless until flow starts. Had premenstrual lower-abdomen pain, few breakouts that vanished, mood swings, surprise diarrhea all day—visitor arrived next day.

Bodies differ. Some women go years with zero symptoms (God's favorites). Others prepare for battle. Some months we're favorites; others not.

May package: no breakouts, premenstrual symptoms, painful flow (felt mostly when blood about to release), slight headache 🤕, cravings, crankiness, mixed energy, fatigue—especially day 2. Slept entire day to escape pain.

Day 2: heavy flow → pad changes every 2–3 hours. Cramps doubled day 1's.

Relief when last day approaches. Universe gave three-day flow. Third day = light flow, stops at midnight. Three safe days, no PMS, egg walls at rest.

After flow: three days "free" but heavy discharge—I hate heavy discharge. Still in follicular phase (day 1 of period → 13–14 days → ovulation). Happy hormones this month—I loved it. Sleepier than usual. Felt pretty zen some days, then low energy next. Body temp high for days. Extra observant. Back aches, rising estrogen, high empathy, mood swings → boom, second half of cycle.

Who feels apathetic? Worst mood swing. No interest, no enthusiasm, no concern for anything.

Last cycle 26 days.

Felt calm, didn't know hour had come. Started with severe cramps—could barely move right leg. Next day flow came before dawn; rushed for pads to avoid soiling bed. Felt okay except craving biscuits all morning/afternoon.

Night = severe pain. One-sided cramps down right leg—thighs numb. Wished for sleep to escape till morning.

Three-day flow, but pain isn't something you get used to. Every pain has its threshold.

I hate meds—especially bitter big capsules.

Day 2: dire pain. Waist, lower abdomen, both thighs now. Never felt pain like this before. Every year/month cycle delivers new packages without notice.

Grateful for three-day flow. I've had five-day—never funny.

Calendar started pregnancy chances count. Happy hormones everywhere—I love this mood. Keeps me afloat. Glow brighter. Little freaky some days. Ovulation possibly early → pregnancy risk.

Very sleepy—sometimes lazy. Can go days with little/no sleep normally, so this is opposite.

Calmer, second half of cycle, severe back pain + rising estrogen. Mood ups/downs, cravings (satisfied a few), bloating days.

One fear: period delayed or disappearing. Happened 2021—missed entire month, then second. Doctor: thyroid issue (controls metabolism, diagnosed by blood test). Treated → normal.

Scared this time when two days late—face rough. Clean (no sex), still did pregnancy test—negative. Called mum: “Two days late?” “Give it five; if not, see doctor.” Third day (after call) visitor arrived afternoon with usual (not severe) pain. Cycle read 27 days—normal.

Normal for ~1 in 5 women to have late period. Panic only if it goes a full month or becomes regular. Then immediate doctor.

June day 1: dull, tired, sleep. Day 2: excruciating abdominal pain—sharp, piercing, legs wouldn't move. No comfortable position. Last time this bad I left an event early. Took pain relief.

Some pain sends you to hospital. Men who don't experience it won't understand no matter how we explain. Pain feels different for everyone.

Day 3: heavy flow (expected—day 1 barely dropped). Day 4: droplets, evening spotless.

July: not as excruciating. After last period, happy mood. Calendar tracks everything. Slight breakouts—not full-face supermarket pimples lol.

Routine continues. Enjoy happy moods—keeps energy focused. ~14 days later ovulation. Without calendar I'd lose track while noticing body changes. Sex drive high, pretty zen, low energy at points (affected social battery). Hormones control us. We run on emotions—then bleed, and hormones still run the show.

Sluggish, moods up/down stressing me, bloating, calendar warning new cycle soon. Premenstrual cramps showed shege—pain to thighs/legs.

Second half: apathetic mood, tender breasts (handled with care—pain out of this world), calm some days, cravings (McVities chocolate biscuit + Capri Sun).

3 days before flow: nausea after eating, severe lower-abdomen cramps to legs, uneasiness.

First day: dull but trying to be lively/joyous/happy—nothing interests except sleep to escape slight pain. Hope flow falls on weekend—sleep away reality.

Two-day delay. Not worried except occasional sharp premenstrual cramps. Started 1 a.m.—woke to dry sloppy feeling, cleaned up → flow like thief in night (August).

Love when visitor comes first week—rest of month yours except PMS, ovulation, hormone twitches.

Thought August would be rough, but it said “baby girl, you'll be fine” 😆. Best moods, no mood swings/breakouts/pain first week. Second week fertility mood, zen/pretty. Third week post-ovulation free—no hormone interference, no ovulation pain, tiny breakouts 😡. Month had me in my bag.

September flow not as hoped, but I was okay. Some pain—not severe. Few days after: breakouts (visible lol). Week after: ovulation screaming “I'm here—everyone must know”. Horniness high, zen while ovulating, energy (workload affected rest). Post-ovulation: social + calm. Body temp up/down.

Thought October period first week per calendar—but came late September. Last cycle 25 days. Ignored pre-flow signs. Day 1: no pain, just fatigue. Day 2: pains (manageable—even sat up to work). Unusual: ate like crazy while flowing. Tired only when too full—lay down on bed. Bloated belly, fatigue.

Nice flow time—no severe pain/heavy flow, moderate. Mood all over.

October had other plans: excruciating pain two days pre-flow warning. Day 1 even worse—weak, no appetite. Day 2: stomach pain → toilet multiple times. Breakout inevitable. Body hypersensitive.

November: no breakouts but cramps begged God for help—more excruciating than October. Lost count of pads day 1—all I thought was pain. Painkillers trigger ulcer; too lazy to eat. Last two days painful but not as bad.

December: lucky charm. No breakouts, no pain—just flow + usual uneasiness.

Despite everything, extremely glad my cycle is 3 days.

(This is my personal case study. I asked other ladies—they shared wildly different experiences. No two women have identical ones. Symptoms sound similar, but intensity/handling differ greatly.)

Conclusion: women are literally strong. Not our fault cycles are never the same. What this year threw at me will differ next year. This year's rollercoaster was different—nausea pre-flow, less painful cramps than past years, breakouts now interval instead of months-long, exhausting skin routine to control hormonal acne (which always has plan B lol).

Well I just felt I should begin to write this down as lots of people especially the male gender always tend to argue about our monthly visitor with us and for us like they know so much about it or even understand how it makes us feel. 

So I’ll be beginning this chronicles for this month and carry it on for this year, and for the record this is the second time in the month of March 2024 I’m seeing my monthly visitor. 

Yes, are you shocked 😯? It happens like that sometimes. But what helps me to keep track of it, is my monthly visitor calendar, because most times, I don’t even keep track of it myself. So, I had to download a calendar that helps me keep track of the number of times it gets to visit me in a month, the number of days it lasts for and the number of weeks before the next one can come forth. 

Apparently for some months now, it’s been on a 25 day cycle and that seems cool, and 3 days of flow. Like I said earlier, this is the second time in the month of March it’s visiting me. Judging from my calendar, that’s right. 

Every month comes with it own drama, and for the month, it started off with a serious cramps, severe acne that I could barely recognize my own face, as it got a lot of people who actually know me to be asking “what’s wrong with the sudden severe acne” before it actually began to flow, and when it actually began to flow which happened to be on the 27th of March 2024, it had me sleeping an entire day like a child who got nothing to do, with little or no pain throughout the hours of sleep. 

I got to feel pain around my waist region, towards the evening of the day, and it happened to be that I could manage the pain, with having to be in uncomfortable positions like, kneeling and laying on my stomach, using a pillow to support my lower abdomen while laying down, restlessness, as I hate to be on medications. And one of the funny 😆 part was my severe acne face all because I was expecting the visitor, suddenly became smooth, and less oily as soon as the blood 🩸 began to flow (all of this on the first day).

The amount of blood that usually flows on the first day was different from this one, even though it still tried . I go with the 4 hour rule of pad change . And so before I go to bed on the first day of the flow, I calculate the number of times I will wake up to change my pad. One would think I usually set an alarm so I could possibly wake up to get a change. But once your body has gotten used to a certain pattern, once that time is near,  it will adjust to that pattern until the monthly visitor is gone . 

Your body will wake up even if you do not want to or, a stain on your cloth or bedsheet will do the job. And, no matter how heavy the flow may be, three days is always three days.

Oops I didn’t mention the part where I’ve got to be farting every seconds 😭😂, but the good part is that, the fart 💨 happens to be odorless, my emotions were on the calm side, where I just want to be on my own, no disturbance and just eat food and sleep.

Oh yes felt grumpy 😠, mild cramps around my lower abdomen and off course getting stained which that was inevitable as sometimes, the calculated times are not always that accurate cause most times the flow determines when you get to change the pad, but having a heavy flow on the second day is quite normal and most especially, even if you do not have a heavy flow, it’s mandatory to always change your pads 3-4 hours interval of the flow. 

Going out while on your menstrual flow is always a thing to look out for, because you can get stained at any time and anywhere. I get drained again and again. This is the point where I seriously dislike the monthly visitor because it never gives you time and place to show itself.

The pain always seems to stop just to be back in the evening, which becomes even more severe. Early in the day, my emotions would be everywhere, and all I’ll be needing is to just be on my bed, isolated from everyone and just be on my own, sleeping or watching a film, but sometimes movies can be boring at that moment. But all in all, isolation is always the needed therapy. Not music, not friends, not food (even though I still had food), not movies, practically wasn’t feeling anything other than just being on my own, and sleeping. 

Funny how the night flow was not so heavy as I slept like a log of wood just to wake up at 6am on the third day of my period 😂. Yes some nights can be like that, where you’ll be so exhausted and all you just need is sleep, and on nights like this, your period can choose to behave, the way mine did by not being a heavy flow at night  but, if I had slept any longer, my entire cloth and the bed would have be soiled 🥹, and some nights you’ll wake up to a soiled bed and a soiled cloth and you’ll just be frustrated cause you’ll now have to wash 🧼 as soon as you wake up so as not to allow the blood 🩸 stain stay too long on the cloth or the bedsheets. 

By morning, there’s no pain at all, I just want to go back to sleep. Third and last day, not a single pain, the flow is back to normal and by midnight 🕛 it will dry up and no more changing of pads until we meet again. 

And my safe days after the monthly visitor are only two days 😭😭😭😭. Like two days for me to just quickly have fun if I want to, but it’s not that bad. Some persons get lucky and their safe days would happen to be 5 solid days and my cycle gave me just 2 days, if this is not wickedness I don’t know 🤷🏽‍♀️. Two days for my hormones to rest, two days for my body to have a little peace of mind!!!!

After two days of having to rest, the third day, I have chances of getting pregnant 🤰🏾according to my calendar. Like my body is ready to make babies, (ovulation period). My eggs are being released once again and any mistake like this, pregnancy will enter. The funny thing is, because it lasts for seven days, I just get uncontrollably horny 😂. I don’t know if it’s just me, but inside this seven days, the sixth day happen to be when my body get extremely active, the hornyness gets to be on the high side and the most interesting part is that, my body is on a very high side of making babies (very high chances of getting pregnant 🤰🏾).

To further explain this, during the ovulation phase, your body is overly ready to make babies, but if during this phase, you are horny and not doing anything about it, like having sex to ease the tension while being careful not to give it what it wants 😂(like sperm to ovulate the eggs) it will get to a particular day, inside that phase where the hornyness will be at the very high side and if you’re one not to know how to put your emotions in check, because, hornyness affects every part of your body and start affecting your mood and somehow it could control your daily activity if not careful. (reasons you’ll hear some people say “sex helps as well” especially when your emotions, attitudes begin to take the better part of you). 

The good part of the two safe days is that, no form of discharge, whether starchy or watery and which just makes going unclad very comfortable especially, if you’re home alone. It’s the first day of a new month (April) and my calendar just signified me that my happy hormones are on the rise and my fertility is also high. My body is doing jiggy jiggy. I think 🤔, if there’s one reason I love my monthly visitor calendar is that it tells me all about my moods, my hormones, and everything there is to know about how my body reacts with my emotions. And that’s one thing I love about the calendar. It keeps me in track with my cycle and I can tell when something has gone wrong 😑 and when I’ll be in need of a medical attention if any issue should go south. That way I’m so aware of my body and its cycle.  You should get a monthly visitor calendar as well, if you do not have one. 

Another day, another symptom has been  communicated to me by my calendar. Is it really a symptom ?. Well on this day according to my forecast, was still in a happy mood which that’s correct, but that time around, with a tender breast. Even though I couldn’t feel the tenderness that much, but yes I could feel it slightly. You should really get this calendar 📅 (Flow). Another day my calendar tells me about my sex drive saying “it may just be hitting its peak” it didn’t lie though. This was just to say, you’re free to do and make babies cause your body is ready for that jiggy jiggy.

My calendar never stops updating me, and for the day it said “I may be feeling pretty zen”which means, feeling relaxed and not having to worry about anything that one can’t change. Well that’s true, but my discharge was heavy of late (watery discharge). Another update from my calendar 📅 happened to be that, the chances of me getting pregnant was low, so yes, most likely safe and most likely not safe. So therefore, it’s more like a 50/50 chance. 

My calendar never stops to let me know about my circle. Telling me I’ve already gotten to the second half of my cycle for the month, me having a back ache which it never lied, though the back ache was not a severe one, and another day, having to tell me about my empathy level being on the high side, to me noticing cravings and bloating. It may not be exact symptoms for lots of people, because our bodies tend to differ from each other. The calendar 📅 is not always 100% right, but most of the time, it is 50% right. You’ll just have to see your doctor if the symptoms become too severe than ordinary or you notice something else that has never happened to you before. 

My calendar never stops giving me updates about cycles and how my mood can be affected due to it, it also lets me know when a new cycle is about to begin in a few days.  A new cycle means, your next period opens road for another circle. That’s why when you go to the hospital, you’re asked when was the last time you saw your period, if the illness you’ve got is related to your cycle. Reason the question is asked most of the time, is to calculate your cycle for you and from there the doctor or whoever is asking can know or determine what the problem might be.  So my calendar 📅 after notifying me about the new cycle starting in few days, also notifies me about the probability of me having cramps and tender breast. It’s tries to tell me what my next monthly visitor might have in stock for me. 

And we are here, it’s that time of the month again for me after being two days late, lateness of period sometimes could be as a result of stress, and some other health related illness, but I guess I’m lucky ☺️ this time, no breakouts, my face was so smooth and I was so loving it 😊, the glow on my face was something else, to the point I had to wish that, every other month be like this. Yes first day cramps got me in my no taking to anyone state of mind, although not so severe as I can do lots of things and not remembering that I’ve got cramps, but was so sleepy 🥱, I just wanted to sleep all day and I did. Second day, still having cramps but it was extremely mild than that of the first even though the session had me in the toilet like one who’s got a runny stomach. 

My calendar never for once stopped updating me on my cycle even as I was seeing my monthly visitor. During my monthly flow which lasted for 3 days, my breast was extra sensitive as regards to no breakouts and not so severe Menstrual cramps. The first day came with fatigue and mild Menstrual cramps  where I slept all through the day and night. The second day, I still had mild Menstrual cramps but I was bloated and had a runny stomach after a few hours of being bloated. The third day came with a very light or no flow at all, and then boom we were done for the month. 

Like I said, every month has its own problem or wahala. It happened that my monthly visitor came twice this month, but on a normal day, once the days of the monthly visitor is over, I’m always free in terms of discharge, but here I am having a discharge immediately after my menstruation 🩸 comes to an end, every cycle comes a new but known experiences. The just concluded menstruation opened up a new cycle, which meant that, there’s a change in my cycle date and probably the complete cycle number has also changed from 25 days to 27-28 days. This change occurs once in a year, except one has underlying health issues or stress related issues. 

After the just concluded menstruation, I got four safe days. I’ll say I got lucky this time around to even have safe days after my period. Immediately after those safe days, my body gets ready for the next phase which is the ovulation phase. And it began on the first day of that new month being “MAY” and I was highly fertile for the time being, which meant, any sperm that finds it way to can meet with my eggs that are being released during this period, a baby can begin to take form, but if no sperm and egg get to meet, then I should be getting prepaid for my next monthly visitor. 

The last monthly visitor gave me a smooth face and morning glow everyday, but it seems this month had something in stock for me as the ovulation period was beginning with a tender breast and painful nipple, little breakouts here and there. Plus I was overly happy and my playful emotions were on the high side, not to forget my sex drive was also on the high side, In fact it’s reached it peak already, if there’s a peak for it. 

Some days I feel very sociable, I want to socialize with almost everyone around me at the time, I’m guessing the next monthly visitor has quite an interesting package in stock for me. Some days I was feeling a lot calmer than my usual self, my body temperature having to be on a high side even without being sick, this one made me go see a doctor but I was told that I was fine, since the body temperature isn’t accompanied with headache nor body pains. A few breakouts here and there and this one, got me so mad because the last cycle was breakouts free with a smooth glow. I wish it only ended there but no, like I said, the month's cycle sure had something in stock for me because my hormones were just going up and down. The good thing here is that I didn’t allow it to dictate how I went about my daily life. Well some backaches which caused a little discomfort for me mostly at night. 

And I’ve successfully gotten to the second half of my cycle for this month. My moods be going up and down lately, cravings here and there accompanied with bloating, feeling sluggish and back to my mood fluctuating like the Nigerian light 🤣. And surprisingly, the new cycle didn’t even take long to begin and my period came pretty earlier than I expected it to come. Sometimes it happens like that. I noticed my mood was all up there, no room for sadness. I've been joyous and happy even until the flow began. And with my calculations and calendar 📅  I still have three days ahead for the flow to start. But I’m guessing or like I did say earlier in this article, every month has its own package.

Some months you’re fully prepared for whatever it has in stock for you, while some months, you’re clueless until the flow begins. Not like I didn’t have preMenstrual symptoms like lower abdominal pain, few breakouts that later disappeared 👻, mood swings here and there, and diarrhea which took me so unaware for an entire day, just for the monthly visitor to arrive the next day (a day after I’ve had diarrhea). Like I did say and still saying, people's bodies differ and so do these symptoms. There are people that will go year in year out and wouldn’t experience any of these symptoms (we call such people, god’s favorite) while for some of us, we already know that we should be prepared for it. Some months we too can be god’s favorite while the rest of the month, we’ll be battling with monthly flow and hormones. 

May package came with no breakouts, Premenstrual symptoms as I already stated before but with a painful Menstruation that I only feel when blood is about to be released, slight headache 🤕, cravings, crankiness, mixed energy and above all fatigue. And feeling all this on the second day of the monthly visitor. Good thing is, I don‘t be going anywhere, rather I’d be sleeping 🛌 the entire day, so as not to feel the pain. 

On the second day, it came bearing heavy flow, thus making the pad changing intervals slightly change from 4 hours to say 2-3 hours so as not to soil the bed or the clothes. The cramps became double of that of the first day's cramps. 

There's this relief you get once the last day of your menstrual flow or monthly visitor is approaching and thankfully, the universe granted me a three day period flow. One sweet thing about the third day being the last day is that, the flow is never heavy, and it stops once it’s 12am. And I got three days safe days, no PMS, my egg walls are at rest which like I mentioned earlier.

After my menstrual flow or monthly visitor as I do call it, the three days free I was given by my creator 🤣came with heavy discharge, I usually don’t like discharge especially when it’s now heavy. Was still in my follicular phase which started from the first day of my period and lasted for 13-14 days, ending in ovulation. In this phase I experienced a happy. My hormones were having quite a good time with me, I actually loved it for this month, still on the happy hormones.

I got sleepier than usual. The good thing about it was that, since I don’t get to leave the house all the time, I will always have some time to sleep. Still felt pretty zen for some time, but the next day came with low energy. I just couldn’t stress it, because the more I tried, the less energy. Body temperature was on the rise for a couple of days now. Not to mention being extra observant of things around me and my environment. Back aches, rising estrogen on the side, empathy on the high side, my mood was going up and down, and boom 💥 a new cycle for the next flow began and I already got to the second half of the cycle.

Who feels apathetic as one of their moods ? This has to be the worst of all mood swings. You practically don’t feel anything, you’re not interested in anything, you’re not enthusiastic, you feel no concern for anyone and for anything. Last cycle was 26 days. 

Felt calm and didn’t know that the hour had come, as It started with severe cramps that I could barely move my right leg. And then boom the next day, it didn’t even wait for the day to completely break, it came forth and I hurriedly went to get pads on so I won’t get to soil the bed. Funny how I was actually feeling pretty okay except for having to crave some biscuits the entire morning and afternoon. 

Then came the night, and I was in severe pain. One sided Menstrual cramps, pained me down to my right leg, I couldn’t even feel my thighs, this was the part where I wished for sleep to come right away so I could sleep away the pain till the next morning. In as much as its three day Menstrual flow cycle, the pain isn't something to be prepared for, and you can never get used to it, even though it happens like that most of the time. Every pain has its own threshold with which one can bear.  

Who else is like me ? I dislike medication, especially if they're bitter and now big like all those capsules like some of them do have two colors.

Day 2 came and I was in dire pain. I really expected the actual period to come and go without doing it due diligence. Aaaaaah I was in pain since the first day. My entire waist, my lower abdomen, down to my thighs, (day one was one thigh and day two, both thighs are in severe pain). I have experienced pain, but not sure I’ve ever experienced the type of pain before I was experiencing before. Every year and month, your cycle delivers new packages for you, without prior notice.hmmmm! If you’re a lady and you do not have these experiences, guess what, you are lucky.

I’m so grateful for a three day Menstrual flow, aaah 😱 mind you I’ve experienced the five day Menstrual flow and believe me when I say that, it’s not and was never funny at all. Five days!!!

My calendar 📅 began it thing, chances of getting pregnant began to count, happy hormones everywhere in the room, I actually love this mood because it actually keeps me afloat of whatever problem I have going on at the moment. So I’m like 👍🏽 yeah ! I’m going to get it figured out, one way or the other but for now let’s live. 

My happy hormones makes the glow even brighter as the day goes by. A little freekeir on some days, a possibility of ovulation beginning quite early, giving room for pregnancy to occur. I got very sleepy which at times makes me very lazy to want to do anything. These feelings can’t be explained to anyone in a lay man’s language for proper and swift understanding, although I like it for myself because I could go days on some days without having enough sleep, I most times sleep for an hour or two or even don’t sleep at all.

I had been feeling a lot calmer coupled with the fact that I just got in to the second half of my monthly cycle ⭕️, noticing severe back pain but with rising estrogen on the side. Feeling some ups and down in my mood, cravings (there was nothing I didn‘t crave for and I made sure to satisfy a few of them cravings), bloating continued for days.

Not sure about every other lady out there but I think one of my fears about periods is it being delayed or disappearing and never coming back. This is one thing that most women don’t talk about but thanks to a few women who have been able to open up on cases like this. First time this happened to me was in the year 2021. I didn’t see my monthly visitor for an entire month, at first I thought it was normal until the second month and I had to go see a doctor. Series of tests were conducted and I was told to have had thyroid problems. Thyroid is a gland that produces hormones to control the body metabolism. This was diagnosed using a simple blood test. Well I got treated and boom 💥 the cycle came back to normal. 

So yes I got scared this time around when my flow or monthly visitor as I do call it, got delayed for two days leaving my face extremely rough. Although I was clean (no sexual activities) prior to this time, I still had to do the norm which every lady would do before thinking of any other thing like going to see a doctor or having to call home (calling your parents) as I would always do 😂.  Funny how, after I ran a strip test (pregnancy test) to be sure before either calling home or head to the hospital to see a doctor. It came out negative as I expected, then I went for the next option which was, having to call home. I called my mum and spoke to her and she asked “how many days late?” And I responded “two days” and she said “give it five days, if it does not show up before the end of five days, go see a doctor” and I replied okay. Low and behold, after speaking to my mum that morning, (this was already the third day) the visitor came knocking in the afternoon with its usual pain but not so severe. And thus, my calendar read the previous cycle to be a 27 day cycle which is actually normal. One would think I was scared that’s why I kind of panic but, no I didn’t panic I was just not ready to go through the whole treatment process again, if anything did go wrong based of my last experience on a not so similar case (because the last experience was an entire month and this was just two days of late period). 

It is kind of normal and at least 1 out of 5 ladies have experienced a late period, so it’s kind of normal. Only time one is allowed to panic is when it passes its cycle dates and goes into a month and then becomes a regular thing. That alone requires immediate attention by a doctor. Ladies I’ll drop this here, once you notice any form of unusual change in your body, make sure to dial a doctors number or go to the nearest hospital for a check up so medications can be administered quickly should anything be found wanting. 

Then came June. The first day of the monthly flow, I was dull, tired and just wanted to sleep. The second day, I woke up with this excruciating abdominal pain, it was so sharp that I could feel it piercing through and trying to tear me through. I couldn’t move my legs because every pain was equally felt on my legs, there was no position that was comfortable. The last time I was in so much pain, it caused me a gig, because I couldn’t even stay till the end of the event. I had to take pain relief to at least relieve me of the pain.  There are times that you can’t stand the pain, it can and could land you at the hospital. People that don’t experience it, will really not understand no matter how much and many times we try to express and explain how it feels. You can only understand when you can equally experience it. Every pain that happens in a human body feels different type of ways, the same pain does not have the same feeling, and one can only understand when they too can feel such pain and are experiencing such. 

The third day came, and another heavy downpour, I mean I expected it, it’s the third day, and the first day hardly had a drop. The fourth day came, and it was droplets, and that evening it became spotless.

July had it own share, but not so excruciating as the rest of the months before it. After my last period for the month July, my mood has been on the happy side and as usual, my calendar always keeps track of it all. It do feel a little unusual on some days, slight break outs here and there on my face but at least it didn’t have to spread its wings on my entire face, giving me the pimples supermarkets face lol. 

And the routine continues. But it seems I enjoy the happy moods, it just puts me on a happiness radar, where I wouldn’t want to be wasting my energy on frivolities. Few days after (like 14 days), ovulation began. Sometimes, if not for my calendar 📅 I wouldn’t have been able to keep tabs on my cycle, while I pay attention to my body and pick the different moods and changes that happens every month. Sex drive has been on the high side, feeling pretty zen the next few days. I had this low energy at some point, where I didn’t feel like doing anything. And surprisingly, it also affected my social battery. The hormones control every part of us. It takes one to be aware and conscious not to act irrational. Now I honestly believe that we run by emotions. Because after all of this, we get to bleed afterwards and even while bleeding, our hormones are still in control of the major part of us.

Started feeling sluggish, my moods going up and down while stressing me out, bloating on the other hand, my calendar 📅 reminding me of a new cycle beginning in few days, all of these not in one day.  Pre Menstrual cramps showed me shege, I could feel the pain going through my thighs to my legs 🦵. 

Second half of the cycle began and apathetic mood crawled in, tender breast got me handling my breast with so much care because the pain was out of this world, got to feel calm on some days oh, I almost forgot cravings, been having this mécvites chocolate biscuit with capri sun.

Once the day is close for the flow like 3 days to the actual day of the flow, that’s when I feel like throwing up immediately after eating, severe lower abdominal cramps that goes down to my legs 🦵, uneasiness. All this in three days, before it begins to flow and trust the first day to be as usual, dull but  want to be lively, joyous and happy, nothing actually interests me, other than having to sleep away the slight pain I’ll be in all through the day. One part I look forward to most times is that, the flow should fall on a weekend, where can just take permission if I have to be at the office to be home and be sleeping. The essence of this sleep most times, it’s to escape the painful reality for hours even if it means for an entire day. That way, you don’t get to feel the pain that much, yes you’ll feel it when you wake up to either change the pad or use the toilet or  have your bath. The few minutes to hours I spend doing any of the mentioned, you’ll definitely feel the excruciating pain, reason for the sleep 🛌. 

Two days delay of the flow (Menstrual visitor), well I was no longer worried, except for the sharp abdominal that you feel once in a few hours (pre-Menstrual cramps). Period started at night (1am)  by waking me up to some dry sloppy feeling, just for me to wake up and head to the bathroom to clean up and there is the flow like a thief in the night (for the month of August). I actually do love it when the monthly visitor comes in the first week of the month because you'll have the remaining month to yourself except for the Premenstrual symptoms, ovulations and a little twitching hormones here and there.  

Actually thought the month of August will have so much in stock for me, but I guess it had seen what I had been through in the past months and said to me “baby girl don’t worry 😉 you’ll be fine” lol 😆 because I was so fine, first week after the monthly visitor, I had been in best moods, no mood wings, no breakouts and no pain. Second week, had me in my fertility mood. Still feeling very zen and pretty. Third week, ovulation is over and I’m in my free week, no hormones interfering with my life lol, no ovulation pain except for tiny breakouts 😡 that decided to show up. Actually the month had me in my bag, as I didn’t have so much to deal with.

Not until September got in, the menstrual flow went not as we hoped it would but as long as I was okay, I’ll make do with that. There was some pain, not too severe though. Then a few days after the flow, breakouts. It didn’t even wait, it wasn’t so much but you could see them lol (not like they are even hidden though). A week after the flow, ovulation happened, and it said to me “I’m not staying hidden, everyone who meets with you 🥱must know you’re ovulating”. Hornyness was on the high side, felt pretty zen while still ovulating, some form of energy, my phone showed me that I was not resting as usual and yes I was not, had a serious work load and that affected my rest pattern. A week after I was done with ovulating, a few days into the new week, I was feeling a lot social and still wanting to maintain calmness. I didn‘t mention my body temperature that was going up and down the scale.

To think that I had thought that in my head and according to my monthly flow calendar, that my period will be coming in the first week of the new month (which was October), but my monthly flow had other plans for me. It Is still came in September but towards the end of the month lol. So it’s safe to say that my last cycle which resulted in this end of the month flow was a 25 day cycle. I didn’t pay attention to all the monthly flow signs that do occur before the actual flow lol. First day of the flow happened with no pain at all, just fatigue. And the second day decided to wake me up with pains though not excruciating, and I could manage still to even sit up to work. But something unusual was happening and I was so in for it. As it had been a very very very long time that I will be on my flow and I’d be eating like one who stole the meal. I only got tired when I was so full and could not seem to stand up from the position I sat eating. The good thing is, that posture is always on my bed, so I’ll just lay down once I’m done eating and can’t seem to stand up at that moment. And ofcourse a bloated belly afterwards, and fatigue.

I did have a nice time, during the flow, no severe pain nor heavy flow, just moderate until it was over, even though my mood was all over the place.  Well October had other plans for me as well, like I said earlier, every month has it own plan and package for you, and this one (October) started off by warning me with an excruciating pain, two days before it even showed up, on the first day of the flow, leaving me with an even more severe excruciating pain, weak, no appetite, and on the second day, it began with a stomach pain that got me in the toilet more than once. Let’s not leave out the breakout on my face lol it’s inevitable not to have a breakout, except the next month comes with a no breakout package for me. Every part of my body is highly sensitive. 

November did have plans, no breakouts but the menstrual cramps was the type to ask god for help as the pain was even more excruciating than it was the last month, I lost count of the number of pads I used on the first day of the flow, as all I could think of was the pain I was in. How I wish pain killers were that easy but they come with underlying ulcer triggers and that’s something I wouldn’t want that period as I was so lazy to even get off my bed to fix up something to eat. The good thing is the remaining two days were not so excruciating but I still felt pain.

December happened to be my lucky charm. No breakouts, no pain, just the flow and the uneasiness I do experience once the flow begins. 

In spite of all this! I was extremely and still glad that my circle is 3days circle

(note this is my own case study using my own personal experiences, it could be and definitely different for other ladies out there as I did conduct a question and answer section for some ladies I did come across and they shared their own experiences, funny thing is, no woman has the same experiences, tricky part is, all the symptoms sound alike for most women but experiences and how it gets handed are far off different).

This brings me to the conclusion that women are literally strong and it’s not our fault that no cycle is ever the same. What you experienced in this year's cycle will definitely be different with the next year's cycle and phase. Just as it has always been for I and the rest of us out there. This years experiences has been extremely different as I get to be nauseous anytime the flow is around the corner, menstrual pain isn’t so painful as it has wants been over the past years, breakouts now give me intervals unlike the past years where I could literally be suffering from breakouts of the last months cycle which won’t go until the next few months cycles, it was really a rollercoaster for me and above all exhausting to say the least as I had to constantly be on some skin care routine just to control the breakouts on my face (but hormonal breakouts always have a plan B lol) 

What’s your experiences like, you could share yours below 👇🏾 

References

Google for definition of words and meaning expansion

My own personal experience being used as the case study here