My worries started when a classmate🇳🇬 mentioned she'd begun her period. Despite learning about it in junior secondary school, I hadn't experienced it yet. When I voiced my concerns to my mom, she reassured me it would come in due time.
During a family picnic at Agodi Garden in Ibadan, I indulged in various foods and juices. Later that night, I was awakened by intense stomach pains, which I initially attributed to overeating. However, the pain persisted, and I recalled our teacher mentioning stomach pains as a prelude to menstruation.
Upon consulting my mom, she suggested it might be my period and administered pain relief medication. This scenario repeated for several months until my mom decided to take me to the doctor.
When we got to the hospital, I was clerked by a doctor and my mom provided the necessary information, the doctor told us that his plan is to make me do some examination which include, visual examination of the vulva, hymen and vagina opening, during the examination, he said that a hymenal tissue is covering the vagina and I'll have to do an ultrasound scan to have a better view of the tissue and to confirm the condition.
The doctor diagnosed me with an imperforate hymen, he explained that Most females are born with a hymen. A hymen is a thin membrane that stretches across the vagina. It generally has a ring-like appearance with a small opening.
He also said that there’s no real medical purpose for the hymen, although some think it may have evolved over time to help protect the vagina from infection.
He further explained that most girls have a small crescent- or donut-shaped opening in their hymen. This opening allows for access to the vagina. He further explained that Imperforate hymen is a rare condition where the hymen completely covers the vaginal opening, leading to menstrual blood being trapped inside.
He said the symptoms may include amenorrhea i.e absence of monthly flow despite development of breast, pubic hair and hips after puberty, abdominal pain, and constipation
The recommended treatment was hymenectomy, a minor surgical procedure to remove the hymen and alleviate the issue. The doctor assured me that there are no severe complications after the surgery and that I will be able to get pregnant and give birth after the surgery and that my menstrual flow will begin and there won't be any issue regarding fertility.
We consented to the surgery, and I was told to wear a vagina dilator in my vagina which is a tampon-like device to prevent the hole from closing after the surgery. During the procedure, the doctor suctioned out the trapped blood, providing relief. He said I might feel pain and soreness around my vagina but he'll prescribe analgesic to relieve the pain.
I was given antibiotics to take as oral medications.
During the subsequent month, my monthly flow began and it was painless.
1 Comments
Thank you for this lovely piece. I remember doing abdomen, pelvis and perineum in my last semester and I read about this condition before. This reminded me of it.
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