Member-only story
I Went Through a Major Weight Loss in Front of My Students
And randomly started bleeding
Life in a third-world country takes a major toll on bodies — women’s bodies in particular.
When I start my teacher training in Madagascar to take on two years of middle school, I and all my fellow female teachers found we had a similar problem.
“Did you get yours?”
“Nope.”
“Me either.”
“It’s been two months of nothing.”
All of our periods collectively disappeared. Poof.
The reasons for a lack of menstruation in our group added up fast. We all lost a little weight thanks to the diet change when we arrived. Lighter food and therefore some lost pounds, the stress of life in a new country, complete overhauls of our usual routines meant our insides needed a break.
I went so long without going through my cycle I started to forget I ever had one.
New challenges
Once I got installed in Maevatanana, I had other things to worry about, like dealing with my difference. I was the white one, the tall one, the foreign one. Everything I did made me stand out.
