ouch! my boo-boo (04/28/09)

Ouch! my boo-boo
Maria Reylan M. Garcia

Ouch. It stabbed like a murderer’s knife as if lacerating every bit of tissue. Ouch. The intense agony radiated throughout my lower abdomen. Ouch. Drops of sweat began to dampen my forehead, and I was getting paler and paler by the moment. Ouch. I am in terrible cramping pain. Curse this monthly cycle. I grieve with several other females who suffer dysmenorrhea; as if monthly blood stains and the added discomfort of soaked pads aren’t bad enough. Nevertheless, analgesics are as popular as sanitary pads. But, I often would refuse to take. No,

I’m not a masochist, but I would like to feel the pain for little longer while it still last. Call me a nut-head, but somewhere in my mind, that pain assures me that this month I’m having my menses, and that is a good thing.

The pain assures me that I am still alive.

Pain is something that most people dread, since it’s the complete opposite of comfort that everyone longs for. Whether it be physical pain or that which evolved from emotions, pain remains the most unsought feeling. Today, pain is attributed to costly hospital bills, marital separations and the rise of the golden era of analgesics. Although each people may vary in pain tolerance, which means one might handle the pain more lightly than another who would wail out for a shot of morphine just for a boo-boo. Yet, all with no exceptions ask and seek for a relief when the pain is already weakening him. We continue to drive ourselves to a detour away from pain. This detour may be a capsule of analgesia, an all-out confession that you haven’t had in many years, a handshake with a former rival, or the most peaceful yet worst, eternal rest.

But, pain isn’t all that bad. Scientists believe that pain is our body’s way of securing its own safety. Pain warns us of injury, protects us from further injury and prevents the body from too much activity enabling it to restore to its normal healthy state.

The bonus part is, if we lived through the pain, we become stronger

Just think, what if we don’t feel the pain of a touching a hot stove? We might be surprised part of our skin is burning making us susceptible to quick entry of infection. What if we don’t feel the pain of a clogged artery? We might be surprised that we lay flat on the floor, cold and lifeless because of total stoppage of blood flow, thus the heart gives up. What if people don’t get hurt when their husbands, wives or fiancés cheat on them or becomes too insensitive? We might be surprised that promiscuity will fly high and no one will ever believe on loyalty, since its okay to betray because the other one doesn’t seem to care enough to be faithful or truthful. What if there is no pain? We might be surprised that soon enough, there would be no life, no one would go up to mommy and ask her to kiss the boo-boo.

When we indeed feet the pain, we are reminded that what we did hurt and it’s up to us if we would intend to feel that pain again or go the opposite route and be anesthetized, be painless. If you feel pain, that is indeed too bad and really, you should be pitied. But, I believe that as long as we feel pain, this also means we still have something to fight for in order to feel at ease.

The bonus part is, if we lived through the pain, we become stronger.

We become assured that when that pain comes again we know we have the ability to possibly conquer it the second, third or fourth time around.

I may have little of other else’s shares of pains in life. What I may perceive as an excruciating pain may just be a prick of a needle for others, but like them, I have felt the pain, I simply have lived through it, and I have gotten stronger like them, though not as equally strong. Yet, I have gotten stronger.

Life is an irony. When we are in pain, for the present time, we seek for dependence. We use analgesics. We use anesthesia. We call on to mommy to kiss the boo-boo on our head. We call on to our friends to hear their comforting words whenever another guy breaks our heart. When in pain, we are weak. After the pain becomes a memory, we become braver.

Ouch. It still hurts. I took a tablet of analgesic a few minutes ago, now I have to bear the pain for several more minutes until it takes effect. Ouch. I’m still quite helpless. I reached for my mother’s hand. She smiled. Ouch. It still hurt. I smiled and hummed the song “If I were a boy….”

Soon the pain will be away. I know. It keeps coming back every month.

But, every month it reminds me, I still continue to live through it.

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I am glad that our modern heroes, our OFWs have been reading and pouring out comments to my previous articles. Many thanks to Mr. Randy Bataanon and Engr. Cel Ramos. You do our country proud!

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I'd like to greet a belated Happy Birthday to my Tatay, Engr. Reyno B. Garcia, who has lived through a lot of pains but still remains strong, and is getting stronger each year.