By Angela Osita
At the age of eighteen, there was no sign of menstruation, she was worried. “What is happening to me? Am I really a woman?” Oncele Biba, a 2nd year Graphic Design student at Midrand Graduate Institute kept asking herself but no sensible answers was coming. She was then about to write her matric at Kinshasa commercial secondary school Congo. Amazed that her menstruation cycle was contrary to what she read about female reproductive system in Biology and what her mother Florence Biba thought her about what happens to a woman’s system every month.
Biba couldn’t live anymore with her mother’s frequent opinion that “it happens in some women, there is no need to worry” she goes berserk each time her mother sounds that way, because it seemed to her that her mother had no idea what she was feeling. According to her, she felt as if something was missing, listening to her friends talk about buying sanitary towels every month made it worse. Biba visited Kinshasa general hospital Congo. The doctor suggested that it was early to worry, unless she was ready to get pregnant.
As God may have it, on the 13 of July 2007, Biba was in class, she felt something wet in her underwear, rushing to the toilet, behold, it was her menstruation. She couldn’t believe it, she was ecstatic, for the first time, Biba bought sanitary towel. Unfortunately, the menstruation came for 2days and stopped, that was not normal but that gave her hope that all might still be well. Biba was then 21, graduated from high school but the menstruation never came again and she doesn’t ovulate. This time, she was not the only one worried, her mother was more worried. They decided to seek serious medical attention. Biba was taken to a private hospital, after several questions from the gynecologist (Dr. Jim Martins), she was asked to take an ultra sound.
The result indicated that Biba was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Betterhealth.com explained it as “poly (many), cystic (small collections of fluid). When the eggs in the ovaries do not develop to maturity, many small "follicles" (small fluid-filled sacs containing immature eggs) develop and can be seen on ultrasound underneath the surface of the ovaries”. Betterhealth.com also added that women with PCOS have either increased circulating amounts of or increased responsiveness to male hormones like testosterone. Biba was placed on contraceptive pills called Yaz to correct the menstruation cycle and also reduce male hormone level.
“Women with PCOS have ovulatory dysfunction or absent ovulation. If the egg is not released from the ovary each month in a regular fashion, and when ovulation manifests itself by infrequent or irregular menstrual cycles, this can apparently lead to infertility” said Dr. Dimitrios Roussot, a gynecologist at Netcare waterfall hospital. PCOS affects 1 in 15 women he added.
Infertility was what Biba feared most. “I was always scared that I might never be able to have my own baby” she said. Martins assured her that taking the contraceptives pills will help with the correction of the cycle but must be balanced it with healthy food (fruits and vegetable) and regular exercise. Biba was disturbed about her situation.
“She was always depressed” says Nanou Biba, a younger sister to Biba. No one knew her problem because she never spoke to anyone. “My sister never confided in us, even mom couldn’t” she added. Gatho Sukula, Biba’s cousin, said he tried talking to her but she refused to open up, she requested to be left alone.
According to Biba, she was determined to carry the cross alone. She is a devoted Christian and while taking the contraceptives, she believed that the God she served is a healing God and he will heal her someday. She added that she did not want to speak to people who had no solution to her problem. Her faith was overwhelming. “I spoke to the one who has solution to all problems” she says.
She continued to pray while taking her medication, eating a balanced diet and engaging in the necessary exercises. She was visiting her gynecologist every month to get the contraceptives pills. The pills made her menstruate every month but according to Roussort, that is not a real menstruation. The cycle can be corrected after several months of taking the pills and the pill has to be stopped. Biba had taken the birth control pills for eight months.
While taking the pills, she experienced a gain in her weight, but according to her, she was told by her gynecologist that it was not a problem. At the eight months, Biba decided to discontinue with the pills. The next month, on the 21st of May 2008, Biba had her first normal menstruation. She didn’t believe, until it happened again the following month and that was how Biba was complete free from polycystic ovarian syndrome.
“I feel like a woman” she said. Biba believes, her dedication and faith in God corrected her menstruation cycle and encouraged women going through the same problem to stay strong and never stop believing in God
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