I know, most of you are tired of hearing me drone on and on about this. Believe me, I am so grateful for your patience because I'm tired to hearing me drone on and on... So I thought I'd try and purge myself for good and get it all out!
I'm going through "The Change" or as it's more commonly known, menopause. I call it the ordeal. It's not even menopause yet - I'm pre-menopausal! You thought PMS was bad - wait til you get a load of this!
The older I got and the farther away from childbearing age I got (not that that was any great success either) the more I looked forward to the freedom of "the change". What a great deal I thought! No worrying about getting pregnant, no more "monthly friend" (who's idea was that euphemism anyway!) Liberation! Freedom! Everything wonderful Oprah kept telling me turning 50 meant! WRONG! THEY LIED!!
Welcome to 24/7 hot flashes, insomnia, weight gain, lack of focus, memory loss, fatigue, hormonal imbalances that bring on mood changes, crankiness and the ultimate desire to join Thelma and Louise and drive right off that cliff!
Not only do the hot flashes drive me crazy, they drive everyone around me crazy. AC ON! that's me! Turn the heat OFF! Screw the 75 degree weather we're having here in Buffalo, I want COLD! Weight gain - that's a whole 'nother entry and I'm NOT going there. Lack of focus - I've got lists to remember my lists. Insomnia and fatigue - I'm up at 3:00 a.m. writing this, I'll go to bed shortly, get up at 8:00 to get Alexa on the bus and if I didn't have a dentist appt. I'd go back to bed and maybe, maybe get up around noon or 1:00 p.m.
Mood changes and crankiness - "If Momma ain't happy, nobody is happy", takes on new meaning in my house and driving off that cliff - if I wasn't such a gutless wonder at least one person in my household would be dead by now and I'd be on beach in Tahiti, or at least in a rental car heading for Canada or Nevada or Maine or Wisconsin or, can you drive to Hawaii? I can't remember...
Anyway, I saw the stamps above at the store and I thought, "that's me, that's my life..." Oprah LIES!!!
3 comments:
"Is it hot in here or is it me?" My family has been hearing that from me since age 47 in 2001. I went from 0 to 50 in about 3 days, hot flashes that is. Couldn't sleep, tough to work, constantly complaining... not fun. I took the chicken way out and took hormones the first year, then reducing doses after that. At the time, I had no risk factors or personal contraindications to hormonal therapy. However,since my sister got treated for breast cancer over a year ago, the risk factor picture changed. Even with the hormones, the flashes never went entirely away, even now. However, as time goes on, we try to roll with the flow. We call our workplace "Menopause Manor" because most of us are dealing with it. Besides, "power surges" can help us save money on heating bills in the winters! Hang in there!
Barb in NH
Hey Lady! I am going to print this and save it for reference. Seriously though, I saw a brief interview with a MD [I think her name is Christiane Northrup] on Oprah about a week ago. She is the author of a book called Women's Bodies Womens' Wisdom and has recently authored another book on menopause. From what I heard on the show, it may be worth reading her book. Check it out on Oprah's website and see if she has a link. I have the Women's Bodies book and refer to it often. HTH! If not maybe our good ole Retreat will?!
See you in 11 days! Jess
Donna, you totally crack me up. I miss you! Hang in there - ain't it great being a girl???
Post a Comment