Menopause Support Group
Menopause is the physiological cessation of menstrual cycles associated with advancing age. It normally occurs in women between the ages of 45 and 55, when the body begins to slow and stop the production of eggs, estrogen and progesterone production decreases, and menstruation diminishes, eventually stopping altogether.
I'm having a helluva time with the fact that I'm now totally unreliable. I never know when the symptoms are going to hit; I could start the day out just fine, then be crying by the late afternoon. I have a third-grader, and I've given up planning playdates since I twice had to cancel at the last minute because of feeling like hell. (As the other mothers had planned to do things without their kids, the last-minute cancellations were not appreciated).
Now my husband badly needs a break from his high-stress abhorrant job. He arranged for the three of us to go camping, and the night before,wham! it hits: intense fatigue, painful bloating, aches, etc. etc. I tell him I'm not only going to be not much use, but also not much fun. He's been very supportive these last 3 years, but I can see it taking a toll on him, too. (We're going, partly because I want to get out of town, too, and maybe I'll feel better out there.)
Anyway, any thoughts or hints on the fact that you can't do any scheduling in your life because you can't know WHEN debilatating symptoms are going to crop up.
Now my husband badly needs a break from his high-stress abhorrant job. He arranged for the three of us to go camping, and the night before,wham! it hits: intense fatigue, painful bloating, aches, etc. etc. I tell him I'm not only going to be not much use, but also not much fun. He's been very supportive these last 3 years, but I can see it taking a toll on him, too. (We're going, partly because I want to get out of town, too, and maybe I'll feel better out there.)
Anyway, any thoughts or hints on the fact that you can't do any scheduling in your life because you can't know WHEN debilatating symptoms are going to crop up.
Since I entered this topic, I devised a vitamin supplement schedule based on Linda Ojeda's book "Menopause Without Medicine" which I highly recommend. Taken along with the patch has helped a lot. Also, I stopped approaching my symptom surges like they were abonormal, when in fact, since I'm 47, they are, and should be viewed as by myself, perfectly normal. I now treat it like I used to treat my period...say "Oh, this again. Okay, put aside the schedule, warn the family, and do whatever I have to do to get over it (in my case, cry and sleep a lot), and do it without guilt.
Anyway, thanks for your concern and feedback!