Breakthrough?

   Breakthrough? I don't know...see what you think.   Sunday through Thursday, I've woken up with very uncomfortable bloating, stuff rolling around in my gut, and severe backaches. On Sunday, I was still extremely fatigued and was getting waves of That Feeling (clamminess, anxiousness, fear, sense of emotional and/or mental instablility), so I decided to stay in bed until I felt better. I think I got up 3 times to go the bathroom. The following days, while I still needed to sleep a lot, I felt much better during the day, to the point of doing some actual cooking. Not once did I end up clutching my pillow and crying like a baby. It was....GREAT! This is the longest period I've gone of being even CLOSE to normal since April.    So, is this a breakthrough, or just an interval? Is taking all those vitamin supplements, adjusting my approach to this condition, and getting all the sleep that I can when I need it without question, anger, guilt, or frustration...is it all finally working? And if so, will it continue to work? Did the really Bad Episodes end, or will I continue having to make periodic trips to the Pit of Despair and Dementia?OMG, if only this were a sign that those Horrible Days are over! I would be SO HAPPY if the remainder of this menopause was like the last few days; I allowed myself to take lots of time off and get a lot of rest, but I got more things done and had more energy since Monday than I had in the whole last two months (or more). When I started to feel bad, I'd take a Gas-Ex and lay down. I try to eat an extremely light dinner, and get to bed early (11 or 11:30, while it's been close to 1 am since I graduated from elementary school). If I started to feel despair, I'd fight it; talk myself into remembering that this will PASS, it's not forever. I allow my List of Things To Do to not be carved in stone; if I can do it, I'll do it. If I can't, whatever it is will simply have to wait. (It's isn't as if I never had to work around someone else, is it?)     So maybe this is it! If only, if only! I know that going back to my old levels of achievement and energy is gone, but if I can just do half of the things that I used to do, if I could get up half of the time and be excited about my life, if I could feel useful and happy half the time, it'd be worth the time spent in bed (especially if I wasn't feeling nearly as bad as I have been in the past).    And if this is just a pleasant break, and I'm destined to return every so often to the Pit, well, at least I know I'm not alone, thanks to all of you who have shown concern and have commented and sent hugs, messages, and flowers! I wouldn't have made it this far without you, my friends. Thanks for being there for me!  Hugs & chocolate kisses,MKal