Can We Relate ? Husbands & Menopause

Hello, friends. This story is intended to be all in fun. I hope if nothing else this makes you laugh because we all know laughter is the best medicine.

Well, about a year ago my husband retired, and at the same time my hormones just happened to flare up, big time. This is not a good combination. It's like putting a bottle of nitro with a stick of dynamite in a bucket and dropping a lit match on it.

Men are just so irritating at times, especially when they notice you're a bit grumpy, and they say, "It must be your hormones, honey." Not a smart thing to say! Are we not already hot enough? I'm sweating bullets here, and he just keeps putting more logs on the fire. Gotta love em, but at the same time you want to send them fishing in a boat with a nice leaky hole in the bottom or a half empty gas tank so they can't possibly make it home for the next few days, preferably weeks. Although I may be a bit irritable, I am not completely heartless. I would send them a loaf of bread, some peanut butter, and a book on hormones. Oops, I forgot to send a jug of water. Well, if he calls on his cell phone that I forgot to charge up, I'll just tell him the thirst is all in his mind, and it's not really 100 degrees outside.

Our poor husbands, they catch all kinds of heck because of our hormones; I do believe they try. You know, ladies, we need to have a class for our menfolk on how to handle wives cautiously and with great understanding during this trying time. This would be nice. We must take a stand for our ever-fluctuating hormones. This is sooo not fair. Women have to not only go through PMS, childbirth, and last, but certainly not least, menopause too.

Man, oh man, guys have it so easy. The only thing they go through is the so called mid-life crisis. We all know what that's supposed to mean. Now, if these guys want to reach the ripe old age of 99, the only mid-life crisis they had better be experiencing is that we are going through menopause, and it is their duty to make our scary little mood swings all better and to faithfully keep the thermostat on 40. Hey, our vows did include the "for better or worse" clause, thank goodness! We might need to add richer or poorer on the thermostat issue.

OK, so I admit I get a little bitter now and then. The things men say... Please don't get me wrong I am a happily married woman for 23 years now. A little humor never hurt anyone, well, unless we're hormonal. Ha - ha

May God bless you ladies & your families.

My Definition of Menopause

Menopause from Mimi's point of view:

My first symptom was a hot flash. A hot flash is actually a series of biochemical events that unfold when your temperature controlling mechanisms start to fail . So now your body thinks it's overheated, even when it's really not. That, in turn, directs your blood vessels to quickly discharge what it thinks is excess heat, which for us usually means a sensation that something is on fire, our body!!!

Now, our bodies have a heck of a little hormonal dance inside. Our estrogen levels jump up, then down and turn us all around. This signals the end of those good ole reproductive years, and that's what causes what I call a total body meltdown. Hot flashes aren't our only enemy during menopause. You can also have symptoms such as insomnia, irritability, fatigue, anxiety, forgetfulness, and depression to name a few.

This is my definition of menopause. It is solely based on my own experiences. I am by no means a physician. If you are ill, always seek the proper medical attention.

HELP!!! I'm Losing My Mind

I'm writing this to let you ladies know that you are not alone when it comes to menopause. Your symptoms can range from mild to moderate or very severe. I happen to be one of the few that have very exaggerated symptoms.I

I feel as if my life has paused for several months just so it can throw a fit. Its an unwelcome inconvenience that is depriving me of life period. My hot flashes are so intense that I sweat severely & at times my skin burns like fire & I am completely drenched. There is no escaping the shower at this point it is my only relief. On a bad day, I have a hot flashes every hour lasting from 5 to 15 minutes each. The hot flashes alone are very physically & mentally draining to say the least.

I must say when the symptoms affect my mental state that's when I stop talking on the phone and do not feel like seeing even my family. Sometimes I miss them so much and I start having feelings of guilt. If your anything like me that really makes things worse because your emotions are already hanging by a thread, you feel as if they will snap at any moment and will unravel for all the world too see. I think every one has felt this way at some point during menopause. I want to say even though I want to close the world off its probably not the best idea.

I hope I don't scare you guys off for telling you like it is, but this is one of those things woman rarely escape in life. Do not fret, I plan to share many things such as mental, physical, and spiritual help. I will put out as many tips on coping with menopause as God leads me. May God Bless and guide you in your decisions to treat this and find relief for your menopausal symptoms.