M is for...

M is for...making, moving, menopause

I've already written plenty about making. And moving. The whole first year of my blog was pretty much about moving. So that leaves...

M is for menopause (sorry guys)

My mother, my maternal aunt and my sister all had hysterectomies so I had no role model for this inevitable transition in my life. I had no idea what to expect, genetically speaking, or even when I might expect it to occur. As it happened, it occurred quite early. I was 44 when I had my last period.

I always thought that was pretty young. Not that I missed having my periods or anything. I was quite happy for them to be gone especially as I was doing the river guide thing then and there is nothing worse than having to deal with that on a three day wilderness canoe camping trip. And believe me, there is something about being in the wilderness that will bring it on. I always carried supplies with me for our guests who were surprised by an early visit.

Kinda gives me a new appreciation for the ancient practice of sending the women to 'the tent' during their time of the month. I used to think of it as some sort of banishment for being 'unclean' but now I realize it was a vacation from all the work they had to do. Wish I could get a 5 day vacation every month.

Anyway.

Some women hardly notice menopause besides the obvious. For others it is a terrible time of changes going on in the body. Sort of like going through puberty, only backwards. For me, it was a long slow decline.

The first few years after the last event were blissfully non-symptomatic. I seemed to be more susceptible to the heat but I was hanging out in the desert all the time so what did I expect? Then one day, I felt this ball of heat start building up in my solar plexus, spreading out to all my extremities (sort of like an orgasm only centered higher up and not nearly as pleasant) until I finally broke out in a sweat.

Uh oh.

After the novelty wore off which happened at about light speed it became a decidedly unpleasant experience. I took to carrying around a japanese paper fan. Didn't matter where I was...home, grocery store, temple, standing in line to vote...out came that fan.

The Hot Flashes were accompanied by the Night Sweats. Throw off the covers, pull them back on, throw off the covers, pull them back on...all night. This went on for a couple of years. Eventually the HFs and the NSs tapered off and I would only break into a sweat as I drifted off to sleep and as I was waking up. Even that eventually stopped...mostly.

Except for the whole new general sweating thing.

I never used to sweat. At best, I'd perspire some, but rolling off your face sweat? Never. At 5'4” and 105 lbs soaking wet, I was always cold natured. My lips and nail beds would turn blue if I stayed in the water too long in the middle of summer.

So, in the end, that's what menopause did for me. Totally reversed my internal thermal settings. Which makes it a challenge here in South Texas where the summers were long and hot even before global warming.

I must say, though, it's nice to no longer be at the mercy of estrogen. I don't miss the monthly emotional roller coaster, the bleeding, the succumbing to the grip of lust.

Oh, wait.

Sometimes...sometimes, I miss it terribly.