The Menopause Journals

Cathy Tiffany, author

I'm 42.  I'm in menopause.  Seriously - full blown, no periods menopause.  The new period thing I dig.  The hot flashes, body changes, sleep altering stuff - I do not.  It's really strange.  I got off the birth control pill three yearsish ago.  As soon as I did, I dropped 5-7 pounds (I'm thin anyway), the nifty wave in my hair disappeared, My sleep went to hell in a hand-basket and my hot flashes went from occasional to crazy.  Oh yeah - and my breasts started leaking milk.  Really?

My next gyno visit bought me a mammogram, an internal and external ultrasound (by a male technician - great.) and blood work $$$.  Anyhoo - as suspected, all was fine, but I am one of not many my age that is in early menopause.

The thinner you are, the younger you are and the faster you go from regular periods –irregular periods – no periods, the worse your hot flashes are.

Isn’t this crazy?  What is the pits is that my gyno office was so worried that they signed me up for all these tests, but once everything was OK, they sent me on my way with no info as to how best to deal with all this crap.  Hmmmm.

My hot flashes went away for a bit but are now back and my body is changing, which is not making me happy.  I’ve been blessed with a high metabolism and don’t have to be too careful with what I eat, but choose to eat healthy.  I now better start watching or I won’t be happy L

So, as an act of sisterly love, if you happen to be facing any of this, I researched info on my own that will help alleviate these symptoms.  As I was reading these symptoms (just now) I am shocked that I see several other things that happened to me that are all associated with menopause!!  Aha – I’m NOT falling apart or crazy!!

Common and not so common symptoms:

• Hot flashes and/or night sweats
• Fatigue
• Cravings for sweets or carbohydrates
• Diminished sexual desire, vaginal dryness
• Irritability, mood swings, depression, and/or anxiety
• Insomnia or restless sleep
• Fuzzy thinking (difficulty concentrating, memory problems)
• Weight gain, especially around the middle
• Stiffness and joint issues
• Irregular periods

Other menopause symptoms include headaches, heart palpitations, thinning hair, dry skin, dry eyes, increased facial hair, urinary dysfunction, and digestive problems.

Common Treatments:

Avoid caffeine/alcohol
• Sleep 7-8 hours per   night
• Intake vitamins B,C,D,E
• Practice breathing   exercises
• Eat a balanced diet
• Exercise regularly
• Stay hydrated

Here is a link that had much more info……http://www.34-menopause-symptoms.com/treatments.htm

Water, Water Everywhere

As I was on my way to a medical appointment, pounding down 25 oz. of water in 10 minutes (literally), it struck me how millions of people in this world don't even get 25oz of water a week to drink.  Think about that:  884 million people lack access to safe water supplies; approximately one in eight people. More sad stats (thanks to Water.org):

• A typical bathtub, if you are lucky enough to have the time to take a bath every day, holds about 151L.  Someone living in a slum typically only gets 30L for all of their needs; that number will be even less if you lived in a remote area.
• Waterborne diseases cause 1.4 million deaths in children every year.  Most are a result of drinking or bathing in unsanitary water.
• Millions of women and children spend hours a day collecting water from distant, unsanitary sources.

Oh, I could hit you with tons more statistics; they're all over the web.  My thought wasn't about stats, but about how #1, fortunate we are to not have to face thirst, real thirst for which you have nothing to quench it and #2, how much we waste without even thinking about it.  I recall how in the summer, my daughter would take a swig of water & spit it out all over the place, just goofing off.  Makes that seem not so funny, when you picture a sad little face that hasn't had but a sip of water in a couple of days.

I am well aware that this is a real downer and come on, do I really think about that every time I drink water?  No, but I am genuinely conscious of how I use it.  If I'm not going to drink the rest of my water, I put it in the refrigerator for later, or use water that I boiled spaghetti in to water my plants, etc.

As a B.A.B.E, I really do feel that I want to & should not only live the way I dream the world to be, but also maybe, just maybe, be an example to others.  Never know, it might catch on.