I Need To Get Rid Of This Cold

I have the worse cold. Don't know where it came from or why I got it but I did. Just woke up the other morning talking "like dis, please bake it go away." It felt like I was having hot flashes this morning, but I think it is just because I am not feeling well.

It's a busy time of year for me, and I am still trying to play catch up from being gone a few weeks.

Talked to T and she isn't doing so well with her diet. She doesn't handle stess well, and since perimenopause hit it seems to have compounded the lack of ability to handle the stress plus added some of it's own stress into her life. Poor girl, we'll see if she is still sane - after the holidays.

And how am I doing? I think depression is trying to set in, and I am fighting it all the way. I don't know if it is a depression thing or a grieving thing. A person needs time to grieve and it doesn't always follow the schedule that you wish it would. What ever it is, I foresee that the holidays are going to be a lot harder to deal with this year.

My friend KB is having a really difficult time right now dealing with hot flashes, migraines, heart palps and all the other fun stuff we go through. Her hormones are out of whack, but unlike me, I think for her the cause could be low estrogen her periods are late, breasts are tender and she is retaining a lot of water. She is starting to explore the natural options she has as far as herbal products go. She is thinking if trying Estroven.

That's all the news for now. I need to rest and get rid of this cold.

I'm Back To The Real World

I'm back, whew - what a job that was. I'm glad to be home.

Physically, I feel drained, the work was hard the hours were long. Emotionally, I feel drained, I have another death to deal with.

Actually, I feel like Charlie Brown, someone keeps yanking the football away from me. And right now it seems as though it will never get better. And the holiday season is here - Ohhhhhhhh that's just great, (note the sarcasm you're reading between the lines here) now I have to be getting things ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas too. The holidays are way too commercialized for me.

I am having one of those I want to run away from it all days - again!

Natural Progesterone Cream UPDATE:
On the upside my hormones have stabilized - think. I went off the FemGest progesterone cream when I had my period. It only lasted 5 days and seemed normal. But the best thing was - NO cramps. I have always cramped, I can count the number of times I haven't on one hand. I am hoping that it is an effect of the natural progesterone cream and will continue to be that way. I have read that it is often used to treat cramping as well as heavy bleeding.

The hot flashes came back the second day I was off of it. Remember use the cream 21 days and off for 7. Thankfully the hot flashes subsided the 2nd day I was back to using the progesterone cream. I think that this stuff is really helping my perimenopause hormone levels.

Long Hours and Natural Progesterone Cream

Well, working 14 - 16 hour days of manual labor is a killer.
I am feeling better than I have been. The prolonged bleeding has finally stopped. I don't know if it is the natural progesterone cream - Femgest, or if it is just the natural progression of things. There have been fewer hot flashes the past few days too. So maybe the natural progesterone cream is doing it's job.

I'm short on time right now, but thought I'd make a short post anyway and give everyone a quick update.

Natural Progesterone Cream

The brand of natural progesterone cream I have decided to try is ‘Femgest’ by the Home Health Company.

Progesterone is the forerunner hormone and its job is to help regulate all other endocrine and hormonal activity in the body. In my this case, hopefully it will help to lower the level of estrogen in my body and maybe I will turn back into something that resembles the me I use to be.

The directions say to use it twice a day by applying ¼ to ½ teaspoon to soft areas of skin.

Although it doesn’t give specific directions on the box by searching the internet I found that progesterone cream when used to support perimenopause and to relieve perimenopause symptoms should be used beginning with the 8th day from day one of menstruation onset until the next menstruation cycle begins. And not used at all during your period.

If any of you have experience with this and have found that schedule to not be true please let me know.

Now back to the diet – nothing is happening yet for T or myself, and she has really been working on it with diet and exercise. The weight just seems to hang on. I really believe that once my hormones are balanced and things are working, as they should be the weight will come off much easier.

It irks me the doctors always advise you to watch your stress level and learn to relax but then they charge you hundreds of dollars for a minimal amount of work that they do and expect you to just go with the flow and not worry about making ends meet. I think they have it figured out that if they can stress you out and charge you so much money that you won’t be able to afford to eat you will most likely get sick and have to come back in to their office.

I have to leave on Saturday and travel to do some house remodeling work in the next state over. Have to pay those doctor bills somehow! (Whether I feel like working or not)

I am hoping I can find Internet access while I am there so that I will be able to keep up with this site.

Perimenopause - I've Never Been So Happy To Be Old

I have never been so happy to be old. That’s pretty much what the doctor told me when she finally called with all my test results. It is all due to perimenopause, just as I expected, a hormone imbalance.

For those who do not know what all is going on I have the never ending period, It started on July 1^st and is still going.

Her answer was to put me on hormone therapy or for me to just ride it out. I am going to the store in a little while to pick up some natural progesterone cream in hopes it will straighten this mess out.

So for all you women out there, who are having this problem, don't let it scare you to pieces. Don't listen to all your best friends while they diagnose you with deadly diseases. Chances are in your favor that you have a hormonal imbalance - a normal abnormality caused by perimenopause.
I am not saying don't get it checked out. You are in charge of taking care of yourself.

A bit of advice: Try to look at yourself as your best friend, take care of her, love her and support her. Do what is best for her.

I Thought The Most Embarrassing Times Were Those Awkward Teenage Years?

I thought I had the hotflash thing well enough under control so that If I had one in a public place no one would notice. BOY, was I ever wrong.

I was in line at the store today, minding my own business, standing behind an older gentlemen and his (I assume) wife. I felt the heat starting to rise in me, I tried to look cool. You know, the no problems here kinda attitude. So anyway there I am standing in line and suddenly it was like someone had turned the propane on full blast inside of me and lit a match.
WOOOOOOSH - I felt the flames rise, I swear I could feel it clear up behind my eyeballs. OH dear, the old fellow in front of me chose to turn around – just at that very moment, when the the sweat was gathering on my forehead and upper lip. I smiled at him the best I could, and he asked “Are you alright, you look a little faint.” Sweet old guy, I wanted to sock him. I so wanted to just run away; instead I said, “Yes I’m fine, thank you.” What could I do? My hands were full, I couldn’t even wipe my brow, I’m dripping sweat and feel as though I’ve just crossed the Sahara Desert. Then he turned around, nudged and whispered in the woman’s ear. She turned around and looked at me, gave me a knowing smile and told him in a rather loud voice. (I think he was a little hard of hearing.) “If she says she’s fine then she must be fine, leave the girl alone.” So now on top of the hot flash thing goin’ on I had the embarrassment thing going on. Now I was not only HOT and SWEATY, I was RED. I’m sure it was a lovely shade of bright crimson and everyone within 30 feet was looking at me.

And I thought the most embarrassing times were those awkward teenage years? NOT

Increased Anxiety

Along with perimenopause came increased anxiety. I am lucky, I have been able, for the most part to control it fairly well I am not the kind of person who gets overly nervous over health concerns. At least I have never been that kind of person. But lately – with all the advice I’ve been getting from friends I am starting to go a little nutz!

My usual take on things is a logical approach to health issues. Our bodies are like machines and sometimes things need to be adjusted to make them run smoothly.

It is funny that friends not only give advice but they brainstorm, throw ideas out there on what could be wrong. Just ideas, mind you no real basis for fact. But these ideas can be like seeds that grow into a full-blown jungle; a multitude of illnesses that could kill you off by next month.

Yes, they are my friends and I love them dearly – but I wish they would just shut-up.