I’m in–email sent! I’ve been starting into menopause for several months–light periods, missed periods, etc. I’m just 38, but my mom started fairly early (though not this early) and I lost an ovary because of a tubal pregnancy in 1992, and I was told that I’d probably start earlier than the “norm.” To tell the truth, I’m more than ready, because I had my tube tied (I only had the one to tie!) and won’t be having any more kids anyway, so the whole thing was just a big mess! But today, I have been so grouchy (read: bitchy) for no good reason, and I figure it must be the hormones. It’d be nice just to see and hear that I’m not abnormal!
At least I haven’t had to deal with the hot flashes yet!
Those of you who sent me emails should have received invitations from the Yahoo Group I just set up called, “Women on Fire.” Those of you who are experiencing menopause, uh, signs (I read somewhere that I’m not supposed to call them “symptoms,” since menopause isn’t an illness after all, but I draw the line at calling it a beautiful experience just because it’s natural), anyway, I’m drifting here. Where was I? Oh yeah: Those of you who are experiencing the “life transition” called perimenopause or menopause understand the title of the group.
After I get your email I have to “okay” you to Yahoo Groups, which limits the group to members so that not just anybody from anywhere can show up. It also has the advantage of making me the boss of something, which I enjoy since I don’t even have a job right now. Really, though, I’m just the secretary. So come join us.
I had a hysterectomy a year ago and now people hate me.
Okay, that is a bit far, but they go crazy if they are around me too long.
Mood swings that leave my childrens heads spinning, hot flashes that make nobody want to ride in my van (windows up, windows down, air on, air off, then time for some heat).
Hubby and I are having issues in the bedroom, but it’s not because of sex, it’s because first I have the fan on, and then it’s off.
I get up in the middle of the night to soak my feet and hands in cool water, and I’m in general falling apart.
Does any of this count for anything or am I just an impossible bitch?
Women who start menopause because of a hysterectomy or other surgery have even more discomfort, seems like. Is treatment out of the question? It’s a trade-off, I know, which is why I think it would be good to discuss with others. There are a few forums in Yahoo Groups that were started by women who wanted to discuss their experiences with early menopause because of surgery, and how they are addressing these issues. You can search Yahoo Groups to find them.
So I can’t play with you guys?
See, they left me one ovary so that way this stuff wouldn’t happen or I wouldn’t have to go on hormone threapy. Doesn’t seem like that worked too well.
Thanks for the advice, I will look for a group.
No, no, no, of course you can join our group! There are lots of people in your boat in the group now: one ovary, no ovaries, all kinds. I just wanted to let people know, in case they want a more specifically focussed menopause discussion group. In fact, I’m pretty sure there is a Yahoo Group for Women of Color Cello- players with Tourette’s Syndrome and a hysterectomy.
Count me in – email sent! I don’t have many women friends my age (52), and I would LOVE to have some other folks to talk about. I’m in the stuttering-periods stage, no hot flashes (or do we say the cutesy “power surges”? nah, I don’t think so) yet, but I’m sure my time’s coming soon.
My SIL is 4 years younger than me, and just recently started having hot flashes and migraines. Her doctor told her the migraines were hormone-related. I found that interesting, because my mom’s migraines became LESS severe as she got older.
“Topsy-turvy” is my way of making light (heh heh) of the situation
Really, I was like clockwork, giving a day here and there, for the longest time. Nowadays I have no idea when or where. The fact that it’s shortening at an alarming rate makes me positively batty. Grr.
Count me in, too, please.
I’m 49 and have been going through it for a few years now. A couple of years ago when my moods swings were at their worst my boss (who had gone through it herself) said “Stavia, you are going to take something for this. I don’t care what you take, but you are going to take something!”. I can laugh about it now but at the time it was frightening because I truly felt as though I were losing my mind.
I don’t know whether this will resonate with anyone else, but…
Until earlier this year I’d gotten my period every 4 weeks for the previous 38 years, with a few months off for pregnancy. And even then, a few weeks after the birth, there they were, back again. More reliable and predictable than the cats coming in for feeding.
Then earlier this year, while I was under a lot of work stress, they became erratic. Doc said I was probably heading into perimenopause, to take care not to get pregnant, and it would undoubtedly be a relief when it was done with.
And I feel odd about this. The periods have evened out again but the idea that I would no longer have them was disconcerting. I am just used to having them. It is almost as if they are a punctuation of time. I don’t consciously have a “loss of youth and fertility” worry, but more a sense of loss of a something I am used to.
I’m on Depo Provera, so I don’t have periods (and don’t, quite frankly, miss them), but I have night sweats that would send Moses running for the hills, so count me in! I just emailed you, JillGat.
Our Yahoo group is fairly large and nicely diverse and we are still open to new members. Just shoot me an email if you’re interested in joining. Here is my latest post to the newsgroup:
After weighing the benefits and risks, I told you that I decided to
use the slow-release estradiol skin patch (Climara .06 once a week).
It’s a more consistent dose than a pill and bypasses the liver, is
low dose (although I think there are even a couple of lower doses
than the one I’m on). Although it’s still possible that this added
estrogen might pose the same risks found in the recent women’s study,
from my research these risks are very slight for someone with my
medical history.
It’s also a much lower dose than the drug used in the study. In fact
even with Premarin (the pill used in the study that showed an
increase in heart disease and other problems), when you translate the
risks seen in a population to the potential risks in an individual,
they are very, very slight, especially if ERT is used for less than
five years. This is my interpretation, of course, and I’m no
expert.
The benefits to me are the complete cessation of hot flashes and
night sweats and protection of bone mass (one of the known benefits
of estrogen replacement). I also have to take progesterone for 12
days a month.
This is not for everyone, obviously, and some don’t even have this
option because of their health history. Some people are leery of
taking a lot of drugs into their system, and I respect that, too. I
just wanted to report that I am doing well and having no side effects
and am not missing the hot flashes at all!
Now I just gotta do something about the weight gain.
Count me in. All the books tell me that at nearly 36 I’m too young for perimenopause but what do books know?
Here’s what makes me think I’m part of the Women on Fire gang:
Last November I got my period, as usual. Seventeen days later, I got it again. Seventeen days later I got it again.
I can’t sleep at night b/c I’m either freezing to death (hey! where did the covers go?) or burning up (get these covers off!) I yell at people for no reason. Sometimes just having somebody in the same room with me pisses me off. I…um…what was I saying? Stop looking at me!
As a RN on a OB/GYN floor, I talk with the docs. As a 42 year old perimenopausal woman, I talk with my fellow RNs, average age 46. And I still need a discussion group! Email sent.
Do I have to have a Yahoo email addy to join a Yahoo board? That’s not a problem but I’ve been meaning to change my email address here for a while since I can no longer remember the password for the one I’m registered with.
Jabiru,
I think you might have to create a yahoo account to join the group - I’m not sure, since I already have one. It’s easy to do. The Women on Fire list isn’t connected to the SDMB in any way - I just advertised it here. You will need to send a note to the SD webmaster to change your email address here, I think.
To join the Women on Fire group, you need to send me an email so I can send you an invitation. My email address is 6JillGatNM6atAOL.com. Take out the 6s and change the “at” to @.
I’m only 38, too - I don’t know if I should join in or not. I know perimenopause is around the corner, but I don’t know if I’m in it yet or not. Is that one of those kind of things that if you have to ask, you don’t have it?
