Got it and " get it" It's official. I've lost my mind as well as my perkies.

Have you ladies discovered minniepauz ? It's one of several lighthearted menopause sites.

Angela,
That is just too funny.....added it to my favorites
The cruise sounds so wonderful and CHILLING
Wouldn't it be fun to get everyone together and go
(In my dreams ) How would we all say no to all that chocolate (we wouldn't)
Better stay home and sweat
greentea

You know what bothers me most about this stage of my life? The mental fog and forgetfulness. I'm finding this so frustrating. I can go to a meeting at work, and a week later not remember the meeting, who was there, or what was said. I can read a report, and in a few days not remember a single thing from it. I find myself sitting at my desk saying *think Angela, think* It's like my head is a big empty hole, but mostly for work stuff. I don't seem to be too forgetful at home. It's driving me crazy and eating away at my self confidence.

I've tried some of those herbal concoctions to help increase your memory (ginko -b, herbal menopause supplements) but all they do is trigger major headaches for me.

I work mostly with men, and I can't tell them why I'm so forgetful...it's too embarrassing. I don't know how I'm going to manage.

Sorry...just venting.

Angela,
You are so NOT alone there and it can be very scary. I know what
you mean about the confidence drop.
I too wish something could be done to snap this memory back,
in some situations I have found that it can be dangerous.
I read that one way is too keep "exercising the Brain" doing
mental stimulation things like crossword puzzles, brain teaser questions etc.
I'm at the point where I tell myself "I'll never remember that" before I even try anymore. I've been trying to learn a foreign
language and like in almost anything new I do I can't retain anything. If I'm not tested right after studying then forget it It does effect work but thankfully the majority
of co-workers are female and many at the same point I am Its always been said fish is a brain food, I eat a lot of that anyway.
Most Docs will just tell you its part of aging and leave it at that.
Not very comforting is it
Venting back at ya,
greentea

bblondie, go to
www.arbonnconsultantonline.com/progesterone.asp
I learned a few things!

Glad you found my site and even more glad that you've passed it along here. I've been postmenopausal for 15 yrs. and only started on lowcarb eating 8 wks. ago.....I was looking for a board to visit and your post has drawn me in here!

You can be sure that "Minnie Pauz" will be coming out with some funny situations regarding BOTH subjects!

And to Greentea.... I NEED some lowcarbers to go on my cruise with me so I can resist all the chocolate too! The cruise is what motivated me to start getting my weight under control and now I'm convinced I'll be able to do the cruise without doing too much damage! It's going to be a WONDERFUL TIME, hope you'll give it some consideration!

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Hi Minnie Pauz!
I LOVE your site. And OH how I would love to put my life on
"Pause" (no pun intended, they just happen) and go on the cruise I can visualize it now
Unfortunately I don't see a way at this time but who knows how things may change. I've learned to never say never
I will be visiting your site looking for some good laughs and
commensuration
Hope you'll keep visiting us here too. Wow 15 years
You have a wealth of experiences to share. I guess this
will be my 6th year. Although the first 5 I didn't know what
was happening So does that count...LOL
greentea

EVERY experience with our hormones COUNTS! We're all so different so it's been hard to get a firm hold on what is happening. I was totally oblivious for the first 10 yrs.....and this was AFTER my periods stopped and I had hot flashes from hell! So whether you're in peri-meno or post-meno, your experiences will help someone else who is just starting to recognize symptoms.

I'm glad you like the site and hope you will be able to laugh your way through the worst parts...I honestly believe laughter IS the best medicine and there's a lot of stuff on the site to keep you laughing and make you realize that there's a whole bunch of us out there!

If you sign up for the newsletter, you'll be notified when new cartoons or info is added to the site. I've got about 10,000 subscribers at this point so it's the only way I can stay in touch other than sometimes being able to visit boards like this one. Happy to have you aboard the Minnie Pauz Adventure!
Dee

I think it's a hereditary thing. My mom started her TOM late (at about 15) and went through pp in her 50's. She tells me that she never had any symptoms that bothered her, and never needed HRT. She is a tough old immigrant woman, and even when I was in Eastern Europe, not many of those older ethnic women complain about anything, glad to have food on the table and a roof over their heads. Well...I take that back. Many complain about how worthless their men are.

My libido was dead for a long time, but my divorce improved it dramatically. A younger man half my age fell heavily in lust with me, and I with him, and discovered there was nothing wrong with my libido afterall. (I still recommend this "wake-up" remedy for newly divorced women!) We're no longer together (after awhile you run out of things to talk about with the age difference so great) but my libido's been in high gear ever since.

I had a partial hysterectomy when I was 42 (kept my ovaries). I was told that other than the bleeding, that PMS would continue. However, it seems to have left with my uterus. I got my first hot flash when I was about 47. Then I never had another symptom or any sign until this past year. I'm 52.

I'm grateful I don't have to deal with the TOM problems, but the biggest problems for me have been night sweats...they keep me flipping covers on and off all night, almost every night. I used to enjoy my cats cozying up to me, and when cold, they'd keep me warm...but now they don't just keep me warm, they trigger nightsweats or hotflashes at night when they cozy up against me. The daytime hotflashes still come on occasion, but not as much as they did in the spring....or at least I haven't noticed them during the summer when it's hot anyway.

I haven't even considered HRT because I feel it's a natural thing to go through, regardless the symptoms and HRT is a way by which to make us wimps comfortable despite the intentions of nature and our bodies. Perhaps I can be smug about it because I've been relatively comfortable with it all...haven't had major symptoms...just dealing with each as it comes up and going on. I figure that my symptoms won't get any worse than my mother's were...but I suppose only time will tell.

AJ

Especially about the younger guy! hahahah...the last time I lost a bunch of weight and felt really good about myself, I was also attracted to guys younger than myself, but alas....that was over 10 years ago, so now at 54 I'm starting over with getting back in shape. The older I get, the harder it is, but I'm so encouraged that I'll be happy just to get into smaller clothes, much less to worry about my libido!

I've been divorced for 21 years so I'm not sure if I even want anyone in my life at this point. That's one thing about reaching middle-age, I truly enjoy being alone. Kind of selfish I guess, but who gives a damn?

I started Minnie Pauz about 5 years ago and it could very well become the "Dilbert" of middle-aged women all over the world. I figure if I get rich and famous, why would I want some guy around to share? There was no one around when I was going through menopause so I guess I saved someone a lot of grief!

Hey Tikerberi,
Welcome to the club!
We've got the libido thing in common that's for sure. I have to laugh thinking my first husband would never believe my appetite
for "celery" now but I couldn't stand him anyway. I would have taken tranquilizers rather than indulge
I have a question for you or anyone who can answer...(Minnie Pauz????)
When your finally over having TOMS are you also free of the
pre TOM symptoms I think about how when I was pregnant
and TOM's stopped I still had all the pre TOM garbage but none of
the relief once it started. I hope Post-menn isn't like that
I hope I don't get to the point where I need any kind of operation.
I know my mother didn't and I only know that because I know she was never in the hospital for anything.
A lot of friends are having medical things of one sort or another
done relating to this stage of life. UGH
greentea

I'm still missing it--celery?

Hi skywind
Tried to PM you but I guess you need to have a few more posts before you can recieve those.
Wellllll "celery" became a code word after a very innocent
conversation between bblondie and I.
Hint, you wouldn't have become a mother without it
I use it so I don't offend anyone. Don't want people shying away
from the thread 'cause they think we're too open
greentea

I'm so happy to see this little group expanding. It sure is great to talk to folks who understand, and can giggle at some of the things we are going through.

Welcome Tiki, Seawind and Minnie.

I had the wierdest experience with hot flashes last Jan/Feb. It was a few months after I started LCing, and the longest period of time I went without TOM visiting. I would get these little hot flashes, starting around 6:30 in the evening, and ending by 10 pm. They'd last for under a minute, but the heat was intense. I spent most of that 2 months in fits of laughter every time one of them hit because it felt so weird. I haven't had them since. I'd hate to get the kind that drench you with sweat.

Most of what I'm dealing with now is the very irregular cycles, huge mood swings (at least now I can start to recognize when I'm organizing a giant pity part) and the mental fogginess. Fortunately, my husband is a good sport about all of this and usually brings me back to sanity with a bit of humor.

It's wonderful that we can be so in tune with our bodies.

Hey AngelaR
It is fun to see the group expand...stick with us we need you
I haven't had the kind of heat flashes you discribed. Did have a friend that did and she'd turn all kinds of red, used to say she felt like she was about to self-combust
I get the drenching night sweats. I've even had to get up and put a huge towel under me cause the sheets were so wet
When those first started it was everynight, now its every now and then. Wonder how winter will effect me.
This thread has helped me calm down about TOM being late
or not there (have only missed 1 month so far) I used to panic
thinking I was pregnant. Change of life babies seem to run in the family I went through having two a month and that is worse than night sweats
It sure helps when you have an understanding DH doesn't it
Like Minnie says.....Humor is the best med.
Did ya read my reply about the mental stimulation for memory?
I was typing an e to bblondie tonight and then forgot what I was typing....back to the crosswords
greentea

I'm on my way to bed, long day and very tired. (I would love to discuss the pros and cons of having a relationship with a man half one's age...there are many of each, a real rockin-roller coaster ride .. but I'm too tired right now )

I just wanted to comment to greentea and anyone else having memory problems, that my memory problems started long ago. I used to forget lots of things, especially as a teenager, and I can still hear them saying, "You'd forget yer head if it wasn't screwed on."

Later, I still forgot things, car keys, books to take to the library, to sign notes from teachers, and many other things.

I think now that I'm older, I don't really forget any more than I always did. I think that along with other concerns of old age, I just seem to see every little foible and fumble as a sign of my getting older. Yet, I know that in many ways things are no different than they were before, and when I think hard enough, I now forget the types of things I've always forgotten.

Nowadays, if I'm at work, for example, in the middle of the hallway, standing there, looking perplexed, not remembering where I was headed and why, and someone comes by and asks me what's wrong, I tell them "An attack of CRS."

When they ask," What's CRS?" I answer "Can't Remember Sh*t!" For some reason this attitude seems to put a humorous spin on accepting my age,while at the same time not lapsing into the concerns of demential or alzheimers. It helps me while it makes others smile.

Anyway, goodnight all.

AJ