If I'd known then what I know now ...
When I moved back to NY in 1980, I developed a friendship with Toni. Toni took care of my grandmother when her health was failing. At the time we became friends, Toni was 50--the same age as my mom. Toni was totally different, though, vivacious and fun and a total nut. It was so much fun to be around her. Well, there was one thing Toni would bring up and that was whether she was pregnant or in menopause. I thought she was a little obsessive about it. She'd say she hadn't gotten her period in a couple of months, she didn't know what was going on with her period and so on. I thought, geez, it'd be such a wonderful thing, why complain about it when you are period free for months at a time?
Heh. Now I know.
It's like when I first started my period--I was irregular and never knew when I would get it. In a way, it was a little nerve wracking because back in the day of the dinosaur, there was no tampons (at least, not that I was aware of at my young age) and when I first began getting it, I was a tomboy. I didn't carry a purse. My mom would say, always carry a pad with you "In case". So I had to start carting a purse around which was very annoying to me.
Soon after Rich died, I began skipping periods. I was 46 and figured it was all the stress and grief. My doctor thought it was possible but that I might also be "peri-menopausal". That's no picnic, believe me. In the last year or two, I've gone from skipping a period every other month to going up to 6 months without one. Meanwhile, I still have PMS-type symptoms, especially the emotional mood swings. All that was missing is the mess. I had a blood test that showed that yes, I'm in that lovely transitional phase of menopause.
I totally sympathize with what Archie said to Edith in the classic All in the Family series. Okay, Edith, he said (or something like it), you've got 5 minutes...now change!
One thing--once I have gone a full year without a period, that's it. I think.
I just haven't gotten there yet. The last time I'd gotten a period was when we were in Tennessee. That was a lot of fun--I wasn't expecting it (I think I'd gone 6 months at that point) and had to get to a store. Yeesh.
And now it's back.
My counselor says, don't worry, in 2 years you'll be feeling much better.
Dang, I'd rather change in 5 minutes!
Posted by Cassie at April 12, 2006 06:28 PM | TrackBack