I don't post much these days, but I do read from time to time and your new thread caught my eye. I'll be more than happy to chime in.
Like you, my entire adult life I was fortunate enough to have extremely predictable periods with some minor incoveniences. I could literally count mine to the day and hour... but no longer.
A few months after Mr. Wonderful moved out, I started getting erratic periods, hot flashes at night, and some symptoms most folks would label as PMS. When I started intermittently spotting, that's when I checked in with my OB/GYN. I had just turned 41...
She did some blood work and gave me the news that I was in periomenopause and that my "train had officially left the station". I was a little more than incredulous, as my family history has shown early starts and later menopauses... when she told me that extreme stress is the #1 trigger for the menopausal process. She figures I started about 3 years sooner than she would have liked to see, but there was no stopping now.
While I still have the awful hot flashes (mostly at night, but sometimes they happen during the day now) and the intermittent spotting, as well as the most erratic cycle on the planet now, I'm a bit more comfortable with all the unknowns. I've been reading books about menopause and trying to educate myself on the options available once my periods stop coming.
1. Be kind to yourself, GF. You'd be patient with your mom or other friend who was uncomfortable, so extend yourself the same latitude.
2. Use this opportunity to get in better physical shape... it helps your PMA and it also mitigates some of the natural side effects that go along with this process.
3. Get enough rest.
4. Develop even better eating habits--and make sure you are drinking plenty of water. I mean more than you feel you need if you're not doing 8-10 glasses already. You might want to do a little web surfing on dietary changes that help these types of mood fluctuations?
5. Check out herbal supplements--black cohosh is available OTC and you can find it at Costco. It leaves a nasty taste in the mouth but it does help after you start taking it for a few weeks or so.
It's just the beginning, Corri--and I wish I had better news for you. But it doesn't ever go back to the way things used to be. I hate it too.
Hugs,
Betsey
p.s. Oh yeah, I now cry at the drop of a hat. That sucks the most.
"There are only 2 ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
I hate it too.
Betsey