For the Women - Men read with Caution

Now Men, I'm telling you up front that this has to do with women and their reproductive area. So if this is something you don't care to read, (and if I know you, you probably don't) I've given you fair warning up front. However, if your woman is acting strange and mentioning she doesn't know what is wrong with her body, you may just want to read this for information. Ye been warned - scalliwags!!

I have to honest and say that posting this isn't easy for me. For those who know me, it's not hard to figure out that I will discuss about any topic with anyone. I like to share knowledge that I've gained because learning is a hobby for me. It drives me. But this comes to the person side of me and to spill this is a little difficult.

Lately, I've noticed several changes in myself. For those who are at least 10 years older than me, you probably have already gone through this and are nodding and smiling at yourself that someone of the next generation is experiencing the same thing.

For me, it's been a little difficult to accept that I'm getting older, putting on weight, spreading in areas I don't want to spread. The hardest part has been accepting that I'm getting older, I'm no longer invincible (never was, but always felt I was) and grasping the obvious fact that there are no guarantees in life. Knowing that death means my children will grow up without me, and worse of all, have to live with their biological father, and there's nothing I can do to stop it.

No, there is no terminal illness on my end. Just grasping the changes that have come with getting older. Emotional changes are the hardest on a woman. Feeling more vulnerable to chance. Being irritated and not knowing why. Bouts of depression. I've never been one to be a drag and have usually been able to look at why I feel depressed, (lack of sleep, hormonal times, family issues) but of the last year it's been much harder to control.

The physical changes have been that my skin breaks out at anything, I hurt in the morning, everything I breath goes to my waist line and stays there, tired more often, and that overwhelming-uncontrollable craving for carbs, sugar, sweets and food in general. The top worse (men, I warned you) is that my period are OFF! WAY OFF!! They either last for 7 - 10 days or they just gush. It's horrid. It's getting to the point I'm afraid to go out in when I start. Who knows when I'm gonna go all over the place.

So I call my Mom cause she's a nurse. I didn't like what she said. Mainly cause I didn't want to face it and I've been one that if you don't want to accept it, you work through it and cure it. So being the computer geek I am, I did an internet search last night and I'm SO SO SO glad I did. Here's what I found out.

There's a little thing called perimenapause. It's pre-menapause. Basically, it's the change before the change. Now, we all know about premenstration. Menapause. Why has no one said anything about perimenapause? I feel wronged for lack of knowledge.

The best thing, I'm normal. Whew! It explained so many things. All the symptoms I was going through and several I wasn't. Best of all, it gave treatments. I don't like that word. Sounds like a word a Doctor uses to prescribe medicine. Something I'm not big on. God created a marvelous world and grows the cures for things naturally. There are 'treatments' to help the symptoms. Natural ones. Like eating better, getting more exercise. There are the pills, medicine and such.

Here's something I did learn that bothers me for some of my girlfriends. It says if you have followed the diet fads over the years, eaten low cal diets while you were younger (20's and such) and the Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet, you are only making worse on yourself. In fact, if you have followed these over the years, you have made your body insulin tolerant. That means that your body doesn't recognize the insulin coming into your body naturally and thus is puts a hard craving on sugars, carb and such - even more than the normal cravings that come with the symptoms. This isn't good ladies.

I'm putting in the links for those of you who want to do further study. Regardless, because we live in a drive up nation, I'm copying the symptoms for those of us who are lazy. I do so hope this helps those of you who are in my boat or soon to follow. I just wish someone would have told me and made my life much easier.

Symptoms of Perimenapause

• Menstrual irregularities. The intervals may be longer or shorter, your flow may be scanty to profuse, and you may skip some periods. As ovulation becomes more erratic, the absence of progesterone may lead to longer and heavier periods.
• Hot flashes and sleep problems. About 75 percent to 85 percent of women experience hot flashes during perimenopause. Intensity, duration and frequency vary. Sleep problems are often due to hot flashes or night sweats.
• Mood changes. Hormonal fluctuations may be responsible for the mood swings, depression and irritability you may experience during perimenopause. But these symptoms may also be caused by or aggravated by other symptoms you're experiencing, such as lack of sleep from nighttime hot flashes.
• Vaginal and bladder problems. When estrogen diminishes, your vaginal tissues may lose lubrication and elasticity, making intercourse uncomfortable or painful. Low estrogen levels may also leave you more vulnerable to urinary infections. Loss of tissue tone may contribute to urinary incontinence.
• Decreasing fertility. As ovulation becomes less regular, your ability to conceive decreases. However, as long as you're having periods, pregnancy remains a possibility. If that's not what you want, use birth control until you've had no periods for 12 months.
• Loss of libido. During perimenopause, sexual desire and arousal may gradually decline. The cause may be hormonal, but it can also result from other stresses in your life or your attitude toward aging.
• Body and skin changes. As your estrogen levels decline, your muscle mass decreases, body fat increases, and your waist and abdomen thicken. Lower estrogen levels also affect collagen in your skin, so it gradually becomes thinner and less elastic.
• Loss of bone. As your estrogen levels decline, you may lose bone more quickly than you replace it, increasing your risk of osteoporosis.
• Changing cholesterol levels. Declining estrogen levels may lead to unfavorable changes in your blood cholesterol levels, including an increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the "bad" cholesterol — which contributes to an increased risk of heart disease.

link to info concerning perimenapause

http://www.womentowomen.com/LIBperimenopausearticle.asp

symptoms of perimenapause
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=AD5A5A12-B388-40F4-B8073113B0A8BF4E&dsection=1

http://www.families-first.com/hotflash/news/symptoms.htm

treatments for symptoms of perimenapause

http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/menopause/l/bltreatperimeno.htm

For the men who have endured this, you are braver than most. Hope this helps your lady. For the girlfriends of mine, I got your back. For my family who has daughters, daughters in laws, hope this explains some things. For those who read this and it did nothing, well, I appreciate your time. :)

So good to know I'm normal.