My New Happy: Perimeno.....what?

Monday, April 14, 2014

Perimeno.....what?

In my head I'm forever 29, give or take a few years.  When I pass by a mirror, however, I'm often surprised at my reflection, because that is NOT what 29 looks like. Whatever...being young is a state of mind, right?  Don't get me wrong, I'm not unhappy with my age or with getting older.  I have learned so much from my past experiences and I am much more comfortable in my own skin now. But most days I still FEEL like I'm 29.

About a month ago I went to the doctor for my yearly check-up and I mentioned a few symptoms I'd been having.  Without even looking up, Dr. G replied, "well, you've probably entered perimenopause".  My first response was Perimeno....what?  Of course I've heard of menopause, but I thought that was something you went through for several joyful years in your 50's and then it was over.

The rest of the appointment passed in a blur.  I think Dr. G explained the ins and outs of perimenopause, but this is what was going on in MY head.  



When I got home, I did what every informed person does - jumped on the internet. Egads! Perimenopause IS a real thing, and everything I read sounded exactly like me. Let me save you the days of research I did and sum up:  it's basically reverse puberty. We spend our teen years getting into this hormonal mess, and now we have to get back out.

Perimenopause is the passage to menopause that usually occurs between the ages of 40 and 50 as your body is starting to produce less estrogen.  It can last for several months or up to 10 years, depending on how lucky or unlucky you are :).  When you have had no periods for 12 months, you are officially in menopause.  Symptoms of perimenopause can include fatigue, headaches or migraines, irregular periods, mood swings, sleeping issues, hot flashes, frequent urination and anxiety.  Check, check and check.  Except the hot flashes...I'm cold ALL the time.



So there it is.  It's a real thing and I'm in it.  My poor husband turned pale when I told him. We have two teens in the house - now 3/4 of us have hormones that are out of whack. Poor guy.

The question is, what can I do about it?  I'm not a huge fan of taking medication unless I really need it, so I will have to work on the things I can control.  That means striving to improve my overall health by exercising, eating well, taking supplements and trying to be less stressed. That last one will be hard, since everybody else in this house keeps dragging me into their stress filled lives :)

I can also write about it, which is always therapeutic for me, so here we are.  In all of my research on the internet, I found lots of technical information, but not a lot of real women sharing their struggles and concerns about perimenopause.  Our society places such value on youth, so nobody seems to want to talk about this.  But I do.  

Every week I plan to write about this journey I'm taking and share some things that are working for me.  Being depressed about it won't do me any good, so I may as well laugh about it. Maybe somebody out there will say "me too" and we can have a chat.  It's so much easier to get through something challenging with friends.



Have a great week....Lana




11 comments:

  1. You have already shared some valuable information, and this shows potential to be an interesting weekly post!

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    1. Thanks. Now if I could just find the bloggers who are in the same boat...

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  2. I'm actually continually shocked I'm not there yet (I'm 45) but there are some months I'm actually looking forward to it (I'll spare you the ugly details). I love your attitude about it and cheers to laughing rather than crying. I know what you mean about feeling 29, because me too! And then those pesky wrinkles in the mirror remind me...
    Glad you commented because I'm excited to get to know you more!

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    1. Thanks so much for coming over to my blog. I'm looking forward to reading more at your site :).

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  3. Lana, thank you for the sweet comment you left me at Poofing the Pillows. You really made my day!

    I'm right there in perimenopause with you and I'm 50. I have trouble sleeping, watch out I might scream at you, wait a second and I'll cry, my boobs hurt, is that fat around my belly button, and other symptoms. Do you like that sentence? No hot flashes though, thank goodness. Doctor says it's all normal but it's a little bit challenging for sure. Inside I still feel 29. Life is good though and you just have to laugh and keep a positive attitude. :)

    You'll enjoy blogging...there are so many genuinely nice people out there.

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    1. I appreciate you stopping by. I love that sentence - it sums everything up perfectly!

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  4. No reason to be depressed--normal, natural progression of life and it can be as easy or as difficult as we make it. For me there were more symptoms than in meno but I didn't realize what they were so I sort of ignored and coped. Only when it was over did i realize it!

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    1. It took me a while to figure out what was going on. I agree - no reason to be depressed. It's nice to talk to other ladies who have made it through :)

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  5. I'm pushing 49 but so far, nada! Maybe I'll be one of the lucky ones that escapes menopause unscathed. Or maybe it'll hit me all at once, like a freight train. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you stay unscathed :)

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