Menopause, The Musical

Menopause The Musical, a worldwide cult theatre hit celebrating memory loss, grey hair and chocolate binges, brought critics out in a hot flush when it hit London this week.

The show rewrites hits from the 1960s and 1970s to examine the perils of "the change of life" -- "My Guy" by Mary Wells is transformed into "My Thighs," while the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" becomes an ode to a sex aid.

Since its premiere in 2001, the musical, which shows the friendship between four women who meet while fighting over lingerie in a department store, has been seen by over eight and a half million people in nine countries.

Well, you've just got to laugh about it. Or rather, that's what I hear.... okay ... you can stop laughing now.!

link

Third Age

This was one of those crappy Mondays where I didn't get anything done. Why not? I sure was busy all day. Because I didn't manage my time well at all.

First I did a little bit of A, then left it, went onto B. Did a little bit of B, got distracted and moved onto C. And on and on. I'm tired now and nothing's accomplished. By the end of this alphabet soup of a day I didn't get anything done.

Do you ever have a day like this? I'm really going to need a plan for Tuesday.

And I've been doing way too much thinking lately. Can I be honest with you? I'm a little apprehensive about getting older. Scared? Yes. That, too. An at 54 years old, and with birthdays flying by so quickly, I want to make sure I have my head on straight. I don't want to become some bitter old lady.

I want to explore this angle of my Third Age--that time between menopause and death. Sounds gruesome, doesn't it? But it's supposed to be a beautiful time in your life. I'd like to get some feedback from you all and learn more about growing old as gracefully and passionately and with as much fun as I possibly can. It doesn't have to be a bad ride on the Other Side. To be continued...!

Just a quick bit to express myself this morning. You guys know how I hate to talk about myself, but, I finally made a doctor's appointment and am going later this morning. I don't expect to know what's wrong with me today, because I feel like I'll be referred to another doc, but it's a start. When I feel something's wrong with me, I think it's either all in my mind or it's menopause symptoms first. But now there are physical signs I'm having that are neither in my head or menopausal. So, I'm a little scared. After smoking for nearly 40 years and no mammogram in several years, I a little scared. And relieved that my chicken shit self finally is going to the doctor.

So that's where my head has been for the past several weeks and I felt I should explain. I've not been online nearly as much and haven't visited many of you much lately, but I'm still curious as to what's going on in your lives! I hope to visit with you all real soon. xoxo

Well, the NaNo is a bust. I just can't get into it at all. I don't have the heart to write. I just don't and that's essential. I started the project with no earthly idea what I was going to write about. None whatsoever. I waited on inspiration that never came and is still so far behind I may never see it again. I cried for 6 days after the election and then the war in Iraq escalated. War just really leaves me undone. My fragile head doesn't need much more to load it up. With menopause and the reality of an empty nest before long, I'm just frazzed. I'm always the strong one and it's been hard to see myself feeling so defenseless against the world. What would I do without you online guys? You have no idea how much I cherish your support. xoxo Now, I have GOT to get my ass in gear and visit with you. Skyler went to Atlanta today to see Cradle Of Filth, how's that for a Metal band name? She'll be back tomorrow, so I have some online time. Smoochies...

ALL STRESSED OUT AND NO ONE TO CHOKE

Think you may be losing your mind? Just reading this list may ease your mind to know it's all part of the big plan. I used to think my Mother was insane when she'd stick her head in the freezer. Now I totally get it.
The Menopausal Years by: Susun S Weed is a good online read which breaks it down in stages.

Perimenopause or premenopause is the time before actual menopause. This phase lasts 5 to 13 years & is when you experience most of the symptoms. Menopause is actually a one day event--the last day of your last ever period. Of course, you will not know when that day occurred until you no longer have periods. The average age for menopause is 51. Post-menopause begins 1 year after your LAST period.

The 35 Symptons Of Menopause
1. Hot flashes, flushes, night sweats and/or cold flashes, clammy feeling___________
2. Bouts of rapid heart beat____________
3. Irritability____________
4. Mood swings, sudden tears____________
5. Trouble sleeping through the night (with or without night sweats)__________
6. Irregular periods; shorter, lighter periods; heavier periods, flooding; phantom periods, shorter cycles, longer cycles__________
7. Loss of libido__________
8. Dry vagina __________
9. Crashing fatigue____________
10. Anxiety, feeling ill at ease___________
11. Feelings of dread, apprehension, doom___________
12. Difficulty concentrating, disorientation, mental confusion___________
13. Disturbing memory lapses____________
14. Incontinence, especially upon sneezing, laughing; urge incontinence___________
15. Itchy, crawly skin__________
16. Aching, sore joints, muscles and tendons____________
17. Increased tension in muscles____________
18. Breast tenderness___________
19. Headache change: increase or decrease____________
20. Gastrointestinal distress, indigestion, flatulence, gas pain, nausea__________
21. Sudden bouts of bloat___________
22. Depression__________
23. Exacerbation of existing conditions___________
24. Increase in allergies___________
25. Weight gain________
26. Hair loss or thinning, head, pubic, or whole body; increase in facial hair______
27. Dizziness, light-headedness, episodes of loss of balance_______
28. Changes in body odor________
29. Electric shock sensation under the skin and in the head__________
30. Tingling in the extremities__________
31. Gum problems, increased bleeding_________
32. Burning tongue, burning roof of mouth, bad taste in mouth, change in breath odor_______
33. Osteoporosis (after several years)___________
34. Changes in fingernails: softer, crack or break easier__________
35. Tinnitus: ringing in ears, bells, 'whooshing' buzzing etc._________

A Susan*Jayne Public Service Announcement
Link

Got up, lit two cigarettes and thought to myself that maybe I should go back to bed and start over. Or maybe I'll just try some more coffee. Three cups later, I'm still not with it. Oh, the joys of menopause. Yeah, that's it. I'll blame it on menopause. Sigh...guess I can go visit my favorite weblogs and hope for an awakening. Or a swift kick in the ass to get me started.

Went to the mailbox and my checks arrived. I went online to imagechecks on Jan 10, because I only had about 5 checks left. I hit the "re-order" link, since I've ordered from them before, and sat back and waited for my checks to arrive. After about 10 days, and no checks, I remembered that they have my OLD address, not my current one, since I had moved in October. Lovely. They don't forward checks and my local post office didn't know for sure what they'd done with them. I ended up ordering another batch of checks. Now I'm into them for about $45-$50 and still no checks, just one left in my checkbook. The reason I order checks online is because they're much cheaper than the checks the bank gets for you. Well, both orders show up today. One with my new address and the ones with my old address. We pay many things online and use our visacard for many things, but we still need checks for the whole 'writing checks on Thursday because you don't have money in the account until Friday' thing. And for mailing other bills. But mostly for the robbing-peter-to-pay-paul thing. (At my Bank of America account online, they ask you to name your accounts, and my Checking is named: Peter; and the Savings is named: Paul)

Now don't sit there and act like you don't know what I'm talking about. If you're so flushed you've never written a check before your funds were in the account, come in a little closer so I can slap you. Since hubby's been sick, it's slim pickin's around here, believe it. But all's well that ends well. I have many things to be thankful for. I've shitloads of checks and my account isn't that much overdrawn.

I'm having one of those days when I'm so cranky I can barely stand myself. Surely I am smack dab in the midst of menopause. I'm irritable, I'm weepy, and anxious. I've already warned my family they should enter my bubble at their own risk. Ever feel like this? Maybe a trip to the doc is in order.