The "FLAME DOLLS" (Menopause Support Group)

Hello and i am glad I found this thread. I woke up at 3 am too so Happy Mothers day to all.
My Name is Mary I am 49 and I have been going through this for about 10 years now as well. I have skipped a few periods but they always come back. For a while they were as bad as the one lady said hers was, having to call off work because of the clothes changing. It has been a couple of months since it has been that bad. But sleep deprivation is awful and I am frequently up at the worse times of day. Luckily for most people that know me I live alone. I really do not know if I prefer it that way but I live alone.
Mood swings hot flashes and being so hot at night are top on my list. That and losing more blood than what is in my body :laugh:
well I am glad I found you all. It is great to not feel so alone in this. I average one good night sleep a week. and that is probably because I am so exhausted. I try to keep a sense of humor but some times I don't find this so funny.
Then trying to lose the ever extending waist and tummy... Ok now that is funny. Anyway hello and have a great day ladies :yawn:

Would some one tell me please is pre menopause or menopause really going to be that horrific?
I've been stunned by the negative reactions I have gotten recently to this topic at work and socially.
Ok I'm in early onset of this but I really feel like embracing it, I know if /when the hot flushes start I'll possibly feel different but this to shall pass, to me this just marks a new stage of my life.
A stage where I know the children are grown up and more than ready and able to 'fend' for themselves, a time where my new partner and I can think about us as a couple, a time where I get to learn all about myself again, hopefully I'll find a stronger, hopefully a little wiser women who hasn't lost her sense of self or sense of humour. :laugh:
Have an awesome day ladies you all deserve it. :flowerforyou:

Well it's "official" I'm in peri-menopause, honestly I didn't know :laugh:
So, the symptoms and the inner feeling I have had for the past 6 months were correct. How sad that we need the medical profession to confirm what we already know. I really like my doctor, we get on well, even he said, it's nothing I don't already know.
Does it change anything...nope
So what do I do now?
His advice...."stop looking after everyone else and look after yourself FIRST and for the love of god leave your damn job"
(he really doesn't like my boss, long story) ha ha ha

Have an awesome weekend ladies remember how special you are :flowerforyou:

Love this thread : )

Hi, Im 47 and thought I was losing my mind. I read Suzanne Somers book "breakthrough" then I found a local
Dr. Who does biodentical hormones. I felt like a completely different person within days. hot flashes gone, brain fog
Heart palpitations, crawling legs, dry skin all gone AND my sex drive returned BIG!
I also started yoga along with kayaking and going to the gym 4 days a week.
I'm learning that I don't have to suffer.

Hang in there, this is a journey

I am 52 You have said something I am experiencing lately........leg crawling????My legs get this weird tingling crawling feeling too. Didn't know that was a symptom of menopause! I haven't had a period in 2 months now....... loving it but am now experiencing hot flashes. When they come on... the clothes come off! LOL

Hello to all the beautiful Flame Dolls!

When I was 39, I was diagnosed with uterine cancer and had chemo, radiation, and a total hysterectomy. I am now 43 and have been cancer free for 3 years, 7 months and 1 day.

The chemo and steroids messed with my head, but what really got to me was an overwhelming sense of grief. My partner and I had made the decision about 10 years before my diagnosis to not have kids, even though we both love them. Her health issues and our differences in parenting philosophy made us realize that it wouldn't be fair to any kid we had. So, my friends and family were all surprised when I went in to mourning. I knew the cancer wasn't going to kill me, they caught it early. My grief came from knowing that I can never change my mind about having kids.

Between the grief, the residual effects of the chemo, the abrupt, in a way violence of enforced menopause, and the instant hormonal changes (nothing gradual for mr), I kind of lost my self for about a year and a half. (My whole story, as it was happening can be found at www.shawksong.blogspot.com ) I had been heavy before the cancer, but I began eating evrything and anything due t hunger? depression? grief? Boredom? Self pity? All of the above?

I have worked through those feelings and have come back to myself. My sense of balance is back, but more so, having learned to balance with a swirling storm of emotional and physical issues trying to knock me off balance. (Other things as well besides cancer and menopause.)

I rarely get "private summers" (as one friend calls them) now, unless I overdo it on sweets. I used t have them all the time, more often than not. When I didn't have power surges, I had cold chills. My temperature gage is better now. I couldn't take any type of hormone because of not knowing if my cancer was estrogen based or not, so I just lived with it and brought extra ice packs in my lunch at work so I could put one at the back of my chair to cool off.

Thanks for posting this thread, red hat women do have

I've been hot all day and it's only 60ish degrees here. Either the heat at home and at work is on, I'm having a really long hot flash, or my metabolism is working overtime and burning up stored fuel. I'm hoping it's the latter.

Hope you all are doing well. The rain has stopped for a few hours here. Maybe for a day if the forcast is correct. :flowerforyou:

Are any of you on a hormone replacement regimen, or were at one time? Saw the OB/GYN yesterday and he's concerned that I've had the estrogen patch without any accompanying progesterone. (My family practice doc put me on the estrogen) So I will most likely switch to a combo pill. If any of you have taken this, I am curious whether it had an effect on weight loss. I'm feeling like I'm seeing some success now and I don't want to run into a wall/plateau because of medication.

I was awake every hour last night with sweats. I'm exhausted today. Still looking for input on the combo HRT - I've got a prescription for an estrogen w/progesterone patch. I really would rather not have to take meds, but I don't think I can function with too many more nights like last night.

Oooh, so pleased to have found all you wonderful ladies! Mind if I join you?

I've been trying a deep breathing technique to combat the hot flashes (seems to work as well as the Black Cohosh), but the night sweats are getting to be a real pain :frown:

Hello flame dolls, so I have a question.......sorry for TMI......well I know its that time of life for me to be into menopause for good I am 52 but I am wondering if I truly am? I have not had a period since April 9 but had 1 day of extremely light spotting in May, then again last week for 1 day. and I mean super light barely able to see....is that normal? Don't you have to be completely free of it for 6 full months??? For me on a regular cycle was 7 full heavy days of aunt Flo. I think this is why my weight loss has stopped for the last 3-4 months maybe. please let me know your thoughts!

I hate to tell you, but you're not considered fully in menopause until you've gone without a period for a year! Peri-menopause can last for years, and it sounds like you're definitely there! When I was in perimenopause I would be totally irregular - to the point of ridiculous. The crazy thing about this journey is that everything seems to be normal (and nothing seems to be normal either, if you know what I mean). Everybody is going to experience different symptoms. I'm so jealous of the ladies who don't have night sweats, but I don't have the leg-crawly thing that a couple of ladies have mentioned. Good luck!

HI Ladies, I am so happy to find this subject. I just turned 47 this month. I am trying not to freak out! I have missed a cycle here and there. The first time I freaked out, the second I knew what was happening. HOWEVER, my last period was in April, Easter to be exact. May came and went I thought sweet a month off....June still no sign of it starting. Now my mind is racing. Do I buy a pregnancy test? MY husband and I chose not to have children long ago, but neither of us is fixed. So I guess it is possible. Could it just be stress and it will come at the worst time like my scheduled vacation. Should I just relax and go with it. I was sitting in my dry sauna last night thinking maybe I shouldn't be in here, if I am well you know.... Of course my personality is thinking the worst possible senario which is becoming a Mother at 47, but my rational thought is knowing there are worse things really! If that made sense. I am not really sure I am ready to not have my cycle if that is the reason. I find it cleansing and almost like a release when it is over. Well thanks for listening, I look forward to hearing about your experiences and thoughts. I welcome your friend requests too!

Great job Julia!!!! You have every right to be super proud of yourself. And thank you for starting up this thread, too!

Hello all you Dolls: ) I went to my annual OB/GYN appointment today. Of course we discussed my menopause symptoms, etc. When I got home it occured to me that I FORGOT to tell her about my memory loss...lol.

Just thought I'd mention the lighter side of memopause : )

Isn't is annoying? It feels like I have to write down EVERYTHING! I have to look at my calendar all the time or I forget a meeting or something important. :blushing: :embarassed: