(no subject)
Well, waiting at the dentist for Angus to have a filling, there's no wifi, and I've forgotten to save something I was going to work on while I'm here out of an email, so I'll try to fill in one of those empty topic entries I put up for myself a while ago (Cheezus, that was in January! What have I been doing?) Providing I haven't completely forgotten how to write.
I wish my body would make up its damn mind.
I’ve been perimenopausal for some time, I think. Periods were still fairly regular but getting lighter and shorter, which of course was absolutely fine. I think I got my first set of hot flashes maybe two years ago? Before my father passed away, at least.
Right around the time he came home from the hospital for last time, I missed about two months. I wasn’t sure it wasn’t just because of stress of him being ill and having to take care of someone newly diabetic (food and blood tests and shots and everything else) in addition to everything else. However, in the last 6-8 months, that's become the pattern. Every time, I’m wondering if it’ll be my last one. Most recently, I hadn’t had one since about February; then while I was travelling for business to La Jolla at the May, I went to the restroom before leaving my hotel and just went “Are you kidding me?!” Ugh. Always seems to be triggered by travel. And, uh, other activities.
When I do get it, it’s really heavy all the way through, when previously I had one really heavy day and the rest was much lighter. It’s as if my uterus had been saving up several periods worth and needs to get rid of it all at once. I’m talking soaking overnight pads worth. Blech.
Seems like the hot flashes come and go as well. I had about three or four weeks worth in March maybe (I really need to write these stupid things down; I always forget exactly when), where I was getting overheated about every half an hour. Not so much the flop sweats you always hear about with menopausal women, but the back of my neck and ears would just start feeling like they were about to catch fire. That’s faded now, but I’m sure they’ll be back.
It'll work itself out eventually, I suppose, but I wish I had at least one living female relative to ask about so I might know a little better what to expect. Even if my mom were still around, she had a hysterectomy because of fibroids when I was in high school (she was 37), so she didn't go through the process the regular way anyway.
Anyway, I need to make a doctor appointment, I know I’m overdue for an exam. And after badgering runsmuck to make one for himself, I suppose I’d better at least as a show of good faith.
Speaking of which, I get so damn mad at him about his health. He takes several medications for his chronic severe asthma. Most of these have a limit on the number of refills, by which time he is supposed to see his doctor again to make sure all of them are working correctly and get them refilled again. He’s been complaining lately that he just cannot shake the current wheeze he has, and when I question him, he’s been out of his rescue inhaler for a couple of weeks and his long term meds for a month and a half. All he’s been using is his nebulizer meds - pretty much the same stuff as his rescue inhaler, but requires a machine to turn it into vapor, so not very portable. He generally only uses the nebulizer as a last resort, but it was all he’d been using lately, including waking up in the middle of the night to use. He will not phone his doctor until I bully him into it, or I have to do it myself. Then, his doctor is very popular and quite often it’s a month and a half before he can get in, unless he can get a cancellation. I have been trying to get him to switch to a doctor in my medical group, where because it’s a group, you can at least see someone even if your own doctor isn’t available. Grrr.
Did I say the car is back in the shop as well? The check engine light was on when we got it back and the transmission seems not to have been hooked up right. When I drove it, quite often the engine would rev but not move, until suddenly it would engage and then leap forward. When we’d had it for about a week, John was driving and suddenly he couldn’t get it out of third gear. It’s been back at the shop for a week and a half now, and while they assured us there would be no charge to correct it, we have not heard yet how long it’s going to be and when we might have our vehicle back again. This dealership is getting a nasty review on Yelp, once we get it back, and we’re finding somewhere else to have stuff done next time. Apparently they’re short-staffed and very busy, but too busy for a 5 minute update? Grrr again.
Luckily this time, runsamuck’s mom and grandmother were going back to Michigan for 3 weeks, so she offered to lend us her car while they’re away. Which is nice, because carrying groceries for 5 people half a mile back and forth - even with a cart - is kind of a pain. We do have a ton of reusable bags and the kids are always drafted to be pack horses, but buying anything in bulk (like a week’s worth at a time) is just impossible.
I wish my body would make up its damn mind.
I’ve been perimenopausal for some time, I think. Periods were still fairly regular but getting lighter and shorter, which of course was absolutely fine. I think I got my first set of hot flashes maybe two years ago? Before my father passed away, at least.
Right around the time he came home from the hospital for last time, I missed about two months. I wasn’t sure it wasn’t just because of stress of him being ill and having to take care of someone newly diabetic (food and blood tests and shots and everything else) in addition to everything else. However, in the last 6-8 months, that's become the pattern. Every time, I’m wondering if it’ll be my last one. Most recently, I hadn’t had one since about February; then while I was travelling for business to La Jolla at the May, I went to the restroom before leaving my hotel and just went “Are you kidding me?!” Ugh. Always seems to be triggered by travel. And, uh, other activities.
When I do get it, it’s really heavy all the way through, when previously I had one really heavy day and the rest was much lighter. It’s as if my uterus had been saving up several periods worth and needs to get rid of it all at once. I’m talking soaking overnight pads worth. Blech.
Seems like the hot flashes come and go as well. I had about three or four weeks worth in March maybe (I really need to write these stupid things down; I always forget exactly when), where I was getting overheated about every half an hour. Not so much the flop sweats you always hear about with menopausal women, but the back of my neck and ears would just start feeling like they were about to catch fire. That’s faded now, but I’m sure they’ll be back.
It'll work itself out eventually, I suppose, but I wish I had at least one living female relative to ask about so I might know a little better what to expect. Even if my mom were still around, she had a hysterectomy because of fibroids when I was in high school (she was 37), so she didn't go through the process the regular way anyway.
Anyway, I need to make a doctor appointment, I know I’m overdue for an exam. And after badgering runsmuck to make one for himself, I suppose I’d better at least as a show of good faith.
Speaking of which, I get so damn mad at him about his health. He takes several medications for his chronic severe asthma. Most of these have a limit on the number of refills, by which time he is supposed to see his doctor again to make sure all of them are working correctly and get them refilled again. He’s been complaining lately that he just cannot shake the current wheeze he has, and when I question him, he’s been out of his rescue inhaler for a couple of weeks and his long term meds for a month and a half. All he’s been using is his nebulizer meds - pretty much the same stuff as his rescue inhaler, but requires a machine to turn it into vapor, so not very portable. He generally only uses the nebulizer as a last resort, but it was all he’d been using lately, including waking up in the middle of the night to use. He will not phone his doctor until I bully him into it, or I have to do it myself. Then, his doctor is very popular and quite often it’s a month and a half before he can get in, unless he can get a cancellation. I have been trying to get him to switch to a doctor in my medical group, where because it’s a group, you can at least see someone even if your own doctor isn’t available. Grrr.
Did I say the car is back in the shop as well? The check engine light was on when we got it back and the transmission seems not to have been hooked up right. When I drove it, quite often the engine would rev but not move, until suddenly it would engage and then leap forward. When we’d had it for about a week, John was driving and suddenly he couldn’t get it out of third gear. It’s been back at the shop for a week and a half now, and while they assured us there would be no charge to correct it, we have not heard yet how long it’s going to be and when we might have our vehicle back again. This dealership is getting a nasty review on Yelp, once we get it back, and we’re finding somewhere else to have stuff done next time. Apparently they’re short-staffed and very busy, but too busy for a 5 minute update? Grrr again.
Luckily this time, runsamuck’s mom and grandmother were going back to Michigan for 3 weeks, so she offered to lend us her car while they’re away. Which is nice, because carrying groceries for 5 people half a mile back and forth - even with a cart - is kind of a pain. We do have a ton of reusable bags and the kids are always drafted to be pack horses, but buying anything in bulk (like a week’s worth at a time) is just impossible.