So here I am, on a frigid January evening. Outside, a bitter wind chill of minus 10 degrees Celsius (that’s 14+ degrees for you Fahrenheit folks), is blowing directly off the North Atlantic just a few yards from our door. My husband Paul is gone playing floor hockey at the high school gym, so I’m alone, trying desperately to chill out. Not figuratively, mind you, but literally. I turned down the thermostats so there is no heat on in my house, simply because my body feels like a furnace turned up on cremate.
This is a new and fresh hell for yours truly, only making itself known within the last couple of weeks. Somehow, I had let myself believe I’d be lucky enough to escape the discomfort of “tropical moments” at this time of my life. How I used to chuckle when one of my friends or coworkers complained of a hot flash. Ha! The joke is now on me. And for the uninitiated, it doesn’t feel like a source of external heat that hits you. It’s more like internal spontaneous combustion, where you think you just might suddenly burst into flames.
Stripped down to a tank top and appropriately, sweat pants, eating blueberries out of the freezer (still frozen), I’m trying to hold it together. I made the mistake earlier of googling other menopause symptoms, and started ticking off other lovely ailments I’ve been experiencing. Brain fog? Check. Anxiety? Check. Night sweats? Check. Mood swings? Okay, that one is just me, can’t blame that on The Change.
The website also warned that the whole process could take anywhere from two to eight years before it is done. That’s just terrific. Think I’ll go out and stick my head in a snow bank.
And now Paul is home. “It’s freezing here!” he says. He looks at my red face. “Is it alright if I turn up the heat?”
“If you must,” I bark, fanning myself with a throw cushion.
Then I realize something. In our house, PMS always stood for Paul Must Suffer. Well, the PMS might be coming to an end for me, but it won’t be ending for him any time soon. Will he survive? Will I?
Check back in two to eight years.
Jennifer's Journal 
You sound like I’ve been lately. It is the middle of winter and I hardly ever need the heat, or a coat when I go out. I am having some problems with really bad pain, headaches and back, leg pain with cramps for like a week twice a month then I bleed some. So when It occured to me that it is going to be a few years of this, I thought, God I can’t take that! I went to the gym and now they want to get a MRI of my pelvic area but Im waiting two weeks for that. I don’t know about you, but I never really thought about how long and drawn out the change of life might be, and complications. I pray it will go smooth for you, and not so slow. I know many women go through it without a problem. I know there are certain things you can add into your diet that help with the hot flashes and night sweats.
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Hi, Lynda, thank you for your comment as well. I’m hoping that these hot flashes are fleeting; I don’t remember them being a big issue for my mom either. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!
XO Jen
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Hi, Bertha…thank you for your comment. I know that many of you ladies can relate to this topic. And misery adores company! Yes, let’s get together soon and catch up. 🙂
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Oh no, I’m only 2 months older than you. Please don’t tell me I’m gonna be going through this really soon too. I’ve had brain fog, night sweats a few times, but no “Hot Flashes” yet. I’ll keep praying that it doesn’t happen for me. My friends have been going through it and I haven’t. My Mom told me she never had any hot flashes, so I’m really hoping I take after her for this. I hope for your and Paul’s sake that this doesn’t last 8 years. LOL!!!
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Hi Jen, I just read your blog and I have to say that I certainly feel your ‘pain’. I’ve been having ‘ tropical moments’ for the past few months and the night Sweats for the past few weeks. They’re both lots of fun!!!! NOT!!!! Lol
Take care of yourself and give me a call sometime your in town. We’ll drown in our misery!! Hahahaha
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