“I never had PMS…But I had a BMW!”

The start of season 2 opened with Blanche thinking that she was pregnant. Turns out it was menopause. I loved this episode! Rose faints; Sophia, as she often does, makes a quip about Blanches active sex life…” If its a boy she can name it after his father, Rick, Joe, Bob, Don, Dave.”;  Dorothy tries to remain the voice of reason.

The girls explore all the different ways that they experienced their cycles of life from puberty to menopause.  According to Sophia “I got it, nobody told me; I didn’t get it, nobody told me…I went back to my meatballs.” Rose sailed through her child bearing years and menopause with out much notice. “I live in Miami, who can tell the difference between a hot flash and a weather front?” Dorothys experience was more like mine. “PMS…Cramps once a month, eating binges once a month, going crazy once a month.”

Menopause put an end to all of that, but oooh those hot flashes! Waking up in the middle of the night in a pool of sweat, throwing off your clothes and vowing to cut your hair, all the while your husband is sleeping sound, under three blankets. You just want to punch him, but you don’t because he looks so darn cute. Okay, that looking cute part is probably just me because I am still somewhat of a newlywed but I digress….

Sophia said ” You grow a beard.” Well, I never grew a full on beard, but have been sitting in my car on a sunny day and noticed stray hairs growing from my face. Not pretty! I now carry tweezers everywhere I go. I am not sure which is more embarrassing, having a few stray hairs or sitting in my car at the local Walmart plucking them out.

So far menopause hasn’t been too bad. I can handle a few hot flashes and a few stray hairs. It doesn’t mean, as Blanche thought, that my life is over. It simply means that I can no longer bear children and since my youngest is 23 that is a good thing! “The Change” has however, changed me. I seem to be a much more easy-going person. I still get riled up about things ( I am very competitive and don’t take direction well, but that’s another day). I get upset mostly about a messy house or a ruined dinner. More often than not these things cause more tears than anger…those dang hormones or lack of!

For me all that really matters is that my husband loves me regardless of the hot flashes, the three hairs that I call a beard, or an occasional bad dinner. He tells me that I am beautiful, says that he can’t see the beard and eats everything that I put before him. I think I have a keeper!

I suppose the worst thing about menopause, or any other life changing event, would be to go through it alone. I am so blessed to have family and friends that are always there for me and that’s pretty darn special!

Until next time…Thank You for being a Friend