Friday, April 16, 2010

A Bit Patchy....

You men have it so easy.....none of this midlife change stuff....I'm talking hot flashes...power surges....  Whatever you choose to call them, they are a major disruption.

Imagine spinning away on your bike, and suddenly feeling like you've been put into a toaster oven.  Or how about being dressed in your cold weather gear, and suddenly sweating buckets.... The worst is constantly being awakened at night by them....first you're hot, then you're cold....over and over again.  Yes, you men have it easy!

Obviously, I am experiencing this, or was.  My doctor had given me hormone patches to even out these huge fluctuations.  I was reluctant to wear them and didn't until about the second week into this trip. It seems to be working--  the flashes have subsided to a large degree.  The trouble is, they fall off and I don't know it, or I forget to change them, then I start flashing again....

 I greeted one of my fellow riders early this morning with a chipper "Good morning!" to which she replied, "Boy, you're in a good mood this morning"  And I was!  Despite the smelly sleeping situation, (see the previous blog, "Smells Like Roses"), I was happy and ready to take on the world.  The mood swings and doldrums that had been plaguing me were gone and I felt like my 'old' self.  What had changed?

Thinking about it, I had put a new patch on last night:(the old one had fallen off--I don't know how long it was MIA)....could this replenishment of hormones be the cause of this morning's contentment?  Looking over the past few weeks, I began to see a pattern.... irritability, clumsiness, moodiness...all occurring around the time a patch change was due.  Patch PMS!!!

I pity those around me--I am afraid at times I may have not been pleasant.  For the most part, I tried to stay away from everyone and shift out of these moods, but would fall back into them. I must seem very unpredictable...happy, then moody, and back again.  I'm not going crazy--my hormones are.  Well, thank the Lord.  Getting older is NOT for sissies....

4 comments:

  1. You are very beautiful dressed in Azaleas.

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  2. Sue, take comfort in knowing that you are traveling with women. They have already "been there, done that" or have it to look forward to. :D

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  3. So much to look forward to once I hit old age.... :)

    -your (much younger) secret friend

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  4. Then you start flashing again....that comment brings lots of thoughts and images to my mind....I have a feeling that most of the women with you are understanding your situation, more than you know!! Thanks for the posts, I truly enjoy them. Love the intimate details in your blogs, they truly are refreshing!!!

    Donna

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