Hot Flash

come on guys, we don't really have a social group when we don't post

i think my skin is a bit of both. since i was seventeen i have stayed out of the sun or used screen. am very fair and up til then had a couple bad burns. people always laughed at me here in southern ca. for avoiding sun bathing. my mom had good skin and i am sure it helped. also have never worn make-up. soap and water gal.

the hysterectomy was no big deal for me. had two kids and that is all we wanted. i too had uneventful periods til one month started and just didn't stop.

your mom is very brave. tell her hi and continued health.

babe

LOL Babe! You're right - thank goodness for underwire bras! They really do perform miracles.

It's wonderful that you have good skin. Can I ask - have you always used sunscreen and/or stayed out of the sun? Or is it good genes? I've spent too many years in the sun without protection so I have lots of skin discolorations. I'm pretty dark skinned anyway but I definitely know there is a lot of sun damage.

Awww, a hysterectomy at 27 must have been really tough to deal with. My mom had one at about that age, too. She said she was glad to have it to fix the problems she was having but it was sad, too, to think she could never have more children if she decided she wanted more. I've been so lucky in that department - no "female" problems my whole life. Not even cramps! And ridiculously easy pregnancies and births. So I guess I shouldn't be complaining about menopause when I've had it so easy the first 50 years. The only really depressing part is all the outward changes. It seems like it happened overnight! And like you, Babe, my brain doesn't seem this old!!

Mom is handling things so well. She's really amazing. She has a PET scan next Monday to see if anything has spread and if the tumor is "active". If so, she'll have the mass removed next week and plan treatment. If not, she just has to repeat the PET scan every 3 months for the next 2 years to make sure it doesn't grow. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

boy mom your plate is really full. you are funny about your body but i am sure there is some truth in it. i am 70 years old. when you get this old, it is pretty much useless to care much what your body looks like. i dye my hair and i have good skin and no wrinkles. figure that is a good trade for perky boobs. i am and always have been fully endowed, that just gave me more to sag. just buy a push up bra and forget it.

you laugh but i know it does depress you just a bet. i had a hysterectomy at age 27 so really got to miss the menopause stuff. everyone says it is the pits. hope the pills continue to help and that it is not to bad for you.

babe

Sorry ladies! I started this group and then promptly disappeared. There are lots of crazy things happening in my world right now, too, but I echo all of the things ya'll are saying. I'm 51 and I am feeling like I look every minute of it! I don't know who's freakin' body this is but I sure don't recognize it! I thought I must be almost through menopause but it was wishful thinking. I had some serious hot flashing and no period for 2 months but the doc did a FSH test and said I'm barely getting started! And sure enough, a couple of days later I started my period. She said to expect at least a couple of years til it's completely over and to make sure I used reliable birth control during that time!!! (Like I wanna get this body naked in front of anybody!!!!) OK, I'm exaggerating but jeez, this sucks! The up side is my doc recommended a homeopathic pill that can control hot flashes and is very inexpensive and actually works! Not just for me but for my 3 friends who also started taking it.

I dye my hair, too, although I would prefer to just let it be gray. It's really long and I like the idea of a long, gray hippie braid. My kids, on the other hand, definitely think I should continue to dye it.

The worst part for me is the boobs. I've always been tall and thin and modestly endowed but it was fine since it fit my body. I've breastfed 7 kids for over 15 years total so these are working boobs! But the last year or so, I've gotten a little heavier - mostly in my chest. Now you might think, what the hell is she complaining about? The problem is that gravity has hit at the same time! Now, clothes just don't fit right or the way they used to. Don't you hate it when the darts in your clothes point at least 2 inches higher than your "girls" do???

Anyway, I really love all you ladies and hope we can help each other through this weird world of aging. If I am only here sporadically, please forgive. My mom appears to have lung cancer and I'm here with her trying to get her surgery set up to remove it and start on treatment. She has very bad COPD which makes her a poor candidate for anesthesia so we'll see what the docs come up with. If ya'll have a minute, send her some good vibes.

Thanks so much expat! My surgery is next Tuesday at noon PST. Yes, I think it will go a long way to helping me feel better about everything.

I am still getting hot flashes even though I had my hysterectomy almost 5 years ago and quit the estrogen gel about a year or so ago. They only wanted me on it for 3 years but pushed it an extra. One person said that the flashes could actually NOT be from menopause but from the pain I suffer. So, we shall see if they subside in the next month or so after surgery.

LP, when is your surgery? I know that you will feel better in mind, body, and spirit when the stress of it is over with. Keeping you in comforting thoughts.........

Hi, Girls! When did this forum start? I just found it by accident.......what a great forum and one I can so relate to.....in my 50's---54 to be exact and it's been 18 months since a real cycle........wished that this had been around a year ago :)

Hi, Girls! When did this start? I just found it by accident.......what a great forum and one I can so relate to.....

never had hot flash except for about three months after hysterectomy. i was in mid thirties. long story. so took supplements for a long while.

i didn't mind fifty at all, a little more concerned at 60 and at 70 it is very strange. my mind is still 40, lol. but my body betrays me all the time. i don't worry much about looks anymore though i still color my hair.

i mind getting tired when i haven't done very much at all. can't bull through a day anymore. must stop and rest. so much to do so little time.

i think this is a good group, maybe we can give each other insights about age and appearance.