Stephenson Family Ties The Barn Burnt Down
And Now I See The Moon
  
is for Hot Flashes!!

The menstruous Purgation is a Flux of Blood issuing monthly
from the Uterus.  Galen, in his Book of Bleeding, attributes the
Origin of the Menses to a Plethora.  Does not, says he, Nature
herself cause an Evacuation in all Women, by throwing forth
every month the superfluous Blood?  I imagine that the Female
Sex, in as much as they heap up a great quantity of Humours by,
living continually at Home, and not being used to hard Labour
or exposed to the Sun should receive a Discharge of this
Fulness, as a Remedy given by Nature.  1.  The first Fact of 
this morbid Flux is that is has a stated Time wherein it appears, 
and this ordinarily from the Age of thirteen to sixteen years.
2. It is known by Experience that the Menses generally cease
betwixt forty-five and fifty Years of Age.
The author cautions against exposing girls of this age to spicy
foods or to music in an immoral key. (If only I knew which musical keys were immoral!!)
from: Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe
by: Sandra Gulland


My dear Builder gets all flushed when I bring the subject up in public...tehe
But Im feeling brave...in sharing a facts-of-life theme with you this morning.
Besides, men with women in their lives should learn to deal and support, right!?
So I'll cut to the chase...
Stripping down while sitting in front of the tv is now a common occurrence in our house most evenings...and its not cause I'm feeling frisky...on the contrary!!  Sorry my love.


There are now a couple of interesting manifestations I'd like to share with you about this blessed side effect of growing old; and I'd love to hear what you think!!!
1st- I should be comfortable by now...finding myself on the other side of "I told you so." Because here I am now admitting  that I had been anticipating those 'flashes of warmth.' This shouldnt shock anyone who knows me and my tendency of always being cold. Hot flashes seemed to be the perfect solution to what ailed me. I heartily blustered, "Bring them on!!!" Now, after many months of experiencing the unpredictable nature of these uncomfortable episodes, Im eating crow once again.


So far I can find no redeeming qualities to this annoying symptom of aging.


When commiserating with my lady friends about all this, I have learned that I have reason to be grateful about one thing. I guess Im very fortunate that thus far I am not awakened in the night to dripping wet nighties and the flinging and flailing of the covers. My sleep is still undisturbed...AND FOR THIS I AM INDEED GRATEFUL!!


2nd- To be able to add another bullet point to the growing list of virtues of hiking...
when I hike, all out, I dont notice the hot flashes ither. (how DO you say ither instead of either?!!!)
And because of this bonus that hiking affords me, I am left with ONLY morning and evening hot flashes.


3rd- To add injury to insult, I have made an additional observation; one that I experimented with the other day.
People question how I could possibly be any more emotional than I always have been...my kids think I'm over the top sentimental.
But get this-
Now when something 'touches' me, whether it be the dreaded Hallmark commercials or the coffee adds, or when my 'babies' tell me they love me, or when I catch myself thinking of the future or longing for past junctures...when my emotions bubble readily to the surface, this seems to be a trigger for a hot flash to begin! WHAT iS THAT ABOUT!!?? I tear up and then I heat up!!! Thats outrageous right!!??? Thats what I call a double whammy!!!
So the other day when I was feeling quite 'Gemuetlich' while in the temple, and cooling down nicely from an uncomfortable flash, I experimented. I wanted to know which came first, the emotion or the hot flash, and are they connected.
I let my mind wander, and envisioned myself on a plane heading to a beautiful island where white sandy beaches were waiting for me. I know me... and I KNOW how grateful I'd be when and if this ever happens again; and then I envisioned never getting on a plane ever again....knowing that ither of these couldnt fail me in launching serious emotional reactions. (even now as I write this I can feel the sensations that these questions invoke. And volia!!! No hot flashes then or now!!


So..what does all this mean?
My emotions have nothing to do with the onset of a hot flash. WHew!! But Being hyper-emotional does indeed seem to have something to do with the onset of 'maturity."
Oh the things we women are asked to deal with!!
God bless we women of the world!!!

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