The Changing Light Bulb of Menopause

Cliff helped daughter Laura change a complicated light bulb on our last visit to Dallas. And talk about complicated! Read the types of light you can get nowadays from various light bulbs. Who knew? I was so impressed that I snapped a photo of the light bulb packaging.

Which bulb would I pick? They all sound wonderful. In contrast are the not-so-lovely moods of menopause. The roller coaster ride can bring on some nasty downward swoops, putting you in unhappy light.

WebMD is one of my favorite health sites because it’s clear, calm, and consistent. They list these emotional troubles that are often brought on by the changing hormones of menopause:

• Irritability
• Feelings of sadness
• Lack of motivation
• Anxiety
• Aggressiveness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Fatigue
• Mood changes
• Tension

Many doctors are still reluctant to point to menopause as the cause of emotional issues. My friend Jessie was instructed to make an appointment with a psychiatrist. Another friend suggested Jessie’s trouble might be menopause. She found a different OB/GYN, and HRT changed Jessie’s gloom into gladness in just a few days. A happy light bulb went on!

WebMD goes on to say:”If you are feeling irritable and sad, there is a good chance it could be related to menopause, but the above listed symptoms are not linked only to menopause. There are a number of conditions that can cause you to feel downright irritable.”

So sure, look for other reasons behind your moodiness, but do consider menopause as the culprit.

Here’s the full article on WebMD.

To go a bit further with the light bulb theme, I found a timeline of light bulbs:

I don’t recall the 1982 version at all. But I don’t remember much about the larger world of the eighties. I was too busy raising little kids. Talk about roller coaster emotions. Me and them!

Euphoria! The Best Part of the Menopause Roller Coaster

Preview

Yep!

Euphoria.

I’d be living my regular life and all of a sudden.

Pow!

I’d fly into the best mood.

Dust bunnies, pudgy stomach, piles of projects.

Didn’t matter.

Life was a beach!

A big, wonderful, splashy, happy beach.

Of all my menopause symptoms, this was by far the most fun.

Actually, none of the other symptoms even came close to the idea of fun.

Websites suggest the euphoria is caused by fluctuating hormones.

I like to think it’s a prize from the Menopause Goddess for enduring the dregs of The Great Pause.

The euphoria for me was fleeting, lasting about fifteen minutes and happening perhaps twenty times over a year or so.

Life’s all about grabbing the gusto.

If menopausal euphoria splashes your way, catch that wave and enjoy!

Anyone else have a similar happy story to tell?

Photo: I’m sure you recognize Mary Richards, long before menopause, tossing her hat in the air during  a euphoric moment.

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The Bouncing Ball of Menopause

Child psychologists say a baby learns

When you drop a bouncing ball,

The ball bounces back up.

Babies, smarter sometimes than grownups,

Know that life has its ups and downs,

And after the down, almost always comes an up!

Some of those ups and downs, if you’re a woman of a certain age, are the moody woes of menopause.

Telling yourself that the ups will come back really is helpful.

If this doesn’t work, try chocolate, a brisk walk, and more chocolate.

Frog: The Frog, name unknown to this grandma, was a baby shower gift of guest blogger Judy Ackley Brown, who writes in this post about rainy days and life.

Chocolate:  Make that a tiny bit, each time. Menopause pounds are a real downer.

Poet (of sorts) :  Me. I’ve been having fun keeping up with current thinking in child development from Kath,  creator of Baby Eats Real Food.

The baby: My grandson Mazen, usually upbeat!

Ever Green Menopausal You

Evergreen.  Since ancient times, a symbol of life in the midst of the cold of winter. Vibrancy.  Color. Renewal.

For those of you who sometimes feel frozen with the sadness, nervousness, and grumpiness that menopausal moodiness can bring, take heart in the symbol of the evergreen.

You’re still vibrant.  You’re just feeling some chilly hormones.

Your trademark colors are there.  They’re just covered up at the moment by a blanket of uninvited snow.

You’ll emerge from the snowy tunnel renewed.

You just have to weather the ice and wind (even though they may come in the form of some hot sweaty moments).

Albert Camus, whom I know best from my days of reading L’etranger  (The Stranger) in French class, wrote,  “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”

Stand close to an evergreen if you’re troubled this winter.

Touch those vibrant branches.

Take in the color.

Smell the hope.

Menopausal moodiness doesn’t last forever.

Green days are a’coming.

Photo:  I took this picture on Bald Head Island. I love evergreens, but I’m not so good at distinguishing spruce from balsam from arbor vitae.  Anyone know what kind of evergreen this is?