I am finally on the other side. I expected a nightmare but I can tell you PMS was much worse.

I had terrible hot flashes....good grief. It was a sweat-fest.... As much as I have always been a person that went to the gym and did a fair amount of running in my life....I was never one to sweat a lot.

My work is physical. Very! So sweating in the summer months is going to happen anyway...but this was like I WAS ON FIRE.... red in the face....GROSS.....and to all the young ones...your neck will sweat.....dripping wet at 3 am....wake you from a dead sleep...you will be soaked and pissed about it too.

I got good at working with this. I took hand towels...and layered my pillow. Then as it started I would peel off a layer one at a time so I didn't have to keep getting up and down. Finally I had to have a fan on my night stand blowing on my neck all night too....didn't completely help but it made it somewhat better. Naturally as a result of this wonderful wake up all night crap....you are tired. Very tired. Like the kind of tired you are when you are up and down with a newborn baby in the first year. I didn't have the mood swings...I had one mood. Pissed off LOL .... don't F with a women in menopause hahahah she will tell you to go F yourself faster than you can say hello!

Finally went to the Doctor and told him I was going to cut someone ...so he put me on the combi patch....I did that for about a year...then gradually came of it. I didn't want to be on hormones for a long period of time but I had to have something so I could sleep because my business would never had lasted if I didn't do this. There is no way to be in your 50's and stand on your feet and wrestle large dogs for 10 hours a day ..... I needed something to help me get through the worst part.

I am off everything....I don't take any drugs at all....nothing. And I am very stubborn about this. I have to really be sick or in pain to even take IBP...so hormones ....no....not for long. I say this because I am afraid of them over the long haul. I don't care what they want to call them.... Suzanne Somers likes the bio-identical hormones and swears by them. Well no matter what it is its not natural to continue to put these things in your body for years...it will take a toll.... I was worried about uterine and breast cancer so....I am off.

I still have the occasional middle of the night flash...but its few and far between and when I do I try to think about what i ate the day before that may have triggered it. Diet is very important when you are going through it and if you want to make it easy on yourself watch what you eat..... surf the net and try to figure out what is best for you and your body. For me ....I had to watch my diet and I needed a little something to get me through the 'I am going to kill you stage'....I didn't want to yell ...or be frustrated....or sleep deprived....or run down a pedestrian during this time....so I went with the patch for a bit.

I am glad its over...but I will tell you as much as you hate having a monthy visit when they are gone you will miss them. You will understand that your reproductive years are over and there is no longer a chance to have a child ...and its a little sad even if you never wanted children...or wouldn't think of having another. It's an ending. And its an ending that is FINAL.... I laugh and say I am in the Autumn of my life now hahahaha....

You will notice things start to change. Whether you like it or not ....whether you are in the gym every day or not...you will start to thicken in the middle...and the rest starts to shrink...and I mean everything....pick a body part....yep....the girl stuff too....shrink!!! Still...exercise. Do it. Make yourself do it. I don't care if you just walk for a half hour a day DO NOT SIT DOWN....you use it or you will lose it. HAVE SEX....do everything you would do when you were 20~30~40.... keep moving. It takes more effort to stay in shape after menopause.... but if you are doing it all along you will transition much easier.

My mother is a kook. But she did give me an honest good piece of advice. She told me to keep my feet on the ground but keep moving them around.... she told me that once she finally decided to sit....and act like a retired person she never got what she had back. And its true. No matter what....when you think....ahhhh I will sit and watch movies all day...MAKE YOURSELF....get up and do something. Keep your mind sharp. Don't just move that body move that brain....even if you just do crossword or read....play cards....keep thinking. Take a class....move that brain.

I don't pretend when I look in the mirror that I am not sure sometimes who the hell is looking back....but I don't fret about it either. I am better today than I ever was in many ways......

Elsa told me that when Saturn hit scorpio I would feel my age. For the first time in my life...and this started about November (2012) I really feel the difference. Not that this has slowed me down....I just recognize it. I am forced to own it. I am forced to think about different things now..... how many years do I have left? What do I want to leave. What do I want to teach my children and g-babies before I go. I have been on a mission making sure Baby Scorpio moon knows everything.... I quiz her....last week it was about working and money....next week it will be something else.

I want her to remember my name. I want her to remember how much I love her and want the best for her. I want her to turn into a great woman. I want her to understand that MOON...and I want her to be the very best she can be. I wont always be here to watch over her and ....her parents are young....see when we are young we don't always remember the important stuff...I know I didn't. My kids are done. I did all I could for them so now I am working on the g-babies. I take baby Scorp moon to work with me. I let her work the counter (she is FOUR YEARS OLD) She is really great. She greats the people with manners...and they are delighted at her ability to check the dogs out... and thank them. Asks them to please come back and see us soon....I give her jobs and she earns money for her little bank....she keeps a small amount for a treat we take the rest to the bank. I let her make the deposit....

This is the stuff that comes after menopause. I don't know the astrology behind it. I just know that today I spend my time making sure that everyone is set, and ready for my departure. I may be here 25 or 30 more years....or gone tomorrow. I don't know my departure date. I just know how much I love the people I put here. It's my responsibility to make sure that they are set and they can carry on without me.

After menopause....what I have found to be most important is outside myself. I see my sig. others...I have always loved them. I need to make sure that they know it. In action and example....not words.

I have so much to do. I just haven't had the time for this menopause baloney lol... I have lots of work left....you realize this you see. You will see time running out.....you have to finish what you started. You no longer take a day for granted.

So, the hot flashes are nothing by comparison to how you realize what you have done...and what you have left to do. You can make this time the worst...and cry and carry on ...or you can get busy with life. I choose to live every single day to my absolute fullest. I have little girls watching me. It's the most important thing!

((((Scorpioandproud))))

Thank you! That was wonderful to read.

Not there yet,
Angie

((((Elsa)))) I heard you LOUD AND CLEAR!!! And when I get tired I go right back and listen to that recording of that hour we spent together .... you told me straight from the hip Elsa...and I listened...I still listen. It was the best advice. I am not one to take advice lol....but I did listen to every word you said. I used the astrology behind it...and I am putting the work in. It's working. My family....they are doing so much better.

You said....be the Matriarch....its your job. I didn't want this job. Well I am thriving at it and my family....they needed the help and they are doing so much better. I wish you could see my daughter in laws.... I encourage them daily. They are going to be strong vital women. They are going to take very good care of my sons...and those little girls.

(Elsa told me to help my DIL'S be strong women and show them how to be good Mothers)

Elsa I just might leave something good on this old earth after all

That's sweet. I am so happy.

Is this the menopause topic someone asked about?  Maybe I can make it come alive again.

I will probably never finish this process.  I'm 55 and no sign of menopause yet.  I'm way too old for this nonsense.  Above I read that you will feel your age when Saturn hits Scorpio.  Well, I'm there.  Let's get this show on the road!