I loved the movie Wizard of Oz when I was a kid.
In the 60s and 70s, the TV stations played it only once a year, and we looked forward to it every single year. Everything seemed so REAL -- the Wicked Witch of the East flying around on her broomstick. The twister taking Dorothy up in her house and depositing her among the Munchkins. Those life-like monkeys that creep me out to this very day.
We all know Dorothy's tune she sings on her journey to see the wizard. Lions and Tigers and Bears. Oh my. I can picture her, arms linked with the scarecrow and the tin man. I was a scared little kid, and I sympathized with Dorothy. Who knows what could happen! There could be ANYTHING waiting around the corner! Yes, the Yellow Brick Road is quite pretty, but yikes, there's scary stuff out there!
Fast forward 40 years or so, and I still retain many habits from childhood.
Take hot flashes, for example. On my road to menopause, this not-so-glamourous road called peri-menopause, I've had the occassional hot flash. I get the aura, the total body-flushing starting from my head traveling down to my toes. My face feels like I burned it in front of a campfire, and I feel tired and shaky for a long, long time. I got my first hot flash sitting at my desk in my office. Of course I thought I was going to faint. This was IT! I was going to die, and leave my husband and kids on this earth without me. The lions have entered the building! There could be tigers and bears coming, too -- who knows! And of course, I went into full panic mode, complete with panic attack and the desire to lose my lunch.
So yesterday, sitting at my desk in my office, I have a hot flash while eating a nice yummy piece of home-made lasagne. Now, I've had many, many hot flashes since that first one several years ago. I know what they are and how they feel. So did I relax, and try to calm myself so I could enjoy my lasgna? Of course not. The LIONS are in the building! I'm going to faint. I'm going to croak. God only KNOWS what's going to happen. To make a long story short, I had hot flashes from yesterday afternoon through the night until about 2:30 in the morning, when I finally dipped into something called sleep. Having to get up at 5:15 for work did not appeal to me. Accompanied by the hot flashes were a LOT of heart palps, which are nothing new either, but terrified me equally. I was going to croak! There are lions surrounding me as I watched horrible late-night cable TV!
The morning after, the hot flashes are toned down, the heart palps are still here, and my anxiety is a little better. In my sleep deprived state, I've been realizing a few things:
1. There will always be lions, tigers, and bears running about. It's a part of life. Maybe I'll even come to make friends with one, like the Cowardly Lion.
2. It's good to friends around me when I'm faced with lions, tigers and bears. We can sing together and help the boogeyman go away.
3. Life is a journey, filled with adventures and people. Learn to savor each moment.
4. Steer clear of twisted monkeys. They're still creepy.
I wish you all a good day, no matter what you're facing today.
Full Version: A Night of Perimenopausal Fun
QUOTE (midwestpiglet @ Sep 25 2007, 09:25 AM) 
I loved the movie Wizard of Oz when I was a kid.
In the 60s and 70s, the TV stations played it only once a year, and we looked forward to it every single year. Everything seemed so REAL -- the Wicked Witch of the East flying around on her broomstick. The twister taking Dorothy up in her house and depositing her among the Munchkins. Those life-like monkeys that creep me out to this very day.
We all know Dorothy's tune she sings on her journey to see the wizard. Lions and Tigers and Bears. Oh my. I can picture her, arms linked with the scarecrow and the tin man. I was a scared little kid, and I sympathized with Dorothy. Who knows what could happen! There could be ANYTHING waiting around the corner! Yes, the Yellow Brick Road is quite pretty, but yikes, there's scary stuff out there!
Fast forward 40 years or so, and I still retain many habits from childhood.
Take hot flashes, for example. On my road to menopause, this not-so-glamourous road called peri-menopause, I've had the occassional hot flash. I get the aura, the total body-flushing starting from my head traveling down to my toes. My face feels like I burned it in front of a campfire, and I feel tired and shaky for a long, long time. I got my first hot flash sitting at my desk in my office. Of course I thought I was going to faint. This was IT! I was going to die, and leave my husband and kids on this earth without me. The lions have entered the building! There could be tigers and bears coming, too -- who knows! And of course, I went into full panic mode, complete with panic attack and the desire to lose my lunch.
So yesterday, sitting at my desk in my office, I have a hot flash while eating a nice yummy piece of home-made lasagne. Now, I've had many, many hot flashes since that first one several years ago. I know what they are and how they feel. So did I relax, and try to calm myself so I could enjoy my lasgna? Of course not. The LIONS are in the building! I'm going to faint. I'm going to croak. God only KNOWS what's going to happen. To make a long story short, I had hot flashes from yesterday afternoon through the night until about 2:30 in the morning, when I finally dipped into something called sleep. Having to get up at 5:15 for work did not appeal to me. Accompanied by the hot flashes were a LOT of heart palps, which are nothing new either, but terrified me equally. I was going to croak! There are lions surrounding me as I watched horrible late-night cable TV!
The morning after, the hot flashes are toned down, the heart palps are still here, and my anxiety is a little better. In my sleep deprived state, I've been realizing a few things:
1. There will always be lions, tigers, and bears running about. It's a part of life. Maybe I'll even come to make friends with one, like the Cowardly Lion.
2. It's good to friends around me when I'm faced with lions, tigers and bears. We can sing together and help the boogeyman go away.
3. Life is a journey, filled with adventures and people. Learn to savor each moment.
4. Steer clear of twisted monkeys. They're still creepy.
I wish you all a good day, no matter what you're facing today.
In the 60s and 70s, the TV stations played it only once a year, and we looked forward to it every single year. Everything seemed so REAL -- the Wicked Witch of the East flying around on her broomstick. The twister taking Dorothy up in her house and depositing her among the Munchkins. Those life-like monkeys that creep me out to this very day.
We all know Dorothy's tune she sings on her journey to see the wizard. Lions and Tigers and Bears. Oh my. I can picture her, arms linked with the scarecrow and the tin man. I was a scared little kid, and I sympathized with Dorothy. Who knows what could happen! There could be ANYTHING waiting around the corner! Yes, the Yellow Brick Road is quite pretty, but yikes, there's scary stuff out there!
Fast forward 40 years or so, and I still retain many habits from childhood.
Take hot flashes, for example. On my road to menopause, this not-so-glamourous road called peri-menopause, I've had the occassional hot flash. I get the aura, the total body-flushing starting from my head traveling down to my toes. My face feels like I burned it in front of a campfire, and I feel tired and shaky for a long, long time. I got my first hot flash sitting at my desk in my office. Of course I thought I was going to faint. This was IT! I was going to die, and leave my husband and kids on this earth without me. The lions have entered the building! There could be tigers and bears coming, too -- who knows! And of course, I went into full panic mode, complete with panic attack and the desire to lose my lunch.
So yesterday, sitting at my desk in my office, I have a hot flash while eating a nice yummy piece of home-made lasagne. Now, I've had many, many hot flashes since that first one several years ago. I know what they are and how they feel. So did I relax, and try to calm myself so I could enjoy my lasgna? Of course not. The LIONS are in the building! I'm going to faint. I'm going to croak. God only KNOWS what's going to happen. To make a long story short, I had hot flashes from yesterday afternoon through the night until about 2:30 in the morning, when I finally dipped into something called sleep. Having to get up at 5:15 for work did not appeal to me. Accompanied by the hot flashes were a LOT of heart palps, which are nothing new either, but terrified me equally. I was going to croak! There are lions surrounding me as I watched horrible late-night cable TV!
The morning after, the hot flashes are toned down, the heart palps are still here, and my anxiety is a little better. In my sleep deprived state, I've been realizing a few things:
1. There will always be lions, tigers, and bears running about. It's a part of life. Maybe I'll even come to make friends with one, like the Cowardly Lion.
2. It's good to friends around me when I'm faced with lions, tigers and bears. We can sing together and help the boogeyman go away.
3. Life is a journey, filled with adventures and people. Learn to savor each moment.
4. Steer clear of twisted monkeys. They're still creepy.
I wish you all a good day, no matter what you're facing today.
Terrific post Midwestpiglet. You are a real gem.
Midwest Piglet,
I think I just had my first flash (standing across the table from the vet, whilst trying to hold on to my dog, who was being examined). Terrified. Of course, I thought I was having a heart attack, as I started having palpitations a few months back (didn't know what the hell was going on with those, either!).
As I had felt nauseous and almost blacked out during the flash, I called my husband to come from work to pick me up from the vet's - didn't want to black out while I was driving home. Stopped at the doctor's on the way home, but they had no appointments available, so (of course) came home and jumped on the Power Surge forum (which I'd discovered when researching heart palps).
Just wanted to let you know how much your post cheered me and made me smile. Sometimes that's all you need to keep the lions, tigers and bears at bay for a while.
Thankyou,
KateC
I think I just had my first flash (standing across the table from the vet, whilst trying to hold on to my dog, who was being examined). Terrified. Of course, I thought I was having a heart attack, as I started having palpitations a few months back (didn't know what the hell was going on with those, either!).
As I had felt nauseous and almost blacked out during the flash, I called my husband to come from work to pick me up from the vet's - didn't want to black out while I was driving home. Stopped at the doctor's on the way home, but they had no appointments available, so (of course) came home and jumped on the Power Surge forum (which I'd discovered when researching heart palps).
Just wanted to let you know how much your post cheered me and made me smile. Sometimes that's all you need to keep the lions, tigers and bears at bay for a while.
Thankyou,
KateC
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