I was reading in a book The Healthy Woman (Prevention 1995) and it had a section on "Don't Expect Dramatic Endings". There was a paragraph on a popcorn analogy I wanted to share.
"It's like making popcorn," says Jordan Horowitz, M.D., a San Francisco obstetrician and gynecologist. "Imagine the eggs as corn kernels and the hormones as heat. During puberty the eggs are all there. But it's not until the hormones are turned up that periods begin. Most young women are prone to irregular ovulation for a while, much like the first kernels of popcorn that go off intermittently. In the middle of reproductive life, like the middle of the popcorn analogy, we see regular ovulation and regular ' popping'. But as you have fewer kernels left, they again pop more irregularly. In fact, just before all the kernels have popped, there may be a quiet moment when you think everything is finished. Then suddenly a few more kernels pop. That is what happens as you get close to menopause. You may have a few months without ovulation and suddenly you'll ovulate again, until finally, everything that is going to pop has popped. And then you have reached menopause."
I don't know how totally accurate this is (since this was a 1995 book, and more research has been done) but I thought it was interesting enough to at least share.
Full Version: Popcorn Analogy
Hi SS
Sounds pretty accurate to me...thanks for sharing this.
Peace
AA
Sounds pretty accurate to me...thanks for sharing this.
Peace
AA
Wow-sounds good to me. I love the analogy.
Mopsy
Mopsy
It seems like it makes sense. Because now, im feeling more like 13 with my periods now at 47. Its kind of sad though, because once the last kernal is popped thats it, no more periods, something we lived with for so long, gone forever, that makes me feel sad.
QUOTE (Mopsy3 @ Oct 22 2007, 06:44 PM) 
Wow-sounds good to me. I love the analogy.
Mopsy
Mopsy
QUOTE (Ivy lena @ Oct 22 2007, 07:39 PM)
It seems like it makes sense. Because now, im feeling more like 13 with my periods now at 47. Its kind of sad though, because once the last kernal is popped thats it, no more periods, something we lived with for so long, gone forever, that makes me feel sad.
I know what you mean - about the sadness. It seems kind of strange to admit it since everyone would probably assume that after having to deal with our periods every month for 40 years or so, that we would be SO happy to not have them anymore. And I think in time...we will do just that, but it is a process. It truly is a "change" in our lives, and I know that I don't deal well with change. This past weekend when I was thinking that I was going to skip my first period ever (I didn't - I started a few days late), I was feeling nostalgic about my OVARIES! I had read somewhere that instead of calling it "ovarian failure" when our ovaries are emptied of their eggs...it should be more positively called "ovarian fulfillment". I know that having produced three healthy daughters...I just wanted to thank my ovaries for functioning as well as they have all these years. :-) Sandy
Sandy, I totally relate. It is sad, and its a HUGE change,
that I dont think im prepared for. I just had my first skipped period ever, just turned 47, and I was devestated, truely. When I saw a tampon commercial, I burst into tears and had terrible anxiety. Happily, I got a period the other day, but what about next month?
Ivy
that I dont think im prepared for. I just had my first skipped period ever, just turned 47, and I was devestated, truely. When I saw a tampon commercial, I burst into tears and had terrible anxiety. Happily, I got a period the other day, but what about next month?
Ivy
QUOTE (sscmack46 @ Oct 22 2007, 10:46 PM)
I know what you mean - about the sadness. It seems kind of strange to admit it since everyone would probably assume that after having to deal with our periods every month for 40 years or so, that we would be SO happy to not have them anymore. And I think in time...we will do just that, but it is a process. It truly is a "change" in our lives, and I know that I don't deal well with change. This past weekend when I was thinking that I was going to skip my first period ever (I didn't - I started a few days late), I was feeling nostalgic about my OVARIES! I had read somewhere that instead of calling it "ovarian failure" when our ovaries are emptied of their eggs...it should be more positively called "ovarian fulfillment". I know that having produced three healthy daughters...I just wanted to thank my ovaries for functioning as well as they have all these years. :-) Sandy
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