"That Womanly Thang!" - Week 29

That Womanly Thang!

     So as you know, we as human beings go through hormonal modifications.  We have skin issues, were our faces taking on the ill-fated polka dots; training bras; voice changes; chest hairs and menstruation, just to name a few.  No matter what, we all have the same life problems, whether we enjoy it or not.  But that's where the similarities remain.  For both men and women, there are changes that are not shared and can make or break life's journey for an extended period of time.

     For men, it's simple.  I'm not a man and my husband wouldn't be honest enough to tell me so I had to ask around and then do some internet research to see what they really had to deal with.  I found quite a bit of nothing!  For real?  I discovered men (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andropause) and I quote: Andropause or male menopause,^[1] sometimes colloquially called "man-opause", is a name that has been given to a menopause-like condition in aging men. This relates to the slow but steady reduction of the production of the hormones testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone in middle-aged men, and the consequences of that reduction,^[2] which is associated with a decrease in Leydig cells.^[3]

Unlike women, middle-aged men do not experience a complete and permanent physiological shutting down of the reproductive system as a normal event. A steady decline in testosterone levels with age (in both men and women) is well documented.^[4]

  

Unlike "menopause", the word "andropause" is not currently recognized by the World Health Organization and its ICD-10 medical classification. This is likely because "andropause" is a term of convenience describing the stage of life when symptoms of aging appear in men. While the words are sometimes used interchangeably, hypogonadism is a deficiency state in which the hormone testosterone goes below the normal range for even an aging male. Unquote!  What the heck!  They've got it made!

     But women,... That's another story altogether!  Now I'm speaking from experience.  I've just turned 41 (psst!  Don't tell anybody!) and I have experience what most women don't move into until they're at least 50!  Okay some maybe a bit sooner but come on!  I was peri-menopausal when I was 34!  It was a blow that shook my world and sent me spiraling into a fit of depression.  It was difficult because I'd always felt I was dealt a raw deal in most situations in my life- caused by my own ignorance or otherwise.

     Well, first had a slight fight with acne- it was more so that I could grease a bowling lane to perfection.  My skin didn't glow, it blinded with oil!  Then I didn't get small boobs I got huge breasts!  LOL which was both good and bad while growing up.  Then while I wished I had my period like most girls who thought it was cool when they didn't have it- I got the mother-load!  

     My monthly cycle got me time in bed, migraines, vomiting and crying spells.  It was the worst for me.  I had to endure 7 days of torture but I survived until it later changed to 5, then 3 and now a few days every few months!  But that's now.  Let's pull some Wiki-facts and all about what other women go through.

     I quote this information from Wikipedia as well.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menopause)

Menopause is a term used to describe the permanent cessation of the primary functions of the humanovaries^[1]: the ripening and release of ova and the release of hormones that cause both the creation of theuterine lining and the subsequent shedding of the uterine lining (a.k.a. the menses or the period). Menopause typically (but not always) occurs in women in midlife, during their late 40s or early 50s, and signals the end of the fertile phase of a woman's life.^[2]

Menopause is an unavoidable change that every woman will experience, assuming she reaches middle age and beyond. It is helpful if women are able to learn what to expect and what options are available to assist the transition, if that becomes necessary. Menopause has a wide starting range, but can usually be expected in the age range of 42–58.^[4] An early menopause can be related to cigarette smoking, higher body mass index, racial and ethnic factors, illnesses, chemotherapy, radiation and the surgical removal of the uterus and/or both ovaries.^[4]Menopause can be officially declared (in an adult woman who is not pregnant, is not lactating, and who has an intact uterus) when there has beenamenorrhea (absence of any menstruation) for one complete year. However, there are many signs and effects that lead up to this point, many of which may extend well beyond it too. These include: irregular menses, vasomotor instability (hot flashes and night sweats), atrophy of genitourinary tissue, increased stress, breast tenderness, vaginal dryness, forgetfulness, mood changes, and in certain cases osteoporosis and/or heart disease.^[5] These effects are related to the hormonal changes a woman’s body is going through, and they affect each woman to a different extent. The only sign or effect that all women universally have in common is that by the end of the menopause transition every woman will have a complete cessation of menses.

     Now If you noticed, the range for menopause is 42-58.  I was diagnosed as a full-blown menopausal graduate at age 38!  That sucks!  Then the fun part- all of those wonderful, what I call AFFLICTIONS!  Oh no, I couldn't just get hit with grey hairs and the need to drive a fast convertible.  LOL

     The womanly thing is just not fun, no matter who you are but it is a part of life.  We have to accept the things we can not change and roll with the punches.  Something many articles didn't always share is the inability or difficulty in losing weight.  It's rough and every woman will tell you the same thing.  I read somewhere that every woman gains at least 10-12 pounds a year.  Now add those 12 to my already fussy body and I'm battling obesity for the rest of my years!  Fine, I'm on it!

How about you?  I'm laughing at my life.  Keep laughing with me.  It's healthy and it shows character through the rough stuff.  Remember that which does not kill you makes you STRONGER!

BE HAPPY❤BE HEALTHY!