No Help At All (4)
I’ve watched Denise long enough now to know that I need to offer her some advice and even find her some remedies, so today I went to WebMD. I figured I’d quit looking for a quick fix to such a sophisticated problem and go right to the experts. When the sight came up under the category of “perimenopause”, I almost fell out of my chair when I read this:
Periminopause…begins several years before menopause…and lasts up until menopause…the average length of perimenopause is 4 years.
4 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It goes on to give some suggestions for things that could make those in this state feel better:
- Exercise
- Get more sleep
- Decrease the amount of alcohol you drink
- Take a multi-vitamin
- Drink 8 glasses of water a day
In other words, there really is no remedy for this condition. I could have made their list as the remedy for just about any condition in life.Â
More interestingly, I was stunned to find these suggestions not on the list:
- Sleep with the windows open when it’s below freezing outside
- Keep very hard, easy to throw objects next to the bed that can be used as weapons when anybody makes a comment that might be considered anything but completely understanding and totally sympathetic to the cause
- Buy the hardest and most uncomfortable couch in the world as punishment for the husband who will eventually end up on it and most certainly won’t be allowed to come within a foot of the bed for those 4 YEARS of perimenopause
Did I mention they said 4 YEARS! That’s an eternity! In 4 years I typically change jobs at least twice. I have historically swapped out cars in less than 4 years. My 14 year old will be completely through high school in those 4 years!!!
Good grief. I wish I hadn’t sought out the experts. I’d rather have gone to the “self help” sights that said play soothing music and take “natural remedies’ to ease the discomfort.
Lesson learned.