***Warning*** This post is going to be about that ‘time of the month’, so if you’re a person who doesn’t like to hear any of that, then go visit preachermike.com – he always has something interesting going on!

Now for the rest of you:  Here’s a little story about why you MUST pray for my husband before I hit menopause!!!

When I was 16, I had all the usual teen stresses. I was worried about my grades, I was a new driver, I had never been kissed yet, and I STILL didn’t have my period. I was beginning to wonder what was wrong with me (besides the fact that I hadn’t been kissed yet!)  Well, one fateful day IT came after all & boy did I regret ever wishing that I would get it.

Fast-forward to my Freshman Year in college. I had a boyfriend, wasn’t living a Christian lifestyle, so we did a lot more than just kiss. All of a sudden, my periods went from being just painful & annoying to excruciatingly painful. One day, I was doubled-over, and I almost passed out. I was getting hot & sweaty & then cold & clammy. My boyfriend took me to the local Emergency Room. I can’t really remember what they called it at the time, but I was diagnosed with “really painful periods.” YAY ME!!!!

Thanks to the wonderful invention of Birth Control Pills, a lot of the pain & misery was avoided. My life became bearable again during that 1 week every month. I could actually get out of bed & I didn’t need my heating pad so much for comfort. And I didn’t need to gulp down 4 Advils every 4 hours!  Life was good & eventually I found a new boyfriend at the end of my Sophomore Year, who later became my wonderful husband.

Fast-forward to those child-bearing years. Getting off the pill to have children was full of more painful periods & extreme mood swings.  I don’t even remember much about them, but whenever I was able to go back on the pill, I did – as quickly as I could. Now that we’re done having kids, I have often thought that it would be nice to have a different method of Birth Control (honey, if you’re reading this, this means YOU!) but I’m wary about giving up my B.C. Pills. However, I’ve read that most doctors recommend that women over 35 stop using the pill, and I am approaching that age in a couple years.

Now, besides the pain every month, a monster also overtakes me. I become a very mean, irrational wreck of a person when I don’t have those hormones regulated. Ask my poor husband – he’s been on the receiving end of it one too many times. In fact, I am writing this because I have been on the most wonderful New BC Pill for the past year.  I take the pills for 27 days (instead of the usual 24) and I’m supposed to have a lighter period. But guess what? For a whole year, I haven’t had ANY period! Woo Hoo! This is great! Except that I got nervous about not having any period – I mean, how would i know if I became pregnant or if something was wrong with my body? So….I went off the pills. (Also, they cost $50/month, so I was thinking about switching to a different one.) Now I am a beast again. It’s awful. I think it is totally worth the $50/month.

So my Mom was talking to me the other day & she said that her doctor told her to tell me to “Be ready” for menopause because it’s going to be ugly. My mom has it bad – the hot flashes & all the other stuff too. Because my mom had Endometriosis, she won’t be taking hormone therapy. Don’t worry about me – I’ve been checked several times for Endometriosis, since it is hereditary & I don’t have it. (Look it up if you need to – this post is too long already!!!)  But I’m REALLY gonna need that hormone therapy later in life. And Dwight is gonna need lots of prayers too. I’m going to start praying for him RIGHT NOW!!!!! And, honey – I’m really, REALLY sorry about last night! Do ANY of you Ladies relate? Can anybody give me any “real world” advice about what I can do in those years between 35 & menopause?