1.Why do you blog? Have your reasons changed over time?
Two reasons: to get things out there that I’m thinking and to connect to others. I don’t think it has changed all that much; I’m still the same person.
2. What’s a typical Friday night look like at your house?
Well, even when it’s not Session, probably pretty boring. We’d eat dinner and maybe catch up on a couple house chores, then watch a TV show or movie. Sometimes we’d have people over to sit by the fire.
3. Do you like donuts? Your favorite kind? How often do you treat yourself to a donut? Have you ever made homemade donuts?
I do, even though they’re bad for you. We have a local place called Donut Kingdom that makes amazing specialty donuts and I love their Twix, Oreo, or Boston Cream ones. I don’t normally eat them but maybe once a year but now, Members send them to our office all the time so I indulge more frequently. No, I have never tried to make them, though I did make beignets once.
4. How do you feel about shopping?Are you an online shopper? Catalog shopper? Brick and mortar shopper? Do you order groceries online or prefer to select items with your own two hands?
Grocery, I don’t mind. Clothes shopping? Ew. I do prefer online for that. I don’t think I look at a single catalog until near Christmas when we get that Lakeside Collection one. I definitely would rather go to the grocery store. I did Shipt for a hot second a few years ago but I would much rather just get it myself.
5. Next week’s Hodgepodge finds us somehow in the month of April, which just so happens to be National Poetry Month. Sum up (or tell us something about) your month of March in the form of a limerick. You can do it!!
There once was a mom stretched thin
who couldn’t tell where to begin
Always on the go, go go
Which way was up, she didn’t even know
So she accepted her fate and let time win
That was awful but it works. I mean, I just have to roll with it. April will hopefully come and go as quickly as March seemed to. I am stressed but making it.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Number one today is sort of apropos because of what I wanted to write here. On average, you all who read the Wednesday posts are older than I am so I’m seeking advice. Also, this is totally in the TMI category so if you are uninterested in female issues, I suggest you move along now.
Ok, let’s talk perimenopause. So, I just turned 44 Monday. I have always been fairly regular in cycles but in 2022, I had some ups and down; some started on the same day two months in a row (making that next month, technically, 3-5 days late) and then in December, I had cycles begin on the 16th AND the 28th, which was weird. January and February were normal. But now, I am late BUT I feel like I had a cycle; i.e. I had back pain, bloating, irritability, and too emotional. All the tell-tale signs with no bleeding. Many explanations here: I gained a little weight from all this work, on top of the stress of this work. Of course, I was worried about pregnancy but what is more likely: a mid-40s woman with a low chance to conceive and a husband who had a vasectomy nine years ago somehow gets pregnant OR I’m just entering into perimenopause? I lean towards that. Obviously the answer is to ask your doctor or take a pregnancy test but at the same time, I just can’t bring myself to accept that that is an answer. It wouldn’t make sense! It’s also a catch 22 because stress can delay but also, this situation brings about stress. I would love to get to a mental state of “whatever happens, happens” but that’s hard. I am past the child-bearing age – in my opinion.
Been trying to find sites with women sharing their experiences but only came across a couple. One article made me feel infinitely better when she said she was 45 and had a very similar experience with two close cycles then a 50 day one. So hey, maybe that’s where I am.
If any of you would like to share things that may have happened to you, great. That somehow makes me feel better and it’s half of why I like blogging!
incognitusscriptor.com 
My co-worker, who is 40, has started into perimenopause, so it is definitely possible at 44. I had to have a complete hysterectomy a 42, so I don’t have a lot of personal experience. My gut feeling is to get a pregnancy test just to totally rule it out. I know it would be a complete miracle since your husband has had a vasectomy but if you aren’t pregnant, I would definitely think perimenopause. Also, do you get your yearly check-up/pap smear at the gynocologist? If it has been more than a year, I would highly recommend a doctor’s visit. Of course, the two things I mentioned . . .are the two things you didn’t want to do :-).
Your middle line of your limerick about go, go, go describes your blog/lifestyle. Great job!!
I am waaay older than you and because of that I can’t really remember well how I entered the menopause stage of my life. I have heard others who’s periods got really weird running up to menopause. I hope you can get some encouragement. One thing I know is that it was a huge relief not to have that monthly cycle once it did stop.
See your doctor, of course. Being too thin and running marathons messes with your cycle, not usually weight gain. Peri-menopause is certainly possible. I always had a short cycle and it got shorter and shorter with heavy heavy bleeding. I had a type of endometriosis confined to the uterus which was horribly painful and caused all that bleeding. So I had a hysterectomy about 40, but they left one ovary.
I was in full on menopause at 48, and my dr at the time said nearly every symptom you may feel anywhere in your body can be related to/chalked up to menopause. You are very likely at the beginning of it all, and not gonna lie, the first little while was a bit of a tough road for me. I just did not feel like myself. My husband kept asking when menopause would end and I sadly had to break it to him that it doesn’t lol. I’d recommend you go visit your doctor, have your thyroid checked (also something that can go wacky in menopause) along with your hormone levels, and honestly try to find some ways to de-stress regularly, which I know may sound impossible but stress exacerbates everything. Also, it’s not tmi. There is so much about menopause that is not talked about. Be gentle with yourself, eventually you find a new rhythm. Take care. Ask all the questions, it’s okay.
There is nothing I can add regarding your situation that the above smart women haven’t already written. See a dr., ask that your thyroid be checked, slow down on the marathons until you have answers, and decompress often.
I was in my mid40s when I started perimenopause, and often I felt the same way – all the symptoms of a period but without actually having one some months. As someone else mentioned, it’s probably best to get to the doctor to get an exam and a pap if it’s been about a year or more, but in the meantime, keep making healthy choices where you can and give your body grace as it settles to a new rhythm. And track what is going on (put the details on a calendar so that you KNOW how long it’s been since your last period and whether it was heavy or just spotting and how long it lasted etc.) because the doctor should ask and it’s weird how hard it is to remember accurately unless you actually wrote it down! Hang in there!
What is ‘Session”?
The ladies all gave great info. I’m 54 and haven’t gone into Menopause but definitely have been on a roller coaster with my cycle the last two years. I’ve now gone 6 months without my cycle but they say you aren’t considered in menopause til you’ve gone a year. This is the longest I’ve gone so far. My naturapath has been wonderful in helping me with supplements and “tinctures” she makes to help with overly heavy months or mental/emotional issues.
Session is when our legislators are here to pass the laws, They meet for 60 days but there’s a month or so beforehand of committee meetings. Since I work in house bill drafting, this is a busy time for me.
I enjoyed reading your answers. Those donuts sound yummy. I like shopping online for clothes. I hope you can get some answers on your random thought. I believe I was in my mid 40’s but that was a while ago. Hope your weekend goes well.