About Me

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Northern Indiana, United States
I am, among many other things, wife to Gil Jr., mom to Samuel-9 and Evelyn-6. Homeschooler. Also an avid reader, music enthusiast, and wanna be green thumb.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Hormones are the Bitch, Not Me.

It's that time again folks.  You know, that time of the month we all look so forward to.  Menstruation.  For me it always seems like I am a mess more of the month than not.  I get all sore first, everywhere.  Next the "beboos" get so tender, I can't stand the thought of NOT wearing a bra.  Then come the cramps from HELL.  They have gotten progressively worse each year since I have had kids.  If I am lucky enough to preempt them by taking Advil a few days prior, sometimes I can head them off at the pass.  I was lucky this month.  Finally, enter the hormones.  I am an emotional person on a good day, and this is a whole new level of crazy emotional.  I struggle to not scream at everyone within viewing distance.  Sometimes it feels like I could crawl out of my own skin.  Like right now I am trying to write this Blog post and Evelyn is screaming questions at me in her typical fashion.  Serenity now!!  God forbid I see a sad story on the news, or a commercial even.  This results in a bout of uncontrollable crying, followed by looks from my kiddos or husband that say "are you insane?"  All in all, I am very unpleasant for at least a week and a half of each month.

I thought that this kind of thing got easier with age, not more intense.  I don't understand why, when I don't even need them for anything anymore, my ovaries/uterus give me such misery.  I used to try taking Midol to ease the symptoms, but the caffeine they contain made me jittery.  I was on birth control for a good portion of my early marital years and have NO desire to start those again.  I never could remember to take them everyday, as a person must, and they are unbelievably expensive depending on the brand your physician chooses to prescribe to you.  I might have to resort to total isolation.

I hope I am not the only one out there who has this sort of experience.  I mean, I don't wish this kind of hormonal assault on anyone, but it always helps to know you aren't alone.  What do those of you who must endure this do to lessen the blow, so to speak?  I know if I improved my diet, I would most likely see immediate results, but, easier said then done.  It's a process, what can I say?  Do you adjust your diet, take an herb, meditate, or have some sort of routine you follow?  I will take any advice I can get, after all, it's for the future of my marriage;) 

4 comments:

Stephanie said...

My periods don't give me major problems but I do get very moody. My emotions will be all over the place some months. But I can tell ya diet helped me out A LOT!! After I had Izzy my hormones were out of whack, I felt like crap everyday. I learned that food and chemicals around you have a lot to do with it. I changed everything from eating habits to the type of cleaners I use. It wasn't as hard as you think. The hardest part is making yourself do it. I even talked to my OB she said food is a MAJOR contributor to hormone imbalances. She suggested seeing a nutritionists but I wanted to research it on my own and see if I could do it. And I did....since then I've been 10x better! I mean there are a few months that are just horrible but not often.

Let me know if you want any advice or help. I'll be here! Hope things get better but remember they can't get better till YOU do something about it. Pills or Drs aren't always the solution. IMO

Heather said...

Thanks, Stephanie, I really appreciate it! I will definitely be hitting you up for help. I need to make some MAJOR lifestyle changes, and soon! Be talking to you, I'm sure:)

Anonymous said...

I get crazy during my time. I get angry and cranky. I cry at the drop of a hat. And then there's the recovery period after the period. I'm just an emotional wreck. lol

Sarah Nolan said...

You are not alone in this. I'm a tad on the crazy side to begin with. Add in a visit from my favorite (read: sarcasm) aunt and you've got yourself a certifiable nutcase! I basically just complain and try to stay active during that time of need. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't.