How many years have you had a period?

[Kimmyt]

I luuuuuuuurve my period.

I guess I'm one of the few.

Hey, when you're sexually active and don't want to get pregnant, even if you're on the pill, those few days of bleeding are a LIFESAVER. I am the happiest girl ever on the first day of mine every month.

Celebrate with red wine and a fancy dinner!

[Tuckervill]

Yes, Kimmy, getting that period every month was a happy day...until that vasectomy, which was an even happier day!

A couple of things have been going through my head while I read this thread.

My aunt and my mother both said they went off HRT a few years after menopause and they never had hot flashes again.

My two aunts and my grandmother on my dad's side got to keep all their parts all the way through menopause, and that's my goal, too. My grandmother was 100 when she died last year. One of my aunts died, too, at age 70, of cancerous things, but she was a sun worshipper and a smoker, and I'm not. I want to be like my grandmother. Here's hoping!

Overweight causes too much estrogen to be stored in your body, so if you're overweight and having problems with your periods, (polycystic ovaries, for instance), getting rid of lots of weight will help.

I never could take the pill. I've always thought my mother using the high-dose pills of the '60s (for 20 years after I was born in 62) is what led to her fibroids causing heavy bleeding and eventually hysterectomy. Now I don't think that any more, but it still can't be groovy-cool to skip periods for entire years. I have a fibroid that makes it really hard to pass a curette into my cervix for a biopsy (found that out the hard way in August). So, even though I've never smoked, I may not avoid troublesome fibroids as I'd hoped.

I'm looking ahead now to The Pause and I hope to handle all the symptoms gracefully and with as little intervention as possible. Exercise, diet, weight loss, meditation...it's why I took up cyling. I think it's starting already but others think it's too early. My mother was 45 when she had her uterus removed for bleeding due to fibroids...but I learned recently that fibroids reduce down after menopause (no estrogen to feed them)....I'm not giving in as easily as she did.

I've been bleeding since I was 14. I'm 44. That's 30 years. I'm ready for it to end, but not before I get the weight off.
Karen

[CyclChyk]

KIT - altho I hate having it, I agree with you. The whole period thing is a cleaning out of our goodies right? So if we don't have it, its not being cleaned?? Maybe I am just naive in this area cuz I never wanted kids so pretty much didn't care how it all worked, but I can't imagine never having one is a good thing. (Prior to menopause I mean).

[mimitabby]

I, too, have a goal of going out with all the parts I came in with. I have lost two wisdom teeth, but I have all the rest of my parts. I tried hormone therapy for
perimenopause symptoms, but it made it WORSE..

When men talk to me about their wives turning into witches, monsters, etc
(mind you, i work with men not women) I like to tell them that i have been going through the change too, right next to them, and the only thing they could have noticed with me was that i often have trouble guessing whether it is hot or cold in here.

[chickwhorips]

the 7 Dwarves of Menopause

[margo49]

Just imagine being a man-person; same same every day every week every mnth year after year and just changing the numbers on your birthday. Give me ups and downs and don't know where I am anytime!
Started in1968 (aged 12 1/2). Stopped after 4 months (of my 7) of chemo (breast cancer) at age 40. Ovaries also "carked out" at this point according to ultrasound. Then 6 months on some weird injection-in-the-bottom for 6 months of suppression. Then 5 years of tamoxifen. Lots of menopausal symptoms eg hot flushes and general madness.Then a while with nothing. Then my daughter started (aged 12) and I had a few "sympathetically" with her for about a year. Then I had none except in times of extreme stress (deaths in the family and associated international travel and separation from my own family)
I *do* miss them - even the insanely floody ones at the end. What is the point of the Moon? What are my rhythms *now*? How do I navigate thru my life with no monthly signposts? Still have mad cravings for a baby every so often however they are reduced to a fantasy of a foundling in a cane basket outside the door at work
Haven't had anything for ages ... so I guess what is left of my instability and emotional dynamics is My Own Problem for which I will have to Take Responsibility.

[mimitabby]

Still have mad cravings for a baby every so often however they are reduced to a fantasy of a foundling in a cane basket outside the door at work
Haven't had anything for ages ... so I guess what is left of my instability and emotional dynamics is My Own Problem for which I will have to Take Responsibility.

Well, Margo, considering where you live your fantasies aren't that far fetched.
That's where the original basket story came from, isn't it?

My mad cravings for babies went away. Now I am resentful about my sons who are going to wait until i am too old to have grandkids.

[mimitabby]

For women who prefer less frequent menstruation, there are oral contraceptives taken continuously for 6 to 12 weeks — followed by a week of no pills — which are associated with fewer menstrual-related complaints.

I guess you should ask your doctor what it's called. They didn't say.

[annie]

[QUOTEMy mad cravings for babies went away. Now I am resentful about my sons who are going to wait until i am too old to have grandkids.
[/QUOTE]

Mine are doing that, too!! How do we hurry them up?? I have so many friends with grandkids and I WANT ONE!

On the original question -- started when I was almost 16 and hope every month that I am truly finished. But so far, no. The longest I've gone, raising my hopes, is 3 months. I know I am in perimenopause, but I would be happy for the full-fledged thing! I will be 52 in Jan. so that comes to over 35 years of dealing with it. Right now, I am experiencing the lovely stage of erratic periods, so I NEVER know when to expect it and must be prepared at all times. I've had such heavy flows that I've been anemic. Or else maybe I'll just have spotting. So weird. Still - I don't have hot flashes (yet) or night sweats, or depression, so I can't really complain too much. I do have episodes of very dry skin (everywhere!) and very low libido. But it passes and then all is normal most of the time. Still - I am so glad I am a woman and this is part of the deal, so I'll put up with it and try my best not to be a bit__ TOO much of the time.

annie

[mary9761]

Overweight causes too much estrogen to be stored in your body, so if you're overweight and having problems with your periods, (polycystic ovaries, for instance), getting rid of lots of weight will help.


Karen

Ah but the catch 22 to PCOS is that it makes it difficult to lose and maintain weight loss so you have to fight harder to lose the weight to try to make the PCOS better to make it easier to lose the weight, etc, etc... not an excuse but PCOS isn't as simple as losing weight. I have had massive blood clots like others have described off an on all of my life as well. Turns out at one point I had polyps that needed to be removed and there's a chance the could return. I have had female problems ever since I BLOSSOMED so I think I'd be glad to be done completely. I told the doctor if I end up needing a hysterectomy to take it all since the ovaries aren't working right either. One of the last ultrasounds showed my left ovary nearly as big as my uterus if what I saw was correct. They could barely find my right ovary.

[pyxichick]

I used to think I didn't want to mess with my hormones, so I never took birth control pills. I just suffered with awful cramps, yucky IBS (in addition to my regular digestive issues) and crabby crabby moods. Somehow I never seemed to plan ahead properly when I had my period and always found myself out somewhere with friends or family having to say "uh, could we stop somewhere so I can get a tampon?" And it always overflowed because I bled so much.

Then my gastroenterologist suggested that I definitely not get pregnant because of the medication I was on. No problem, I don't want to have kids anyway. This, combined with my chronic anemia convinced me to finally go on the pill.

So at the age of 31, I went in to get a prescription and my (female) doctor says to me "you've never been on the pill before? How have you managed to not get pregnant?"

HUH?

Anyway, Seasonale is a girl's best friend. I don't miss the flow. I no longer care that it's "not natural" because the benefits make my life so much better.

[chickwhorips]

Anyway, Seasonale is a girl's best friend. I don't miss the flow. I no longer care that it's "not natural" because the benefits make my life so much better.

you said it sister! that's why i love it!!!!

[Tuckervill]

Ah but the catch 22 to PCOS is that it makes it difficult to lose and maintain weight loss so you have to fight harder to lose the weight to try to make the PCOS better to make it easier to lose the weight, etc, etc... not an excuse but PCOS isn't as simple as losing weight.

Yeah, I didn't mean to imply that it was easy. Just that weight is a factor. I want to get my weight off before menopause because of the same vicious cycle.

Karen

[light_sabe_r]

While We're on the subject. (thread hijack) Has anyone had endometriosis??

I started VERY late compared to the rest of you. I was almost 15!!! Been coming like clockwork eversince. 1 entire week of bleed through every month until I was 19. That's when I found out I've got full blown endometriosis.

There were days before I saw my gyno that I'd crumple to the floor in pain, couldn't go to work, vomitting and other nasty stuff. I've been on the pill since then and have been purposely SKIPPING periods to avoid these "attacks" (which were pretty mild to begin with, but Doctor saw a pattern emerging) Usually only softens the blow a bit...

I know I'm young, But I'm looking forward to either getting pregnant and having nine months of relief or getting a freaking hysterectomy!!!