female only Today, I hate being a woman.

[needtorecover 574]

I don't always hate it - generally I'm happy I'm a woman and don't resent the many, many, MANY ways we're cut a raw deal based on our biology and gender.

But today, I hate it. I hate my PMS and I wish I could rip out my ovaries and uterus because their functions cause terrible, terrible hormones to course through my blood, into my brain, AND MAKE ME WANT TO EAT THE ENTIRE WORLD. Which of course I cannot do (thank heavens) because of my surgically placed band. But that doesn't make the desire vanish, unfortunately. This goes on for DAYS extending into WEEKS until it finally crescendos into an unbearable cacophony of monstrous voices telling me to jump into a vat of macaroni and cheese and eat my way out of it.

I am suffering and have been suffering for 2.5 weeks now. The cacophony has begun and I am covering my ears saying "LA LA LA" to try to drown it out.

I'm going to go eat my miserable little healthy lunch now.

[Djmohr 6,965]

LOL. I love your post mostly because I have related to it my whole life. In 2003 my OB/GYN finally said to me, Deb you have been suffering with endometriosis since you were in your early 20's. Clearly you don't intent to have more children have you considered a hysterectomy. I immediately signed up and it was the best surgery I ever had.

Then about 7 years of pure bliss later I became peri menopausal and life as I knew if for 7 years changed again. Hot flashes and mood swings galore. It is now 2016 and the hot flashes and mood swings are still here driving me nuts. Last week I was watching an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I was balling like a big old baby over a show I have seen no less than 10 times.

About 6 months ago I sat my husband down and said Honey, I love you and I want to apologize for all the crazy mood swings that I have laid at your feet. He says to me, I don't really feel like you do that. I said, I am apologizing in advance! LOL......you can just feel it.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but PMS and I had it very bad, is nothing compared to menopausal mood swings and the million hot flashes, soaked pajamas.....the list goes on and on.

WTF, does the fun for us women ever end? I pray that it does soon! LOL

[Ale Nunez 80]

Thanks for sharing, at last a post I can relate to.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

At 70, I gotta say being POST-menopausal is fantastic. Yeah,70 has its issues. But none of the ones y'all are complaining about above.

[needtorecover 574]

@@Djmohr - My mom had a full hysterectomy at 39 because she had unbearable cramps (which I was lucky enough to inherit) and she said it was the best decision she made, too! I've heard menopause is a bear I thought it wasn't supposed to last longer than a year but maybe I'm wrong? Do you get crazy hunger spells too? That's one of my least favorite parts about PMS (that and the cramps). My cramps are so bad that they're similar to labor pain when left untreated. I got to 8 cm before I asked for an epidural and thought "Wow, this feels about like my worst cramps without medication." They leave me breathless and they're relentless.

I've been tested for endometriosis... nothing. I just have a miserable, hateful uterus.

[NikkiDoc 312]

Consider talking to your GYN. I know some doctors will put patients on an oral birth control with no placebos. They only take the placebos a couple of times per year. You only get your period when you take the placebos.

Another option is the depo shot. If I remember correctly you get the shot every 3 months. Most woman stop having their period after a couple of shots and if/when they have it the period is much shorter and lighter.

You don't say how old you are. In my case, I am late 40s. My period is getting longer and heavier. I am starting the process to have an ablation. If I am like the majority of pre-menopausal women I will no longer have my period after the procedure. About 10% still have it but it is much much lighter.

Your options are going to depend on your age and desire for future children. Talk with your gyn to see if she has any suggestions.

[WLSResources/ClothingExch 3,444]

My menstrual history seems to have been uneventful compared to most. The friends with whom I compared notes hated me for it.

From the start (just short of age 12) I had cramps, usually mild enough that I got past them. By age 19, no more cramps. The worst all all along was some irregularity. It seemed that my period came along every six to seven weeks, which I liked and which rarely presented a great, public problem.

Many years later I underwent a schedule shift -- every 30-32 days with a warning three days before in the form of the slightest, briefest twinge in either left or right groin area. Years later, another change, but I don't recall what changed.

The closest thing to PMS all those years was no more than a dozen incidents of mild crankiness. No affects on appetite and no major lunacy.

I didn't even know I'd 'gone through' menopause. One month I had a normal period, the next, nothing. That was it. Never a hot flash, no sweats, no moods, none of it.

@@needtorecover, all wretched things come to an end. Patience and fortitude.

[Djmohr 6,965]

Even though I had a hysterectomy in 2003 they left my ovaries. Every month I still had PMS, seriously. It was not as horrible, that is for sure but it was still there.

Menopausal systems can last for years and years and so far, that is definately happening to me. I guess I should be grateful that the mood swing issue only became horrible in the last year but I have had hot flashes, weight gain.....all the fun stuff for the last 6 or so years. Recently the hot flashes became so bad that I started using essential oils to help with them and they really are helping thank goodness.

[Valentina 2,642]

I was told once that "women are the most vicious creatures on the planet. They can bleed for 7 days straight and still refuse to die"!

The man who told me that never "felt the need" to repeat it...

I say to all of my fellow women: "you're welcome".

[cuddletime 4]

How has your menopause symptoms affected your was surgery? I'm going through menopause and it's hard. I'm 5 weeks out from the vsg surgery, and I experience dizziness, anxiety attacks constantly, fatigue (double whammy - surgery and menopause). The List Goes On And On. Any suggestions?

Sent from my SM-T817V using the BariatricPal App

[Shrinking_Violet 10]

My menstrual history seems to have been uneventful compared to most. The friends with whom I compared notes hated me for it.

From the start (just short of age 12) I had cramps, usually mild enough that I got past them. By age 19, no more cramps. The worst all all along was some irregularity. It seemed that my period came along every six to seven weeks, which I liked and which rarely presented a great, public problem.

Many years later I underwent a schedule shift -- every 30-32 days with a warning three days before in the form of the slightest, briefest twinge in either left or right groin area. Years later, another change, but I don't recall what changed.

The closest thing to PMS all those years was no more than a dozen incidents of mild crankiness. No affects on appetite and no major lunacy.

I didn't even know I'd 'gone through' menopause. One month I had a normal period, the next, nothing. That was it. Never a hot flash, no sweats, no moods, none of it.

@@needtorecover, all wretched things come to an end. Patience and fortitude.

@WLSResources/ClothingExch:

No offense, but I think I have to hate you ... on behalf of myself and most other women in the world. Again, no offense meant!

[WLSResources/ClothingExch 3,444]

@@Shrinking_Violet, none taken. To show that I'm not offended so that you don't lose sleep, I'll share a bit more girl talk which had slipped my mind earlier.

During the first stretch of periods every six or seven weeks, it lasted four days. Then, during the years of 30-day intervals, it lasted three and one-half days.

We're having such fun!

[catlady2012 73]

At 70, I gotta say being POST-menopausal is fantastic. Yeah,70 has its issues. But none of the ones y'all are complaining about above.

So agree. But so sad we have to live through the PMS and perimenopause first for so many years.

Sent from my XT1096 using the BariatricPal App

[mngreeneyes 674]

I have had a weird combination of all of the above when it comes to my period. When I was a teenager, I would get my period every couple of months with no regularity. Sometimes I would go months without and then have several months in a row. I remember skipping an entire summer one year and rejoicing! My cramps were meh. My parents liked to blame everything on PMS mood swings so I can't really say for sure how bad the mood swings actually were or if as the only girl, it was a convenient scapegoat when they didn't want to deal with my emotions. ( a story for another post!)

In my 20s I went on BC to try and regulate my periods. The first BC they put me on caused me to wake up in the middle of the night nauseous, crampy, and wanting to die. I remember many a night in college sitting on the floor in the dorm bathroom crying and hugging the toilet trying not to puke. Eventually, read after most of the school year, one of my floor mates sat me down and asked what was going on. Evidently, I became a raging B!@#$%^ once a month about the same time I was crying in the bathroom. When we compared notes, she explained that that was not how bc was supposed to affect you. Back to the Dr. for different bc.

There were times in my 20s and 30s when my insurance wouldn't cover bc and I couldn't afford it so I went back to my very irregular schedule, only now it was about twice a year and spread apart by months. Then in my late 30s I went 2 years almost to the day without a period. Since then, it came back and now its like clockwork. I use the app My Pink Pad to track and I am almost always exactly on what the app tells me for when I will start. At least I was until the last few months, now I start really slow with spotting for 3-4 days, 1 low flow day, 4 OMG I need another pad days, 1 more low flow and done. On the OMG days there are large clots in the flow. I also get cramps on the low flow days and during the OMG days. For the most part I never got PRE-MS I always kind of got During MS. My cramps generally have been with the period, not before. When I was younger and irregular, it would have been nice to have a bit of warning at times!

I am 44 now, regular, crampy, and with mood swings. I can usually tell the mood swings now because I get impatient with the people I work with and tend to talk to the other drivers while commuting to tell them how bad they drive! That has been this week. Today is day 1 of OMG! Oh, and this has not changed except for the spotting since surgery.

I can't wait to see what menopause holds! Mom is going through it to some extent now, I believe. So far she has had some hot flashes, but nothing else I am aware of and I can't say for sure how long they have been going on. She doesn't talk about it much. She is almost 72.

I am planning to get mirena at my next dr. appt. I am interested to see how that affects things.

pam

[Julie norton 2,850]

Well golly. Silly me thought menopause: great. White pants whenever you want. No more needing supplies while camping. Etc Ha. Joke was on me.

Not ready for mood swings and hot flashes. My ob/gym calmly said the average menopause symptoms last about 7 years! Are you serious??

Waking up drenched was so not on my radar. Hoping I'm nearing the end.

Glad WLS solved the 10-15 lb gain that is common however ....