Hot Night

I was scrolling through Facebook posts last night and as I was reading about my friends doing this and that I never saw any of them post anything about menopause. That got me wondering why it is not talked about more. I know that most if not all the women I went to grade school and high school should be or have been through it. I have seen very personal posts that as they say is very much too much information from just about all of my older friends but nothing about this very personal journey. So, I dared to ask one of my good friends from high school the big question. I met her in my 9th grade English class and we have been friends from that day on. So, after more then 30 years of friendship I called her up and after the usual chit chat about the rest of our lives and kids I asked if she was like me going through what my mom and grandma used to call "the change". Of course back then I had no idea of what they were talking about. The only change I knew about came from changing clothes or money.

Actually, my friend was glad I asked. She thought she was the only one. I assured her she wasn't. So, we talked a long time and shared what we knew and didn't know. After we hung up about an hour later I decided to go to bed. Usually that's a new adventure every night. I don't know if I will sleep through the night or how many hot flashes if any I will have or how many times I will be searching for the cool side of the pillow while kicking blankets off of my body. 

I hoped and prayed it was going to be a good night. It started off fine. I got about 3 hours sleep, which as of today is a record for me, without a nightly hot flash lasting from 5 Jim to about 30. I got hot. Not sweaty hot just hot enough for me not to be comfortable. I kicked covers off and laid there wide awake waiting for it to pass and thinking I shouldn't have worn the hot sweat pants to bed and how I wished I hadn't gotten rid of the one pair of shorts that still sort of fit me last year. Even though the calendar says March it felt hotter then the fourth of July in that bed of mine. I got up hoping the coolness of the kitchen floor would at least help my feet cool off as I headed that way for some ice water. I skipped the water and headed straight for the ice cubes. I was so glad everyone else was asleep and didn't see me standing there sweat pants rolled to the knees, tank top on, rubbing my face and neck with ice cubes.  That would have been something they would have never let me forget ever. 
After a couple minutes and one glass of water later I was cool enough to venture back to bed. I was good. At least until the next hot flash.