Meno What?

Nobody in my family ever talked about menapause. I got the "talk" sort of when I started my period around 12. In school we watched a movie about the changes your body goes through at puberty. But no movies about menopause when you turn 48. 

I got my first hot flash at 48, two years ago. I had no idea of why I was getting hot all of a sudden in the car on a cold winter day in January. I thought I must be getting the flu or a bad cold although the only symptoms I had was just being hot. So, I just went home after grocery shopping and took a Tylenol. I was clueless. I didn't have another hot flash for 3 weeks. I felt so I felt something close to my normal self. Then it happened again. 

I was just sitting trying to watch a movie and hear with my son and mom chatting about the plot. Then out of nowhere  here it came. I felt my face and neck get hot then it went down my arms and the rest of my body. I felt like someone turned on the heater to 90 degrees and I was melting.  I started fanning myself with an envelope, the closest thing to me, and when that didn't work I opened the nearest window. The cold winds of February filled the living room. I was slowly cooling off but everyone else was freezing and looking at me like I had 3 heads. It was not until a day later when I looked up menopause online did I realize what my body was starting to go through at the ripe old age of 48. Which by the way I considered too young to be going through anything. And having a 7 year old son didn't help any.
Little did I know this was only the beginning.