Relate? Catherine, I relate so much I must be a first cousin! Over the past couple of years, I have suffered(!) from the following diseases:
cancer of the lungs, liver, kidneys and spleen
degenerative heart disease
brain tumour (which amazingly shifted from above the left eye to above the right!)
rheumatoid arthritis
osteo-arthritis
dropsy
yellow/scarlet/sky-blue-pink fever
Alzheimer's
complete disappearance of the vagina
manic depression
raving hypochondria (Munchausen by Proxy nothing, I AM Munchausen!)

Needless to say, all of these dread diseases have mysteriously been cured and forgotten until the next one comes along. The main reason I joined this forum was not to seek some kind of 'cure' - after all, I will get older and die, whatever I do- but to reassure myself that others get all these weird and wonderful symptoms too!

I would just like to add that though I do but jest, I am certainly not lacking in sympathy for anyone who is really suffering from any of the illnesses I listed above. But as they say, if you didn't laugh, you'd cry!

I have a hard time remembering--imagine THAT--exactly when I started into peri-meno... I think it was around 1995.. it was almost like I woke up one morning and the term "Change of life" had a whole new meaning..Life as I had known it, had certainly changed alright...nothing was the same..I had these overwhelming feelings of impending doom... just knew everything was going to make me DIE..anxiety attacks 24/7.. knew I had cancer in various places, detached retina..that one was a bout with ocular migraines... vertigo---KNEW that one was a brain tumour..blood pressure sky rocketed... heart palps... cholesterol jumped... hot flashes..phantom cramps..flooding.. then nothing for months then floods..and about a gazillion other things including, but not limited to hair in places I didn't want it and none in places I did... looking back, I guess I was/am one of the "lucky" ones... most of these symptoms were brought under control fairly quickly with a combination of diet, exercise, supplements ( B 100 complex, vit E, and a calcium/ magnesium).. and a better understanding of what was happening to my body...and how THAT affected my emotions and mind..for instance the B vitamins help regulate your hormones.. stress will deplete the body of them...was I stressed? you betcha... also I stumbled across an article about breathing correctly, and realized that much of the time I was stressed out, I was either holding my breath or breathng completely wrong.. thus contributing to the endless cycle of anxiety... learning to stop looking at everything as a huge outside force that was going to KILL me also helped LOL. that came by getting out and DOING things.. getting some fresh air and thinking about other things..I had gotten pretty self-posessed. Little by little the symptoms faded and I was left with a larger bra size, a few (?) extra pounds, still those pesky chin hairs.. an occasional hot flash..although almost NEVER in the winter when I could have used them...and the begining of an appreciation for this next chapter in life.. I just passed the "official "17 months bleed free, so I guess that means I'm there..I was able to go through these years without the benefit(?) of HRT.. but I realize that everyone is different and for some women HRT is the answer to getting through this time... what ever works is my belief.. nothing is written in stone on this one.. except I think the basics... drink plenty of water, get some form of exercise daily, get sleep when you can--I started taking naps again--and find somethng to laugh about often..seriously..laughing releases chemicals in your brain that make you feel better.. might be something to the old addage.."Laugh all your troubles away".. hang in there ..there is light at the end of the tunnel... sorry this ended up being so long, I do tend to run on sometimes.. Judy

Thank you Pupa and Gatorgirl....
Pupa.......I laughed 'til I cried at your post! Like Gatorgirl says, laughing produces so endorphins.....so thanks for giving me some endorphins today! I think I have also had the "yellow/scarlet/sky-blue/pink fever"! I've also had burlap-rickety-poopus!! I know what you mean about Munchhausens.......Proxy just doesn't cut it for me either!! It seems like so many of us have this trip into the underworld with perimenopause. It's so strange.......when I was on a fair amount of extra estrogen, and I would get a pain, I'd just ignore it. Then when I came off my hormones, that same pain would sending me into a "This is the big one!" spasm! Even though I would talk to myself when I would be feeling better about not freaking out and thinking I was dying the next time it would happen, it would still ALWAYS happen! I guess thinking we're dying is part of the perimenopause "package deal".
Gatorgirl......You made me laugh too! Thanks for the reminder about important vitamins. Actually, I was on a B complex and a B12 sublingual, but with the holidays, I forgot about it........since I was putting so many other things in my mouth (bad things, you know......candy, pie, cookies). You're right about humor.......we just gotta have it or we're really doomed! Thanks you two!!

Pupa, I LOVE you list. I just broke up laughing! A lot of us tend to predict the worst at this time of life. I bet it has something to do with the way lowering hormones affect our brain chemistry. But it reminds of nursing school, when we all got every disease we read about - it was a hoot!

Oh my gosh! I just love to pop into this site when I'm feeling down! I just went to the dr. the other day for migrains, lightheadedness, dizziness, and pain in my neck and shoulder. He asked me if I still have periods, my answer was yes, so he didn't check to see if I was in menopause. (I"m 45 as of the 14th of this month). Anyway, he took a lot of blood tests and told me to come back monday and see what they show up. Of course I've already decided I have a brain tumor and cancer in my back and neck! I needed this forum today because I'm pretty sure menopause has to be some of my problems. My face gets red as a beet and its downright embarrassing! I don't really get too hot, warm maybe, but not as hot as it shows on my face!