The Generous Wife
a daily reminder to grow your marriage
Hormones Rule
Aunt Flo and I have never been great friends, but we got along OK. I had a couple of days a month where I cried at commercials or was a little short with folks, but generally I could stay calm and reasonable. Honestly, I thought most women were using their monthly cycle to excuse bad behavior.
Then <scary music> I hit perimenopause. Hot flashes, headaches, insomnia, heart palpitations. I could live with those. Some days were tougher than others, but I could slow down a bit and live through it.
However there came a day <even scarier music> when I was totally out of control. One minute I was calm and the next I would rage. I ended up hiding in the bedroom so I wouldn’t hurt anyone. It only lasted a day, so I was grateful when life seemed to get back to normal.
Only problem was it came back the next month and it lasted two days. By the time my next period rolled around I was nearly hysterical. I couldn’t live the rest of my life hiding in the bedroom closet. Paul did a fair amount of research because he feared for his life loved me. I ended up taking a low dose of DHEA and that took care of the crazies (this is not medical advice, y’all, be smart and talk to your doctor).
I am also deeply repentant when it comes to judging other women and their hormones.
At the same time, I want to encourage y’all to be proactive about dealing with your hormones if they are driving you nuts. If you’re not sure how much your hormones are effecting you, journal your daily feelings and watch for mood swings. If you find (or know you have) very difficult days during the month go to your doctor and talk to him about treatment options. Please don’t just muddle through the misery. Get help.
Some other practical advice:
♥ Track your menstrual cycle.
♥ Let your husband know where you are in your cycle.
♥ Don’t plan any difficult events or projects on your tough days.
♥ Plan those things that will make your schedule easier and help you keep your sanity.
Hormones are powerful and can make some days really challenging. Be practical and do what you can to make those days easier for yourself and your sweetie.
Dear mother nature, I’d like to cancel my monthly subscription. Author Unknown
Prayer Prompt ♥ Ask God for wisdom in dealing with your hormones.
Hot, Holy & Humorous: The Beatitudes in the Bedroom: Poor in Spirit Walk in a little humility.
The Generous Husband: Forgiveness vs Permission Do the right thing and communicate first.
Image credit © Andrey Armyagov / Adobe Stock
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5 responses to “Hormones Rule”
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Thank you for these words. I have gone through similar learning experiences of compassion for what women go through. I live with PMDD and have gone through many years untreated but this last year finally sought out help and treatment and life is closer to manageable again.
Your four tips are crucial for any woman who noticed extra difficulties stemming from their cycle or hormones. I pray many women read this.
Oh my goodness, I’ve been starting to deal with this. Aunt Flo and I had a tumultuous relationship, and I finally kicked her out of the house. But her hormonal cousin, Perimenopause, has recently crashed my home and demands a lot of attention. I’m working on options too, but the wave of hormonal emotion was a bit of a shocker for me. And it required a short conversation with my husband to try to explain what was going on and get him to understand that I just needed some patience and a hug.
My sons-in-law tracks my daughter’s periods and get reminders on their phones. I don’t know if it’s an app or they just put it on their calendars.
I second the advice on talking to a medical professional. I’ve never been regular. If I had 4 periods per year, that was not abnormal. Suddenly now that I’m 37 years old, I’m more regular than I’ve ever been. Go figure. But along with that regularity came days of absolutely wanting to rip everyone’s head off…particularly my husband’s. A quick trip to the doctor’s office and some bloodwork determined that I was pretty deficient in a vitamin. Now I take my vitamin, try to get plenty of time outside (because it distresses me) and give him a warning when things get crazy. We’re still figuring it out but it’s much better than it was.
I feel your pain. Supplements help a lot but make sure you are talking to your doctor. I keep track of my periods on my google calendar.That way I always have it on my phone. I also keep a list of supplements in google drive so that I can always access it when I need it. I highly recommend the book: The Perimenopause & Menopause Workbook: A Comprehensive, Personalized Guide to Hormone Health by Kathryn Simpson MS and Dale Bredesen MD . It taught me a lot.