Dealing with what's ailing me

I haven't written here in a very long time and, for those that care enough to check back here, I'm sorry. I haven't been any busier than I usually am, I just haven't been inspired to write. Truthfully, I have been inspired to do much of anything. I feel tired, sad, angry (very, very angry!), sore, old, creaky, unappreciated, unloved, and - most of all - frustrated by my seeming inability to do anything to break out of this cycle.

Cycle, cycle, cycle...hmmm, could this possibly be the start of the next phase of my (womanly) life? I decided to Google "menopause" and was quite surprised to find that everything I have been experiencing (and more that I won't detail here because you just don't need/want to know) can be explained by my having entered menopause. Some of you will say, "But, Denise, you've only just turned 42, how is that possible?" I started menstruating at age 10, so I've had 32 years of this fun and thus it isn't as out of line as you might think. (Mom also let me know that she started menopause at 40, so there's family history as well.)

Once I got my head around this probability, I started looking for holistic ways of dealing with symptoms and found the following things that I am going to implement or have already implemented:

1. Acupuncture - helps with the aches and pains as well as rebalancing hormone levels

2. Chiropractic - help with aches and pains, too

3. Magnesium and Calcium supplements - Magnesium helps me fall asleep at night, Calcium fights monthly depression

4. 20 minutes of walking every day - good for fighting off depression, movement helps keep joints healthy, burns off calories/makes my body more insulin-sensitive

5. 20 minutes of yoga every day - same as #4

6. Write about how I'm feeling - fights the depression, helps me remember that I'm not going insane, I'm just entering another phase of my life

7. Soak feet in warm water with lavender oil - relaxes the body and mind

8. Plant a garden - relaxes mind, fights the depression

9. Cut out caffeine - caffeine inhibits body's ability to use nutrients like calcium and magnesium, can also make it tough to sleep properly

I've implemented #s 1-3 already plus #6 as soon as I hit "Publish Post", but #s 4 and 5 are going to be more challenging, so I'll keep track here of how I'm doing. There are also other items on my list of things to try in terms of dealing with the menopause thing and I'll write about those as I go along as well.

Basically, if you're not interested in menopause or depression or when I'll ever start to feel like a normal human being again, this journal is probably no longer for you. If, however, you think you might like some information about what works and what doesn't (or are just ready to be entertained by my Tales from the Dark Side), stay tuned.