Menopausal Monster In The Top 11 Menopause Blogs

Healthline editors recently published their final list of the top 11 menopause blogs on the web and http://menopausalmonster.blogspot.com/ made the list. You can find the complete list at http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/best-menopause-blogs#1 (in no particular order).

http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/best-menopause-blogs#8

Thank you Healthline editors!


★Denise★

SURVEY FOR PERI-AND MENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Professor Daniel Fessler, professor of anthropology at UCLA, is interested in people’s attitudes, particularly those of peri-and postmenopausal women. If you have about 20 minutes or so to spare, please take some time and complete this survey. The survey is completely anonymous.

If you would like to help by participating, please click on the link below or copy and paste it into your web browser:

http://menodis2011-2012.questionpro.com

Thanks very much!

Daniel M.T. Fessler

Associate Professor of Anthropology

Dept. of Anthropology, UCLA

★Denise★

Top 30 Menopausal Blogs

 Nancy, author and owner of the website How To Become A Nurse Practitioner contacted me this morning to let me know about her Top 30 Menopause Blog list of which Menopausal Monster is included, in the Comedic category.  Yay!  Thank you Nancy.

Comedic

Sometimes we all need a good chuckle. Check out these blogs to make you smile, as well as provide some factual information!

1. The Menopausal Monster
   The Menopausal Monster is a comical blog that chronicles the everyday life of a woman, Denise, going through her trying menopausal times! She is upbeat and gives great advice on how to handle various situations. If you are looking for some chuckling relief, tune in here!

 The other categories are General, Remedies and Support.  Tons of information here ladies, be sure to check out all of these menopausal blogs.

★Denise★

SURPRISE!!

 Last week we worked our tails off preparing food and decorating the hall in secrecy so Tom wouldn't suspect that our daughters and I were planning a surprise retirement party for him.
The last two days before the party I wasn't so sure that we had pulled it off but went on pretending that we were going to our next door neighbor's surprise wedding anniversary party.  It wasn't until we walked through the doors ( everyone else was already there by the time we arrived) and our guests began cheering and whistling and the shock on Tom's face when he 'saw' who the guests were and the realization that the party was actually for HIM that I knew he had never suspected a thing!  It was so much FUN!!

I forgot to bring my camera and am so bummed out about that, but I was hoping that maybe the girls remembered to bring theirs and would take photos of the cake and buffet table and  decorations.  They took a few pics on their cell phones and only a few of those were any good.

 

A friend of the family took this family photo of Tom and I, our daughters and our grandchildren.

Too late, I realized no one thought to get some photos of Tom with his buddies from work which would have been a nice momento for him.

One of Tom's buddie's wife offered to make us rigatoni and my friend and neighbor made us stuffed cabbages, both were delicious and so much appreciated!  We also had friends and relatives who offered to bring cookies which was also wonderful.  

Menu:

Fried chicken, hot sausages w/rolls, rigatoni, stuffed cabbages, Chinese coleslaw, hoagie salad, linguini salad, potato & cheese casserole, kolbasi in pineapple and brown sugar, mandarin orange jelly dessert and a sheet cake & cookies galore!

We also had a DJ who is a co-worker of our eldest daughters.

★Denise★

VENTING: RSVP Means TELL ME IF YOU ARE COMING OR NOT!!!

 Venting here.  Having a surprise retirement party for my hubby Tom next Saturday and more than half the people invited have not responded to their invitations!  This drives me CRAZY!  I've had this happen with all 3 of our daughter's graduation parties, 2 of their weddings..........what's wrong with people??!!!

What does RSVP mean?

Come on PEOPLE.....you really don't want Mrs. Hyde to come out of hibernation do you?????

★Denise★

Menopause Related Insomnia and/or Depression

 I was recently contacted by Katie Niedt, Outreach Coordinator of Fisher Wallace Laboratories:

I follow your blog and am writing to make sure you are aware of the Wall Street Journal article just published re: my company’s medical device that treats insomnia, anxiety and depression.  This is an important treatment option for women suffering from menopause-related insomnia and/or depression:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703779704576073762463762744.html#articleTabs%3Dvideo

The device is cleared by the FDA and our Medical Advisory Board is comprised of several of the nation's top doctors.  

Karen is trying to raise awareness among menopause related blogs so I am passing along this information.


★Denise★

Milton singing "The Man Song" by Sean Morey

This is too funny not to share

★Denise★

FINALLY....An Explanation!!!

  For the past year and a half I've been experiencing these 'twitches, flutterings, hic-cups, palpitations' feelings in the right side of my chest beneath the breast and to the right.  They are not painful but they are extremely annoying.  I can actually see that area moving.  Sometimes it looks like my breast is doing a naughty dance.  After a couple months of this when I went to my doctor for a prescription refill, I mentioned it to her.  I don't think she took me seriously.  And of course my breast would not dance for her when I wanted it to.  Apparently it has a mind of it's own.  While I was waiting in the waiting room to be called in it was having a merry time fluttering.  Maybe it was shy in front of the doctor, I don't know, but it wasn't co-operating.  On the way home in my car it was twitching like it had a tic.  A couple more months go by and this irritating flutter, twitch, palpitation is getting more frequent and more noticeable to family members.  Come on Grandma, do that again!!!  I'm trying to have a sense of humor about this, but it's seriously disturbing to me.  I had an appointment with my cardiologist about 3 weeks after my other doctor appointment.  It was at Thanksgiving time last year.  My cardiologist took me more seriously ( although he also did not detect what I was explaining to him.  All was quiet and non-moving) ...until I left his office.  But he did have me pick up a heart monitor to wear for the next 48 hours.  Every time I felt the movements, I was supposed to chart it.  I did.  They happened frequently and at different times during the day and night.  I also had to chart what I was doing when they happened.  I could be eating, sitting, laying down, in the line at the grocery store, watching TV, sitting at the computer, etc.  Thanksgiving Day 2008, we returned the monitor to the hospital.  Several days later I got the results back.  There were no results.  My heart was normal ( for me) and not showing anything unusual.  So all Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter again I keep having these weird movements in my chest/breast.  Sometimes I actually went days without anything and it was wonderful!  Then it would start up again.
Well..................today was my yearly appointment with my cardiac physiologist.  He's the one who replaced my lower lead on my pacemaker/defibrillator last year..... twice.  He wanted to see how I was doing since then and had to run some tests on the pacemaker to make sure it's working properly.  His associate did the tests and while she was reading the papers that were spewing out from the machine she noticed something unusual on the readings everytime she made my heart race with the testing.  My husband noticed something else.  He said " Your chest is fluttering".  He could see it from across the room.  The associate said "FLUTTERING?  Where?"
She ran some more of the tests and my chest/breast was doing the Watusi.  She actually saw it.  To make a long story shorter, it turns out that the upper lead on my pacemaker which sends electrical impulses into my right ventricle appears to be next to a nerve in my diaphragm.  When it sends an impulse, sometimes the nerve receives it too, and that causes the jumping around in the right side of my chest.  The physiologist turned off that upper lead.  It does nothing now.  Since coming home, I have not felt anymore movement and it feels GREAT to feel 'normal' again. He is also having me decrease by half, my daily doses of Coreg.  I may feel more fatigued but that will be better than those twitches.  I'm supposed to call him in 2 weeks to see how I'm doing.  If I don't feel any better, then he says the next step will be to go 'in' and replace that upper lead.
I NEVER would have guessed my pacemaker had anything to do with all this.

★Denise★

Senior Wedding

My sister sent this to me in my email today.  I thought it was cute and wanted to share.


Senior wedding

> Jacob, age 92, and Rebecca, age 89, living inMiami, are all excited about their decision to get married. They go for a stroll to discuss the wedding, and on the way they pass a drugstore . . . Jacob suggests they go inside.
>
> Jacob addresses the man behind the counter:
>
> "Are you the owner?"
>
> The pharmacist answers, "Yes."
>
> Jacob: "We're about to get married. Do you sell heart medication?"
>
> Pharmacist: "Of course, we do."
>
> Jacob: "How about medicine for circulation?"
>
> Pharmacist: "All kinds."
>
> Jacob: "Medicine for rheumatism?"
>
> Pharmacist: "Definitely."
>
> Jacob: "How about suppositories?"
>
> Pharmacist: "You bet!"
>
> Jacob: "Medicine for memory problems, arthritis and Alzheimer's?"
>
> Pharmacist: "Yes, a large variety. The works."
>
> Jacob: "What about vitamins, sleeping pills, Geritol, antidotes for Parkinson's disease?"
>
> Pharmacist: "Absolutely."
>
> Jacob: "Everything for heartburn and indigestion?"
>
> Pharmacist: "We sure do."
>
> Jacob: "You sell wheelchairs and walkers and canes?"
>
> Pharmacist: "All speeds and sizes."
>
> Jacob: "Adult diapers?"
>
> Pharmacist: "Sure."
>
> Jacob: "We'd like to use this store
>
> as our Bridal Registry."


★Denise★

AHHHhhhhh Fall's Here

 I am thrilled that we are FINALLY having nice cool evenings and mornings.  I've been able to use my CPAP machine again.  Wasn't able to use it all summer because it was just so hot and miserable I felt like I was suffocating when I put that darned mask on that I had to rip it right back off again.  I wish I could say that I'm sleeping good, but I haven't really noticed any change.  I'm still very tired when I wake up and could still very easily take a couple short naps during the day if I actually had the time.  Maybe it will take a few more weeks til I notice any difference. 

Have a good weekend!
★Denise★

HAI -Hospital Associated Infections

 It's been awhile since I've posted here.  Nothing new going on with me other than I've been very busy with my crafts and sending them out of state to a couple shops for consignment.

I received an email today from Barbara Dunn of haiwatch.com and it's just easier for me to paste the letter than to try to explain it.

Hello again Denise

I've reached out to you in the past about Kimberly-Clark's efforts to lead the fight against Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs). I wanted to follow up with some very exciting news. Kimberly-Clark has launched a new online program - the HAI WATCHDOG* Community - where healthcare providers can discuss best practices for defeating HAIs. The goal is to help eliminate these often preventable infections through discussion and education.

The HAI WATCHDOG* Community allows members to start discussions, post photos, videos and even enter the 2010 HAI WATCHDOG* Awards. Entering the awards program not only allows healthcare providers to share and learn from each other, but also gives contest participants the opportunity to be rewarded for their efforts with an educational grant.

I would love for you to join the community and share this news with the readers of Menopausal Monster. I've created a microsite which explains everything:

http://haiwatchnews.com
If you are able to post about this, I'd love to get the link to your post. Please let me know if you have any questions or need more information.

Thank you,

Barbara
 

Wiry Eyebrows Fix

I've noticed for the last few years that my eyebrows have gotten 'wiry'.
I thought if hair conditioner works on the hair on my head, surely it will work on my eyebrows.  I started to apply some about 2 weeks ago letting it 'sit' for about 5-10 minutes before my shower.  It took a few days before I noticed a difference  but I can definitely see and feel that they don't look wiry and feel softer.  I will continue to condition by brows.  I also have to trim them once a week, as they grow straight up which I HATE.  If you decide to try this, just be careful you don't let the conditioner run into your eyes!

Where Is Mrs. Hyde When I Need Her?

Tom likes to be 'warm' and I like to be 'cool' or at least comfortable.  For the past week he kept all the windows in the house closed, and I didn't complain because the weather at night had been on the cool side.  Yesterday the temp went up to 80 degrees.  The house did feel nice and cool and 'comfortable' so I didn't bother opening any windows, as I felt it would let the heat in.  With the sun beating on the roof all day by early evening I really needed to have some fresh air let in so started opening windows.  DARN IT if Tom didn't shut all the windows right before he went to bed.  I don't understand his reasoning and I'm so tired of arguing with him about it and I asked him to at  LEAST keep our bedroom window open so I could get a good nights sleep.  He said okay but if he got cold he was going to close it.  It was in the 70's when I went to bed at 11:30!!!  He slept with the flat sheet and thin quilt over him, I didn't use anything.  When I got up this morning, our window was only open 6 inches!!!!!!!!!!   Mrs. Hyde  where are you?  Our husband needs to be disciplined!!  You went away and never came back.  Did you think I no longer needed you?  Please come back.  I'll take you on vacation with us if you do  :)  Our motel has Air Conditioning!!!!!

Plain Forgetfulness?

Last weekend I was over at my daughter Carey's home helping her clean to get ready for her husband's homecoming from overseas.  They haven't seen each other in 6 months and he's not yet officially 'met' their baby daughter Isabella who is nearing 6 months old.  Carey purchased a new vacuum sweeper which is totally different from mine.  My off/on 'switch' is a pedal on the bottom of my sweeper.  Hers is a button on the handle of her sweeper.  I did all the vacuuming for her and had no problems.  Yesterday, I was running my own sweeper, had already finished 3 rooms and was on the 4th when I just 'forgot' where to turn the sweeper off at.  My mind was a blank.  I've had this sweeper for the last 5 or 6 years and I use it every single day, sometimes 3 times a day when the grandkids are here.  Now how in the world could I forget how to turn off my own sweeper?  I was really getting freaked out.  My daughters Deana and Nicki happened to be here and I had to call them to help me.  How weird is that?  They laughed, but I didn't really think it was funny.  It scared me.  I've misplaced things, I've forgotten doctor appointments, left something off my grocery list that I'd needed.  That's 'normal', everyone does that.  Who forgets how to turn off their sweeper?  It's like forgetting how to turn on or off a light switch on a wall.  I told my daughters to keep an eye on me in case I start doing other weird off the wall things. 
Carey's husband is due home tomorrow.  She is very excited about their reunion and his getting to know and bond with their baby girl Bella.  Sunday, we are all going over to their home for a 'celebration' of his homecoming and it's also Carey's 34th birthday.
Tomorrow morning Tom and I are driving to Carlisle, PA for the Spring Car show.  Mid afternoon we will leave there and drive on to Lancaster to spend the night and I'll do some shopping there on Friday. 
It's a good thing I don't do the driving on our road trips.  If I can't remember how to turn off my sweeper, I'd surely forget how to apply the brakes when needed.

Back To Curves

I've been a bad girl and stopped going to Curves last summer when it just got too freaking hot for me.  I don't like to sweat as it is and working up a sweat while working out and then coming out into 85+ degree weather with high humidity just wasn't doing it for me.  I figured that I would do some water exercises in our pool so I could keep cool but that didn't work out either since we had a bad summer with a lot of rain and the pool wouldn't clear up.  We had a bad case of algae.  So.  The next plan was to go back to Curves in the Fall and Winter.  Well, that didn't work out either as my middle daughter had her first baby end of Oct. and was suffering from Postnatal depression.  It was pretty bad and I'd have to go spend a few days at her home to lend her a hand.  What about the other times?  Well, I was busy!!  Isn't that a good excuse?  I didn't think so.  ~sigh~.  When my daughter went back to work, I started watching my grandbaby at my home and daughter would get off work, stay for dinner and leave for home at 8 pm.  She needed her mom to talk to about her therapy sessions, her husband out of the country on a job, her depression and anxiety.  I just didn't feel 'right' saying " hey sweetie, I know you need me right now, but I really need to take a run over to Curves and get back into the groove".  She was more important.  My SIL doesn't understand that, but that's how I'm made.
My daughter is doing very well now, her medication seems to be working finally and her therapist has her coming every 2 weeks now and says how well she's coming along.  So, I now finally feel she doesn't need me quite so much as she did previously and I've started back to Curves with my eldest daughter.
This morning was our 3rd workout this week and we decided to get weighed and measured.  I was scared.  I was so sure that I had to have put at least 15 lbs back on since I really haven't been watching what I'm eating and no exercise.  I was HUGELY surprised when the scale showed that I gained only 4 lbs since last May which was the last time I weighed in. 
I'm one of those people who just cannot DIET.  I have no willpower.  Nada.  But I am able to cut back on my portions a bit and still eat what I want.  I had 2 slices of pepperoni pizza last night.  Ordinarily I might eat 3 or 4 if I'm really hungry.  Instead of eating a whole bagel with globs of Skippy peanut butter for breakfast, I'll have half a bagel with strawberry jam.
My goal is to be able to wear a bathing suit this summer without having to wear a men's size XL to cover myself up.  I know I'll still be a Xlarge woman but with some hard work and some luck maybe I'll lose some inches so I won't look too bad.
My long range goal is to be able to wear my 36 year old daughter's clothes, hee hee.

Bald Pates & Blue Hair

  I'm helping my eldest daughter potty train her youngest who turned 3 in Dec.  We are finally making progress.  YEA!!! 
3 year old Ayden was sitting on the potty chair on Friday and spotted her Poppy's brush on the shelf above the toilet.  "Whose brush is that Gramma?"  I replied that it was Poppy's.  " What does he do with it Gramma?".  "He brushes his hair sweetie".  A befuddled look crosses her face and she answers " But...Poppy doesn't have any hair".  Hee hee  Poppy does have hair, but mostly on the sides and in the back of his head.  Poor Poppy is very thin on top to almost non-existant.  Leave it to the 3 year old to say what everyone else side steps around when it comes to Poppy's balding pate.
Speaking of which.  I cannot stand when a balding man parts his remaining hair nearly over his ear and has 3 or 4 strands of 'thread' like hairs combed over his scalp.  It's even worse when a high wind blows and those hairs flop over to the other side and hang down to his chin, unawares to balding man.  I've told 'Poppy' that should he EVER revert to this behavior, I will shave him completely bald in his sleep. He's already given me permission to 'shoot him' should he ever wear a striped shirt with plaid pants and white shoes that aren't sneakers. 
On the flipped side of this coin, I must never wear spandex, take up smoking cigars or color my hair blue.

Visit My Online Yard Sale

KKL Primitives Online Yard Sale

I have lots of decorative plates, some English and Holland Tins, hand made crafts - come check it out! 

Not So Hot

Do you suffer from hot flashes ?  Two sisters have developed a fan that fits right in your purse or pocket that you can whip out in an instant for immediate comfort.  They are fashionable, available in different styles and would make great gifts or party favors.
Visit their website at Not So Hot and see if this item is just what you've been searching for!

Healthcare Associated Infections or HAI

When someone develops an infection at a hospital or other patient care facility that they did not have prior to treatment, this is referred to as a healthcare-associated (sometimes hospital-acquired) infection (HAI).

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a global crisis affecting both patients and healthcare workers.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at any point in time, 1.4 million people worldwide suffer from infections acquired in hospitals.

A Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report published in March-April 2007 estimated the number of U.S. deaths from healthcare associated infections in 2002 at 98,987.

The risk of acquiring healthcare-associated infections in developing countries is 2-20 times higher than in developed countries.

Afflicting thousands of patients every year, HAI often leads to lengthening hospitalization, increasing the likelihood of readmission, and adding sizably to the cost of care per patient.

Financially, HAIs represent an estimated annual impact of $6.7 billion to healthcare facilities, but the human cost is even higher.

Until recently, a lack of HAI reporting requirements for healthcare facilities has contributed to less-than-optimal emphasis being placed on eliminating the sources of healthcare associated infections. However, growing public anxiety regarding the issue and resulting legislation on state and local levels demanding accountability is serving to accelerate initiatives to combat HAIs.

To learn more about the impact of healthcare-associated infections for both medical professionals and patients, please visit www.haiwatch.com.

A Giggle For Baby Boomers

Some of the artists of the 60's are revising their hits with new lyrics to accommodate aging baby boomers ... They include: Bobby Darin ---Splish, Splash, I Was Havin' A Flash Herman's Hermits ---Mrs. Brown, You've Got A Lovely Walker Ringo Starr ---I Get By With A Little Help From Depends The Bee Gees -- -How Can You Mend A Broken Hip?   Roberta Flack---The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face   Johnny Nash ---I Can't See Clearly Now.   Paul Simon--- Fifty Ways To Lose Your Liver   The Commodores ---Once, Twice, Three Times To The Bathroom   Procol Harem--- A Whiter Shade Of Hair   Leo Sayer ---You Make Me Feel Like Napping   The Temptations ---Papa's Got A Kidney Stone                                          Abba---Denture Queen         "You haven't seen my teeth have you Wilma?   Tony Orlando ---Knock 3 Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Fall   Helen Reddy ---I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore   Leslie Gore---It's My Procedure, And I'll Cry If I Want To   And Last but NOT least...  Willie Nelson ---On the Commode Again