Blog #15: Perimeno-PLAY Perimenopause is a bitch. Bottom line, you’d think something we have to go through as women would at least be manageable. But God does give His hardest battles to His strongest soldiers. So I’m going to rely on my lady balls and power through. But first… I’m going to whine. A lot. Sleepless nights… I can’t handle them. I go to bed tired and lay there for hours waiting for the REM cycle to kick in. Nada! Not one damn wink of sleep. So I do the usual… Mentally replay the most embarrassing argument I lost in my young adult life, but this time I land every intelligent comeback with fire. I win… Go over the next few days' to-do lists and appointments. I’m better at getting stuff done if I have the game plan memorized. Scroll… No, don’t scroll. Scroll. Turn the phone off. What if someone needs me? Phone back on. Phone out of reach. Roll over. Maybe it’s my pillow. Maybe I need to be uncovered. Now it’s cold. One leg. Monster under the bed....

Wren’s Corner — Session 1 This week I have three scheduled doctor’s appointments. One with my therapist. One with my primary doctor. One with my hematologist for my last round of iron infusions. This past week, I HAD three appointments. I rescheduled three. Self-preservation was my reasoning. The week before, we went on vacation to see my in-laws. We traveled to Michigan by way of carrito . We drove the whole 24-hour trip. BUT that meant we could stop at all the attractions along the way, and lemme tell ya—there were some awesome attractions! First off, we went to Dealey Plaza in Dallas to visit the place where President Kennedy lost his life all those years ago. We saw where the man who captured the famous footage stood recording that fateful day and the X that marks the location of President Kennedy’s limousine when he was shot. We met John, a kind elderly man who was in the plaza helping educate visitors. He carried his cane and a black satchel filled with commemorative ne...

Just Wait, You Will Find the Right Doctor I remember in my 20s having a hard time accepting some of my symptoms as reality. I was convinced I was just being lazy. The days I missed work always felt like wasted time. I would lie there resting, feeling guilty about everything I should have been doing. My employers were always happy with my work—just not my absences. I wasn’t overweight. I ate pretty healthy. I probably didn’t drink nearly as much water as I should have, but overall, I was doing the best I knew how to do to be well. Eventually, I went to the doctor and got a diagnosis, medication, and something I desperately needed: validation. Then I lost my insurance. Life moved on. I held other positions and, luckily, went into a period of remission. My symptoms lessened, and for a while I lived and worked a rather normal life. I met my husband during this time, got married, and moved to Texas. Then the symptoms came back with a vengeance. At this point, I had no insurance. I was a sta...