The Big M

It's official. The Big M has come to this body.

Big M? you ask.

Menopause.

One word that conjures up images of gray hair, sweating, flushed, emotional, sleep-deprived, hormonal women of a certain middle-aged category.

I can attest that those images are not without reason.

There are no less than three separate fans, four if you count the traveling one that goes on trips or moves to strategic areas as needed, in our home. And don't forget the three ceiling fans. And the huge cooking fan I found in Paris. Oh! And the folding purse fan for emergency cooling on-the-go.

No. I'm not obsessive. Well, maybe just a little. I do feel a bit panicked when I feel the wave of heat and lobster skin flush rushing through my system and there is no access to air movement.

Some tools I use to help:

~ In the bedroom: ceiling fan, box fan, and rotating fan - coming from three directions

~ In the office: small fan on the floor near my feet - turned on and off as needed

~ In the living room and family room: hand fans and ceiling fans

~ On the go: small travel fan (actually, it may be classified as a mid-size model that fits in the suitcase) and folding purse fan

Clothes to wear (or not wear) - Think LESS is MORE cooling:

~ Cotton seems to be much nicer on my internal heating system; thin and light weight items are best

~ Sleeveless or barely-there sleeves cool my arms

~ Shorts or skirts have the flexibility to be pulled up or flapped around, and allow large areas of skin to be exposed to any electrically induced breeze

~ Boxers and tank tops, my favorite sleep and working-at-home outfit

Must haves:

~ baby powder - I powder myself up each night before bed - to absorb sweat

~ handkerchiefs - something to wipe off sweat, much better than my shirt or hands

~ pony tail supplies - scrunchies, hair clips, headbands

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous." -Coco Chanel

C'mon, women! Let's make our own Big M Club. We already know we are fabulous, we with our hot flashes, sags, gray hair, and roller coasters of emotions. Let's embrace the changes our bodies are experiencing with class. Encourage each other to waltz gracefully through menopause. Cheer as we make it through. And share tips - lots of helpful tips - to ensure the survival of our species - WOMEN.

Any ideas? Please, I beg of you, please. Give us your helpful ideas.