Monday, January 2, 2012

The year of the Vengeance of the Hot Flash?

I can’t suffer all by myself!  Oh no!  You must suffer reading this!  Bwah! ha! Ha!
 . . . . here I was beginning to think that the hot flashes were over . . . there were so few of them I couldn’t remember them.  Little did I know the hot flash demon was just saving them up!  (Like the Brick closing the store to get ready for a Big Sale) 

DAY:  As I sit at my computer, I have all my tools (besides what I’m working on) . . . blankets, Fleece robe, fan, 2 pairs of socks with slippers (because feet are always freezing), gloves (with fingers cut off so I can type!). 
Each time the furnace cuts in: the fan goes on, the sweaters & robe come off.  Blotting of wet face is optional depending on how soon I can get the fan on & the clothes off.  Once hot flash ends, I immediately freeze, so gloves go on, robe, sweaters, blankets get wrapped around my frigid body.  Repeat.  All day long.  

NIGHT:  When heading to bed, I add flannel pajamas & a Magic Bag to my arsenal, because who can sleep with freezing feet?  Lately I have resorted to wrapping myself up in a fleece blanket to speed up the warming process.  Add a book to read . . .  plus gloves (due to hands being out from under the blankets, turning the pages.)  Occasionally I have a fur baby to heat up my neck. Also works to obliterate said Book.  When the tail flicks up to poke me in the eye, the fur baby gets banished to the end of the bed.  Fur baby is persistent, though.  Process may need to be repeated.
After about an hour (or 3 or 4 chapters), the pesky Hot Flash arrives and I fling off the blankets & change into pj shorts and t-shirt.  Window is opened, and hopefully a stiff cold wind is blowing through the opening. 
Now, if I could only coordinate a hot flash just when I’m crawling INTO bed . . . but NO!  Never happens! When I wake up, I’m usually all red faced and  completely soaked.  Shower, quick!
And so go my days & nights.  The only positive thing about the ordeal is that hopefully I am burning calories with all the activity.  If not, life may not be worth going on . . .