I’m finding menopause symptoms come in waves. Sometimes I’m up on the crest feeling so good, scoffing menopause, and feeling I’ve got this symptom nonsense licked. Then suddenly a rouge wave comes out of nowhere, smacks me off my high perch, and I’m back down in the trough wondering what the heck just happened. What did I do? What’d I eat? Am I stressing out about something? What in the world tossed me off the wave so quickly?!?
I’m currently in round 4 of hot flashes. I got a nice reprieve, caught up on my sleep (thank you universe!), and now I’m in the thick of it again. Hot flashes are such an incredible experience. Coming out of thin air, they feel like my inside thermometer is severely broken, making me sweat profusely, and have this brain chemistry piece that I can’t quite get a full handle on. Interestingly, each round of hot flashes has had it’s own unique feel and vibe. Like snowflakes, no round of hot flashes are exactly the same. Luckily for me, round 3 and 4 have both been way more manageable than 1 and 2 were. Those were ass-kickers for sure.
So, here I sit, drenched in perspiration and sleep deprived… again.
Honestly, I’m amazed that I can even deal with so little consistent sleep. I imagine it must be similar to what new mom’s face. There has to be some sort of internal mechanism that allows you to function on so little sleep. I’m not a mom, so I’m sure recovering from pregnancy, birth, and caring for a newborn takes this to a whole other-worldly level. Don’t hear me saying my menopause symptoms are like the stress new mom’s deal with, but, I do think there’s a mechanism supporting us both.
So, what did happen to bring the sweats on again? I definitely got cocky and slipped up on my essential oil regime. I did get amnesia (for the hundredth time) about sugar not working for me and started having some sweet treats. The hot flashes ramped up after a particular night of coconut-sugar cookies, agave-sweetened ice cream, and some stevia-sweetened dark chocolate. (I’ve finally relinquished regular sugar, after a long arduous war, because it just trashes my nervous system and immunity.) But who’s counting? Not me, until the hot flash reaper came calling all night long. It’s so harsh, I can’t even have “fake” sweets during this menopause journey, and even the caffeine in dark chocolate messes me up. Oh yea, I have been stressed with some changes I’m going for with my business right now. That could affect my hormones just all on its lonesome. It’s always a holistic journey to the bottom of whatever ails us.
I got up the next morning, immediately started back on my religious essential oil protocol and left the sweet treats behind.
Last night, I told my husband he was so mean with his ice cream. He laughed and then apologized, trained by menopause madness too. I have tried a few different essential oil combos for menopause, such as Clary Sage, Geranium, and Spruce Norway, but it’s usually really individualized what works for each woman. What I’ve found helps me the most is Sage True (the sage family is excellent for hormones) and Anise Raven. Using them daily starts me out of the symptom world, onto the climb back up to the crest of the wave, and hopefully this go round I won’t get too big for my britches again and think I don’t need them anymore. Plus, now that I’m aware I’ve been stressing out, I’m calming myself back down consciously with Frankincense, Lavandin Super, and Vetiver.
Essential oils make all the difference for me in dealing with menopause and all of my life! They support my body, increase my awareness, and raise my vibration so I can understand and see more things, allowing me to make better choices. Menopause is an incredible teacher who shows us in no uncertain terms what is working, what’s 100% not working anymore, and what needs to evolve for us to move into our wise woman years. Be nice to menopause because this is the journey to save you from yourself (and all those habits that haven’t been serving you forever).