Last weekend Dave and I met friends in Jonesborough, TN. They live in SC, we live in VA and TN is halfway for both of us so, every so often, we meet for lunch. My girlfriend asked me about menopause and I told her things were going all right. I can't take the heat but don't know if that's due to sun stroke 2 years ago (twice in one summer) or menopause. She can't take the heat either and she's never had sun stroke. She told me that women who actually go through menopause are 7% of the entire female population of "that age" in the USA. I know when I started asking women friends about symptons, etc. most of them will never have symptons because they have had "the operation".

I did go to an ob/gyn who wanted to quoteandIkidyounot "yank the plumbing because at your age it's not like you're going to have children". If he hadn't had his hand in me, I'd have kicked him in the whereever I could have reached from that position.

I told him I'd really rather not chance the statistics on HRT and breast cancer so would keep my plumbing, thankyouverymuch. He then said, "when the hot flashes get bad enough, you'll crawl back to me and beg for drugs". I thought if the hot flashes get *that* bad I'll crawl back to you and shoot your sorry arse and then hope for an all female jury.

All that to say, it's not been terrible and I've rather enjoyed this phase of my life. The urge to kill abates as time goes on and, I'm hopeful, will go away entirely. Or else, maybe the people will...either will be okay. gggg!