Wow Lenore, you've really been thru it!! That must have been just awful, knowing something was wrong but no one believed you. It infuriates me that we walk around in our bodies and know our bodies, and they tell us nothing is wrong! As it turns out, I have multiple problems: Kidney stones in both kidneys (which I'm passing--yes, painful, but at least no surgery for them), a large cervical growth which was causing lots of bleeding, breast lumps in both breasts (isn't it nice how my body does everything symmetrically??), and diverticulitis, which they say is causing the intense pain I'm in. Dr. Harris wanted to schedule surgery right away for the cervical polyp, but he told me I'd just have to learn to live with the pain from the diverticulitis. Live with the pain???? Well, Dr. Harris quit me because I wanted to get more info before jumping into surgery. I actually panicked at the thought of surgery. He told me I would bleed to death if I didn't have surgery and he wasn't wasting anymore time on me, I should promptly find myself another doctor, he quit. I was mortified! I saw an herbalist who prescribed something that stopped the bleeding for 21 days, and greatly decreased my flows. Now I have very minor spotting between periods, but sometimes no spotting at all. So it was over two months after Dr. Harris quit me before I decided to see another doctor. I was so afraid of surgery and so afraid of insensitive doctors, and I just almost didn't see one. I saw an ad for a free mammogram thru the YWCA Encore Plus program and I called them. They scheduled everything, and They are paying for my doc appts and mammogram and any biopsies I need. I saw a nurse practitioner last week. She verified that I several lumps in both breasts that are of concern. I have a mammogram on the 25th. She also said my cervical growth could be cancer. She actually said the "c" word, which freaked me out and I was crying there in her office. But she didn't get upset and quit me. Instead she tried to answer my questions. She wanted to schedule me an appt with a gyne and I told her I wouldn't see anymore male doctors! So she found a female gyne for me. I go see her on the 29th. I worry that it's cancer. Everyone I know who had cancer has died from it. And I know if I have it, it's pretty far advanced. So it scares me. But it's possible I can just have a hysterectomy and be done with it all. I have found no joy in being a woman all these years. Painful heavy periods since I was 11, migraines, etc. are just no picnic. But surgery terrifies me. The last time I was in the hospital was 19 yrs ago, giving birth to my only son. I guess I'll do what I need to do, once I find out what that is. People tell me the not knowing is the worst. But actually, I find that ignorance is bliss. I'm not sure I want to know. Casper

Hi misspebbles, Seems like there is a huge variation when women go through menopause. Some do start in their late 30's. I started around 47. I would have been so perfectly happy to just forgo perimenopause. For some of us, it is filled with one surprise after another........and they're not the good kind of surprises! I remember during perimenopause, having sore breasts alot of the time at first. I was sort of surprised at this, but I guess its fairly common. My migraines got really bad during this time, but the good news is I don't have them anymore! I still have a couple of the visual auras a year, but no headache follows. So at least you might have that to look forward to (getting rid of your migraines). Good luck on your journey. Just make sure your seatbelt is fastened. :)

Hi ladies! Glad to see I'm not alone. I had an endometrial ablation July, '07. (stopped my periods) I'm 49 now and for the past month I have been having what I think are hot flashes. All of a sudden I'll feel very warm from my chest up. My face and neck get red to the point that people have been asking me what's wrong. I just laugh and tell them it's a hot flash! I average one per hour. I noticed when I had my physical a few months back that my blood pressure has increased also. I'm usually a very, very, good low. Now, I have prehypertension. It never hit me, but I have suffered from migraines the last ten years. (never had a headache in my life) My dr. thought they were just menstrual migraines, but now I think they were due to perimenopause. Good Grief!! Anymore, my skin is so dry (my hands snag clothing), I can't concentrate, I'm forgetful. I take Lexapro for PMDD, (guess I really don't have that anymore either!) which could be why I am not experiencing severe mood swings. My appetite seems to have lessened in the past six months also. I've lost about 15 lbs., and am now down to 132 lbs., which I am very proud of. lol Here it goes! I'm having a hot flash as I'm typing this!!!! Does this sound like Menopause to anyone other than me? (I have no one in my family to compare to. My mom went through an extremely early menopause at 35. Weird. My sister had a hysterectomy at 32 and has been on hormones since. She is now 52.) Thanks!

My mother's friends called me her 'hot house flower'. They thought she pampered me too much. I was an 'only' and she almost lost me. When I was less than three weeks old I was operated on for pyloric stenosis: valve into the stomach constricts so no food can go in; projectile vomiting is the symptom. (This is my ugliest scar -- all down my middle -- no two-piece bathing suits for me!) I've been told they didn't give infants ether then -- only a whiskey-soaked rag to suck. I had all the usual childhood diseases. Measles was no big deal, but I had a terrible case of chicken pox with high fever; I couldn't walk. Still have a dime-sized scar on the side of one knee. You can get mumps in all three sets of glands in your neck; guess how I know that! Avoided the dreaded polio but had classmates who were cripled by it. The general 'cure' for sore throats was to have your tonsils removed; I did. School required vaccinations, so I had those. I remember our doctor making house calls. It probably limited contagion -- one reason I dislike seeing the doctor is mingling with all those sick people in a waiting room! I loved my first pediatrician. She kept a pair of Kerry Blue dogs in her office! They slept under her desk.