Happy April Fool's Day everyone. Hugs to everyone who needs them. We got here on Saturday & got everything unloaded Sunday. We got the truck taken back on Monday. I still have a few things to put up but for the most part, everything is in its place. It looks really nice. Here is the sad news. We took our furbabies to the vet yesterday. The oldest one, Lucy, has heartworms. We have to take her back on Monday to have them staged. We have had her a week today & have already had to pay out the wazoo for her. We love both the little ones. Just trying to figure out how we are going to afford the treatment. It is very, very sad & I wish I could say that this was an April Fool's joke but it isn't. Besh~I know how you feel. Dave tells everyone that it took us 10 years to even be able to consider having another dog after we had to give ours up when we moved to Florida. We were still crying every time we said their names. These 2 little ones have already brought us so much joy. If you or RAEANNE could let me know the best thing to pick up hair, I would appreciate it. Papillons are not supposed to shed but IDK if it is b/c of stress or b/c they weren't groomed properly or petted enough, they are shedding. Not as much now as they were a week ago!!! I cannot tell you how far they have come in a week. I'm so glad that Maddie got to do Rabbit, Rabbit. LOL I got Dave this morning. He has been winning a lot lately. I am thinking about all of you & I wish I had been able to write down what each of you said so I could comment but I have the computer on my bed right now & 2 dogs & a snoring husband in a pear tree! LOL I hope that all the MIAs will come out & play. Did we ever find out what happened with John? I miss him. He snagged himself a GF & doesn't have time for us anymore, right? It is supposed to be in the 90s here this weekend so our 4 year old granddaughter is playing 2 soccer games tomorrow & we are going to watch them. Hope everyone else enjoys their weekend. I will make the ultimate sacrifice & get a sunburn for everyone if you want me to. ;)

Just adding my ten cents worth, having read everybody's different experiences. I was seeing pink streaks of blood on the toilet paper after urinating, and at first thought it was a urinary tract infection. Antibiotics for that didn't make any difference. Then I tried to determine if it was really urinary, or perhaps vaginal instead. It seemed like it was both which seemed crazy and impossible and scared me half to death. And it was only apparent when I wiped after urinating. It wasn't like I was bleeding like with a period or anything like that. Long story short is doc explained that the urethra and the vagina share a wall, and that as I'm nearly 65 and about 13 years past menopause, it was probably that shared wall that was atrophying (drying out) and causing the light bleeding. Which made sense as my husband had major surgery about a year ago and as he's 78 years old, we just haven't gone back to regular sex which had probably been keeping my vagina well lubricated. Anyway, doc prescribed a pea sized amount of Estrace externally three times a week. I tried that for four weeks and it made no difference at all. I did some research and as I trust the Mayo Clinic, I went with their recommended dosage of 2 grams daily, some just inside the vagina with my finger, the rest externally, for one to two weeks. Halfway through the second week the bleeding had completely gone away. Mayo then says half that dosage for the next one to two weeks, which I'm trying now, and then 1 gram three times a week for three out of every four weeks as a maintenance dose. I'm going to try the pea sized amount three times a week instead and see if symptoms come back - hopefully they won't. I want to use the minimum amount possible, yet keep the problem under control. Only side effect I noticed was when I went to the 2 grams daily, my nipples were very sensitive but that has improved.

As I lay here in bed reading this, I have a large pad on 2 sheets of paper towels folded long ways two line that pad, 2 depends pull-ups on, a disposable Chuck, a fabric Chuck and a towel underneath all of that. I along with many other women that I've read about on this thread have suffered these 'monster' periods for a very long time, well actually to the tune of 25 years. I have left my stamp (flooding Period gushing pools) at work at home, at the child Gymboree class, on Greyhound buses, on every form of Transport known to man. I have always had to have the heaviest flow pack of pads I can find along with Depends pull ups and tampons and black pants at several strategic locations during my day. One kit in my car, one at my job and always in the house. I could identify with the frustration and I was happy that some people mentioned the mental anguish and the feelings of being just out of it. Feeling isolated and unsociable. Over the last 25 years I have adapted to living with the memory loss, fog and just kind of drifted through my day on auto during these episodes. I was not financially position to be able to stay home during the illness, and on one occasion I remember coming up off the subway train and bent over on the street screaming in pain. But this was New York so everyone passed by and ignored me, indifferent to what they were seeing. At that time a taxi driver saw me and had pity on me. He insisted that he take me home. but I was adamant because I didn't want to lose my job; so I told him to take me to work. By the time I got to work they had to call an ambulance and rush me to the hospital. I was dehydrated and anemic due to the blood loss. it was the first of many occasions like that, and I would frequent the ER bleeding heavily and dizzy over the following years. 10 years ago I had three fibroids removed of which one was the size of a grapefruit. The monster periods lightened up for maybe a year or two but then it came right back with a vengeance and was like Clockwork every 3 weeks as per usual. Heavy and uncontrollable with massive clotting. I was too afraid to have the hysterectomy because of people's horror stories including my own mothers; and the fact that it apparently brings on menopause, along with all the syndromes almost immediately. My little sister had gone through menopause at age 43, so I figured I'd wait it out thinking I can't be that far behind. I am 51 years old, and to my absolute Delight had not experienced a period in the last 7 months; so I thought I was done with it all , thinking that it was all behind me, that the nightmare was over, and got rid of all my stationed 'kits.' Yes it meant I had terrible hot flashes, but those paled when measured up against those monster periods... Which brings me right back to today laying here reading all your heart wrenching stories. At this point I don't know what to do and I really don't want a hysterectomy after suffering so much with the fibroid removal. moreover I don't have the luxury or option of taking time off of work. I guess I will make the appointment with the gynecologist and see what options are out there two decades on. I'm hoping for a miracle. Again I want to thank all you ladies for being so candid and sharing your stories. It has been really helpful to me and, I'm sure, to many other women going through this nightmare. I wish you all success with your various treatment options. I will definitely come back and update you on what treatment the gynecologist recommend.

Dorishill I know it's been a while but just wanted to know how you are doing. I made a copy of all the vitamins you were taking so I can start taking them also. I have been going thru hell with all these symptoms...I don't know how much more of this I can take, I feel like I'm dying. These are the moments when I wish I was born a man..I never imagined it would be this hard. If you have any updates on anything that you think can help please let me know. My email to any of the ladies that want to talk..I'm here.. Intellectualbrat@aol.com I just started taking the Estroven Extra Strenght since the 3rd of September and I haven't had any hot flashes but still have the other symptoms. Hopefully it will kick in soon. Good luck to all.