Yay! I just found out about manure closer to my house, too. It may be pretty fresh, (I haven't gone yet) but the stuff I picked up this spring wasn't as well-aged as what I'd gotten last year, anyway. I guess I should go get some soon, so I can age it for next year. I kind of need some right now, too!

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.

Sadly, I remembered all of them,,,I must be older than dirt...LOL But now, in reviewing those questions a few more came to my mind... For those of you who remember Howdie Doody, what was the name of the sea capt puppet? I think I remember all the other characters on the show,,,MC= Buffalo Bob, then Clairabelle the clown, Chief Thunder Thud the indian chief, the indian princess was Princes Summer,fall, winter, spring, and the puppets were Flub-a-dub, Phineas T. Fillibuster and that darned sea capt I can't remember. Anyone remember the Winkie Dink show? and if so, did you have the plastic overlay for your TV so you could draw on the screen? Jemdandy,,,I not only remember all the above items but all that you posted as well,,, not only do I remember the Grayhound serving nearly every community, if you lived in the country on the buss route you could stand beside the road and raise your arm, and the buss would actually stop and pick you up,,imagine that. How about soda fountains where you could get a phosphate, or how about a cherry coke, vanilla coke, chocolate coke or lemon coke? And the cokes were a nickle.. A banana split was 25 cents, but who ever had that kind of money to spend? I grew up on a dairy farm and our neighbor had a John Deere A that you started by turning the flywheel...People today would not have a clue what the flywheel was for? They have never seen flat belt drive stationary machinery.. I began working on the threashing machine crew at 7yrs old. I worked the grain sacker and operated the stack blower or drove a team of horses hauling the grain in from the fields. Not only were the bicycles single speed direct drive, they all had those wide 24 or 26x 2.125 tires. In our town when you got a bicycle you had to take it to the police station and pay $.50 to register it. They turned it upside down and got the serial number off the main crank housing and a description, make, model, color etc, plus your name, address & phone number, and they issued you a small metal license plate (like the metal license plate shaped name plates the sell as novelties). The plate was a miniature version of the regular car plates issued by the state and you had to attach the plate on the back of your seat so the number was visible from the rear. If you got caught riding a bike without a license the cops would impound it and make your parents bring proof of purchase to get it back, plus you paid a $10 fine and had to register it before you got it back. On the other hand, bicycle thefts were almost unheard of because everyone knew the cops had the serial numbers recorded and could find out if you owned it. Remember when 8 or 10 boys would get together on a vacant lot with a ballbat, a ball and maybe a glove or two, and we played ball all day. We didn't need any special leagues coaches or schedules to have fun. Remember when you "Word Processor" was made out of wood and had point on one end and an eraser on the other? How about "Book straps" for toting your school books? Remember when you could always tell which houses the young girls lived in cause there was a hop scotch drawn on the sidewalk with chalk.... How about playing jacks on a rainy day? And talking about all the regulations on lead today,,does anyone remember when we had a lead melting pot on a little electric hotplate and a mold to cast our own lead toy soldiers? And we used to go to the grocery store and steal the lead balance weights off ppls car tires while they were shopping to have lead to play with...LOL Does anyone remember when we had a dress code in school? Oh, and here is a flash from the past, do any of you remember in the 50's when we had the "Duck & cover" drills? For those who don't know what that is, we went to school in the early days of atomic weapons and the cold war, and they had a special signal in school, when you heard it you ducked down under your desk on your knees, head face down between your knees and hands clasped on the back or your kneck to protect you from the blast of an atomic weapon. The continued to make the green stamps until well into the late 70's. By that time I was driving a company owned tractor trailer and when on the road I only stopped at truckstops that gave the stamps. I would buy $50 or $100 worth of fuel on a P.O. number from the company and I kept the stamps.. They also made some Yellow trading stamps.. Cigarettes were $.23 a pack but the vending machines took a quarter so they packs had two pennies under the exterior cellophane wrapper.

Thanks for all your great replies. I was afraid that long lead in might be over the top, glad you enjoyed that email too. Asthmatic Artichoke Astor - You Can't Be Drivin' No Bentley on a Benz Paycheck sounds like it might have the makings of a great country western song. I wouldn’t give up your day job just yet but don’t be afraid to explore new directions. To all of you who want an expanded duo, trio, quartet, or band, or whatever. - Send your old musical instruments to Tinfoilhat, C/O General Delivery, AZ and I’ll see what I can do. Raven Cajun - " Yep, to having a flood. Check out link below to see yours truly being a heroic manly man and a legend in his own mind. Here is a link that might be useful: Two Aquatic Critters and One Not