When I had my hysterectomy, I got slammed into instant menopause. I didn't want to mess with hormones, so I went cold turkey (except for Lexapro for mood stuff). I had pretty constant hot flashes for a while, but they tapered off and now I only have one every few months. Keeping one of those flax pillow thingies in the freezer at all times (I have four of 'em) really helped.

File under Priorities, Questionable:

I've discovered recently that the only way I reliably remember to take my ADs (I'm back on ADs, yay!) is to keep them with the dog's glucosamine and take them at the same time. Because that, I have no problem remembering.

Tonight is a big ARP meeting for CJ. The main purposed of tonight's meeting is to graduate the seniors before they go off to college. We have a few seniors in the command staff, so that means there are opening for new officers and a reshuffling of the current officers. There is drama within the current group of officers which makes the line of succession not easy to guess. Plus CJ is hoping to make sargent. i have had multiple people tell me they think he is overdue for the promotion, but that doesn't mean anything until it comes from Chief. As a mama-bear, I'm a bundle of nerves awaiting tonight's decisions.

Last week Chief asked the team members to submit their recommendations. Which makes me worry about popularity contests and campaigning. Not that CJ is unpopular on the team or anything, i just wish these kinds of promotions were purely based on merit.

I'm having whiskey with dinner and the meeting doesn't start until 7pm. Oy.

I think that is called for. What a weird way to go about things - seems like it's likely to cause strife.

I'm also having my first pap smear in a few years done this Friday, by my usual doctor. I've been working with this guy since my jaunt in the hospital nearly ten years ago, and I didn't know he did gyno exams. It feels a little incestuous that he's going to be peering up in there after all these years of just sitting in a chair talking to him. I like these things done by people I only have to look at once a year.

Connie, my current doctor does my pap's also. it has been a few years, but always feels...incestuous for want of a better word.

Two hours to meeting time. I'm done working (oh, I could be, as I have plenty to do - but I try hard not to mix alcohol and work and since I've already hit the alcohol...). So now I'm trying to figure out how to occupy my brain for two more hours.

I saw a new doctor a couple of weeks ago for the first time in years. Who was awesome. So lucky, especially because the person who was actually recommended to me wasn't taking new patients so I just asked to be scheduled with whoever in the practice was. Really, really like him, and he set up the mammogram and the counseling people to call me and all in all a really good experience.

But to the point, I was supposed to do pap and whatnot during that appointment but he said he would prefer not to, given that we were doing a bunch of tests and talking about a lot already and that was getting personal enough for one visit.

Not really necessary, I think, but the fact that he was thinking that way I appreciated.

As opposed to my sister who also went to a doc for the first time in years last week and the doctor read her the riot act and made her cry.

My first appointment with current doc was supposed to include a pap. I went in and while we were going through medical history and such, I started crying (not her fault, I was just totally stressed). She immediately had the nurse reschedule my pap and we sat and talked through that time instead. Part of the reason I adore her - she pays attention to the person, not just symptoms or proceedures.

Yes, exactly. I'm so pissed that my sister got someone who was so totally not that way.

No advice for menopause stuff, but best of luck Connie.

Busy day for me. Mom was here and we cleaned all of the kitchen, did all of the laundry, and then went grocery shopping. Then I stayed later than normal at the library because we are having a huge sale on Saturday. There was time for coffee and a croissant after that, and now I am babysitting for G, who is, lucky for me, going to bed in 15 minutes.