PMS - The Hormonal Nightmare

  I think it was at a homeschool convention that I heard the quote, "Women are hormones waiting to happen".  How true!
  I first heard about PMS through the Christian radio program, Focus on the Family.  Only then, they referred to it as PMT - Premenstrual Tension.  At least for me, this was pretty descriptive  However, PMS, Premenstrual Syndrome, indicates a broad range of mental, physical, and emotional issues. This, also, was true.
   The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecology estimates that 85 percent of menstrating women have at least one PMS symptom.  I, for one, had virtually all of the symptoms you can get, and ask my family, they were severe. I didn't have every symptom every month, though there were those, like bloating, that did occur monthly.
   Initially, I remember that sometimes I would cry at bedtime and have absolutely no reason for doing so.  I wish it had remained a crying problem, but eventually, extreme anger became the hallmark. And negativity?  You betcha.  I saw everyone, including myself, from a very skewed perspective.
  Headaches, backaches, insomnia, constipation, breast tenderness, were all to be expected.  Sometimes, I had trouble getting a meal together.  On rare occasions, I became clumsy. I wanted to eat everything in the house, but nothing satisfied. Noise was intensified. Patience was at an all time low.
  In short, life was miserable.  I didn't feel like putting forth the effort for things I normally enjoyed, like going to church.  Once I got there, I was fine, but had I been living by myself, I probably wouldn't have gone.
  One of the hardest things to handle in all of this was the male perspective in my household.  I distinctly remember my son, Ben, saying, "It's all in your head."  Though my husband didn't say it, I think he agreed.
   Funny, when I was pregnant and cried at the drop of a hat, everyone knew it was pregnancy hormones.  I guess guys need something visual in order to tell them it isn't "in your head".
   I would say that my suffering from pregnancy hormones was about the same as anyone else, but my PMS was through the roof!  One of my favorite jokes, illustrates the dilemma.  The question is, what is the difference between a terrorist and a woman with PMS?  The answer:  You can reason with a terorrist.
   When I first started getting my period, I had a difficult time.  Then, after having PMS so badly, I heard  horror stories about menopause.  I had come to the conclusion that my body must just really be sensitive to hormones.  I was actually quite fearful of menopause.  Well, guess what!  For me, menopause was a piece of cake, compared to PMS.  I guess you could say, "I paid my dues."
   With hormones often in a state of flux throughout a woman's life, we can sometimes appear as Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  The Bible tells a man to live in an understanding way with his wife.  Though it is difficult for him to imagine just how significantly hormones can wreck havoc in a woman's life, I believe he must try to show compassion and concern if he is to fulfill this mandate.
   I, for one, am very glad to be where I am, now, hormonally.  I have experienced all of the ebbs and flows, but now, life is more predictable. To everything there is a season and a purpose.  My season of childbearing has ended.  It was a wonderful, albeit stressful, period of my life.  I am now basking in the sweet mellowness of the afterglow and enjoying a new phase of life - the final stage.