Tales from the Hormone Front or How Meatballs Saved my Sanity
Thursday, November 20, 2008 at 07:12AM Sunday I am sitting in the worship serve at church and I realize I am angry. Really angry! There is no rational reason for this anger. The teens are listening, the pastor is not going late (that would not be as good reason to be angry by the way), no one is singing off key and no small child is kicking my chair.
My neck is tensing. When am I going to remember to carry Ben-Gay along with lipstick in my purse? My mind is racing and my emotions only need a red flag to set them loose. I have teens; someone is going to wave that flag at me…!
The service ends. With one look at me, my husband gets that” I do not know what happened but it was not my fault look” I quickly readjust my face, this is public you know. Instead of chatting while my men help stack chairs, I go wait out front.
Perimenapuase is an emotional “mind” field. I know it is just hormones but the anger feels real and even more difficult, it feels justified. Carbohydrates in massive quantities are needed and needed quickly! A few Dove Chocolates or a dash of black cotash will not stem this hormone surge. It is time to pull out the big guns!
Pasta…massive amounts of pasta.
We arrive home mostly unscathed by my tongue. A feat of super human self-control that will not last much longer. I dive into the freezer. Pasta calls for a good sauce and a good sauce need both meat and a long slow simmer. I prefer three hours but in this emergency, I will endure for two. There is no ground beef unfrozen. Disaster looms…but wait a bag of 128 frozen meatballs leaps off the shelf into my hands. 128 meatballs will not be enough thinks my hormone soaked brain, but it will have to do.
Into the pot, tomato paste and sauce and spices and soy souse, garlic and onion and finally the noble meatballs.
I go hid in my room except for quick pops into the kitchen to stir the sauce.
Two hours, fifteen minutes, two pounds of cooked pasta later, sanity returns.
I did share some pasta and sauce with my family…. Even a meatball or two.
Do you have a tale from the hormone front?
hormone, perimenaoause, the change 
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Reader Comments (10)
Oh my goodness! I am glad no one was hurt.
I know exactly where you're coming from. And the night sweats, oh the night sweats. My husband can't cuddle me because my body is a burning oven set on 500.
(I've learned to sleep with my feet outside of the covers. I may look funny, but it helps.)
Like any good husband, my response is:
"um...no comment."
I once made my mom cry by saying I didn't like a packet of biscuits she bought. I think that was due to hormones.
Karen, It was a near thing. There is not much difference between a hormone surge and a power surge.
Contrariwise, The same thing happens so me. I find it kinda handy. I can sleep and bake bread at the same time. I sleep with my feet out the side also.
Very wise Tony. Now just back out of the room quietly and all will be fine.
Now I am crying too Solomon. Your poor mom...
I cried in the car for at least an hour with my (at the time) patient sister on the phone rehashing the injustices of my husband. She recommended Estroven, to control the runaway thoughts, and unmerited emotions flying in his direction. He was unwittingly spared from a no good, horrible, very bad day...
I think you handled it great! I bet those meatballs were goooooooooood.
If you are interested in participating, I am tagging you. No pressure though...I understand if you pass!
I totally LOL'd when I read this, "128 meatballs will not be enough thinks my hormone soaked brain, but it will have to do."
It's not easy being a woman!! :-P
I think meatballs can solve almost anything. With me: it's sweating. Not just night sweats but day sweats. I'm always too hot, and I am tired of people asking me why I'm wearing only a sweater in 10-degree weather. Outside. I especially sweat when I'm eating, which is particularly lovely. Gotta look into that black cohosh. Or perhaps just stock up on meatballs.
Too funny! The meatballs sound like they were great.
I feel for you. When I was going through the emotional roller coaster of perimenopausal insanity, my doctor recommended going on the pill as a form of hormone therapy. I really didn't want to go on "hormones," but since I had been on the pill off and on for most of my adult life, I figured what the heck. It was a life saver for me and my family!
And I kind of miss the hot flashes... instead of being hot all the time, now I'm always cold!