Man, I'm hot

The heat starts somewhere in my mid section and then travels. It's a burning internal heat that radiates from my body. It appears without warning and can last several minutes.

Yup, I'm talking about hot flashes.

I particularly notice their effect on my scalp, which during a hot flash feels as though it's dripping sweat. It's a good thing I'm bald because it gives the heat an outlet. But I've also felt hot flashes in my arms, legs and even from the tops of my feet. Sometimes, I'm an internal combusion machine.

My bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of both my ovaries and fallopian tubes) brought on immediate menopause because my body stopped producing estrogen and progesterone. Menopause can bring a series of other unpleasant side effects to many women, including: memory loss, depression, mood swings, insomnia, loss of libido, loss of balance, headaches, osteoporosis, etc. The list is extensive.

Apparently those thrust into surgical menopause, tend experience its side effects more dramatically than women who enter this stage of life naturally.

Luckily, I've only experienced the hot flashes, including night sweats, to date. My sister recommended a calcium and vitamin D supplement weaks ago, which is for my lack of exposure to sunlight, as well as to stave off osteoporosis.

I know there are hormones and supplements women can take to help with menopause symptoms, but I'm not sure if I can take any since I'm undergoing cancer treatment. It's one of the questions I'll have for my doc when I see him on Friday.

Hot flashes are an interesting sensation - one I anticipate will be annoying at inopportune times. But I can handle it. The surgery and all its side effects are certainly better than letting the cancer run rampant in my abdomen.

It's all good.

Your hot friend,
Tina