The M-word

[beelikej]

Remember how some weeks ago I whined about my cycle being three weeks instead of the four weeks it had been for years? Well, apparently the body took my complaint very seriously, because this month it's been five weeks and I'm still waiting for my period. Should I be worried?

Before you ask: no, I can not be pregnant. My name is not Mary and there hasn't been a Joseph in my life for a long time.

My mom suggested it could be a sign of early menopause or it could possibly be caused by my recent weight loss. The first sounds a bit daunting and the latter does not really make sense to me. I haven't been losing weight drastically, I haven't even changed my life that much. About eight months ago I just scratched snacking from my menu and since then I've mostly stuck to three meals a day with only fillerfood if I'm hungry (like a healthy cookie in the morning and an apple in the afternoon). I have not been exercising excessively (not at all in fact:) and my daily rhythm hasn't changed either.
Okay, I may have been staying up even later than before (it's not a secret why, is it?). Since I usually catch up on sleep in the weekends and can still do my job during the week, I figured it's not an issue.

As for the menopause, well, I suppose that may be an explanation, although I don't think it runs in the family this early (I'm 39 for those of you who missed my birthday). I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm not worried or anything, even if it does make me aware of lost opportunities.

The weirdest thing is that I've been feeling great physically and emotionally. I usually suffer from the whole range of pms and menstrual problems and these past two weeks have been very steady and comfortable, despite being prepared for the worst. (First expecting the three week cycle again, then waiting for a lot of bleeding in the fourth week and finally going into a WTF week five...)

It has been strange not being able to tell what my body is doing (Is this how men feel all of the time; not in touch with or aware of the workings of their insides?) But not having to deal with headaches, nausea, cramps, bleeding (and the option of bitching about it) does make me feel like I lost part of my identity. I'm glad for not being under the influence of the hormone-rollercoaster, but it does feel like I'm not quite myself.

Right now I figure the body just skipped this month for whatever reason and I will continue to be happy about the lack of pain and discomfort until next month. I'm curious to find out what will happen...

Any thoughts on the subject are welcomed. Anonymous posting is allowed as usual. Or you can mail me if you want to keep things private. (See my profile for address if you don't have it already;)

Comments

[carolinecrane.livejournal.com]

My first thought would be perimenopause. My sister is dealing with that (she just turned 39) and it really makes her cycles weird. Then again, hers have always been weird, so there's that.

Diet can mess up your cycles, of course, but you have to make pretty drastic changes to make a difference. It doesn't sound to me like you're depriving yourself of nutrients, so I doubt that's the issue.

Then again, it could just be a fluke, but you know how regular you've been, historically speaking, so you know if there's a reason to worry. I can't think of anything life-threatening for which sudden irregular periods are a symptom, but the symptoms for ovarian cancer are so vague that a visit to your doctor wouldn't hurt, just to be safe.

[beelikej.livejournal.com]

I have been regular as clockwork, the three week thing only happened once in the past, it has always been exactly 28 days.
I'm usually very rational about pains and aches, so something serious like cancer hadn't even crossed my mind.
Thanks for your suggestions, I'll keep you (and the rest of the world) posted.

[giwu.livejournal.com]

You can do some searching online. If you have never had kids or been pregnant at all, your body can be a mystery.

Hope it gets better - sorry this is happening to you. I am tormented by excessively heavy periods and they told me it was because I did not do what my body was designed to do - have children. They also said menopause may be delayed.

If you get really concerned, make sure you see a doctor.

[beelikej.livejournal.com]

Ah, but my body always kind of made sense to me;) I did find out that Menopause can only be 'diagnosed' afterwards, how useful *rolls eyes*

You got told that too, huh? It is so reassuring to hear when you're in agony, that it will all be okay once you have kids. Ehm, yes. Rather a drastic measure, I think.

I will keep an eye on it and see what happens next month. Thanks for your comment!