Why doesn't anybody tell you this stuff???

So last Wednesday night someone was at the pulpit receiving the offering and in about three minutes I was supposed to come forward and teach.  During this time I felt my eyes drying out with my contacts feeling like they were going to pop out.  I blinked repeatedly to try to wet my eyes and thought to myself, "should I come off the platform and take my contacts out and put my glasses on, or what?"  I resisted the temptation to do that although I was extremely uncomfortable.   I just thought it would be a really unprofessional thing to possibly have to ask someone to stall at the pulpit while I removed my contacts.  I got through a 30 minute teaching while every last bit of liquid left in my eyes evaporated.

 As soon as I was done teaching, I quickly removed the contacts and put my glasses on.   This was actually a culmination of my eyes feeling parched for about  three months now.  I've been going through lot of rewetting drops but they didn't solve the issue. Wondering what in the world was going on I came home after church and did what I do so often...

I googled.

And I discovered the reason my eyes have been like a desert. 

I found out dry eyes are a symptom of menopause!  Yep, I'm at the beginning of going through this change...what is known as perimenopause.  I know, you're not surprised that I'm confessing it here on the blog since I talk about pretty much anything here openly and have somehow still lived to retain my minister's license. Much to some people's chagrin...lol

 A bunch of other stuff is happening in addition to the dry eyes, like momentarily forgetting my best friend's names, waking up in the middle of the night to go to the restroom, kicking the covers off at least 10 times a night because I'm breaking out in sweat, forgetting the names of simple items like a stapler or ketchup.  Yeah, what a blast.  

Nobody ever told me that when I got to this point my eyes might totally dehydrate.  Why not???  Do your friends a favor and please tell them that their eyes might dry up like two raisins.  I had lunch with a friend this week and said, "Hey, you've come through the change.  When you went through it were your eyes dry?"  She says, "Oh yeah...big time."   Then I interrogated her on everything else I should expect and she said, "If you feel like you have Alzheimers just know it's totally normal."  How thrilling.

Nobody ever told me that when my first kid went to move out I'd feel like my world had ended.   (Mine changed his mind and stayed home, so my world has continued for a while longer.)

Nobody ever told me that at this point in my life I'd want to stay in bed on my day off all day long for something else besides sex.  (EXHAUSTION)

I'm really thinking of making a long list of stuff most people don't tell you, so people can be prepared.  

**  About the dry eyes, here's what I've done, in case this is happening to any of you and you need help.  I stopped wearing my contacts for a few days to rest my eyes.  I got Thera Tears which I've been using several times a day.  I also started takinng omega 3 essential fatty acids several times a day.  One lady said just 24 hours after the start of taking these, her dry eyes were relieved!!!  I've also been drinking a ton of water.  Everything I read on line said doing these things will greatly reduce if not eliminate the problem.  I'm wearing my contacts again today.  We'll see how it goes. 

For anything else I need to know Kathryn tells me I need to get this book.

What did you not know about in life that you wish someone would have warned you about?

Just one more reason I like Google.