It was a valiant effort. Everyone, even the experts, thought they had already lost and it was too late. Somehow they were not ready for defeat. When all indications were that it was over for them, they quietly gathered up force and all at once raged back with a vengeance. It was not easy and it felt even more unbelievable. Could it be? Could they survive after all they had been through?

For three months it seemed they had won the battle. In whatever scrappy form they could muster up, they gave it their all. Oh, they struggled to survive with every last bit of energy they contained. Then all of a sudden with the same quickness with which they returned, the demise began. I will miss them and the promise they once held.

Farewell, my hormones. Thank you for trying. I was hoping this wasn’t menopause, but there is no denying it. I have just one question. Why did you have to leave me with these darn hot flashes?

Yes, every night I wake to a heat that could melt the polar ice caps. I jump from my bed to check the thermostat and the air conditioning is still set at 70 degrees (that’s 21C for my foreign friends). Yes, that was supposed to be the “cool down” setting for just a bit before setting it something more affordable and environmentally responsible. I think perhaps I had ten hot flashes at the office today.

I cannot wait until next month when I run into people and they ask what did you do this summer? With a joyful glee, a glazed look in my eye (from no sleep), and a voice from The Exorcist, I can tell them, “I spent my summer in MENOPAUSE,” as the tiny drops of perspiration roll down my chest.