Being a woman can be difficult. During our childbearing years, our hormones force us on a monthly roller coaster ride until we finally burst into hot flashes and burn out. We get headaches from bumping into all those glass ceilings (we still don't have a woman President or Vice President in the White House). And we're afflicted with a myriad of health issues from breast cancer to autoimmune disorders. Did you know that 75% of those with autoimmune diseases are female and that autoimmune diseases are one of the leading causes of death and disability in females under 65?
I've had fibromyalgia since 1997 and that's why I started this blog. Not only to share my own experiences, but to give women a place to bitch and to listen; to seek advice and give advice; to find a community that understands what it's like to go into crying jags for no particular reason or feel like aliens have taken over our bodies or to look in the mirror and swear that every pair of jeans we own makes our butts look big!
So leave a comment and bitch away...
Congratulations on launching your blog. I think it can help you and others.
ReplyDeleteI just read an article in Psychology Today (The Double Life of Women, Nov/Dec 2010, pp. 75-9)that women actually have two sexualities: one when they're ovulating and another during the rest of the month. Our behavior changes (and not for the better) during our estrus (state of sexual receptivity). We prefer men with more "masculine" traits (leaner, V-shaped body, squarer chin, heavier eyebrows, lower pitched voice, and more aggressive, dominant behavior) to get the highest-quality genes, but once we are pregnant or in the non-fertile part of our cycle, we do an about-face, desiring a generous and stable, nice-guy. During estrus we also prefer more erotic materials, engage in more risky behavior (including drug use), feel pain more acutely, and are more emotional, affectionate and seductive. As a result, we need to be aware of our rhythm in order to reign in our risky behavior, to avert long term negative consequences. Mother nature has given us a difficult challenge!
ReplyDeleteJoy, I'm so proud of you! I believe we accomplish nothing, if we do not truly share our real selves with each other. This is what you're doing, authentic, helpful, loving and immediate. I'm going to share this on FB for others with a similar struggle. Methinks it's not only with the autoimmune, but also ANY debilitating, counter-intuitive circumstance in our life.
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