Menamalariapause

I feel like I have malaria. I wake up at night dripping in sweat. I throw the covers off of me and fall asleep. The next thing I know, I'm freezing to death, so the covers go back on. Next, I'm roasting and wet again. The blankets go on and off all night. No wonder I wake up exhausted and feel like I've spent the night drinking and dancing on tables when all I did was try to sleep.

In the daytime it's even worse. The sweat makes my make up run and my bangs cling to my forehead. I want to start fanning myself, but I don't want to call attention to myself. Some of my coworkers have tiny fans on their desks for hot flashes, but I'm still in denial and not ready for that. Rather than admit that I'm starting to go through the change, I prefer to think that I have malaria.

Last year I started having minor power surges. I felt like my metabolism was revving up at times, but it didn't bother me. If these were hot flashes, I didn't understand why women were being such babies about it. It was nothing. And I was right, it was nothing compared to what I'm going through now.

Now it feels like my skin is on fire, so burning, hot and tingly, and this may go on for years. How annoying is that? I just bought the stuff in the photo. If it doesn't work, I may have to switch to hormones.

I wonder, though, how many calories I'm burning? That kind of heat must take quite a few calories to generate. Has anyone ever calculated how many calories are in a hot flash?