Hot Girl Summer: Midlife Style

Trust me on this... when you're in perimenopause or menopause, "hot girl summer" takes on a whole new meaning. While hot flashes are common during this phase of life and occur throughout the year - combining the summer heat and humidity can make a summer day feel like you're living in an inferno.

It's not in your head!  According to the Mayo Clinic, fluctuating estrogen levels cause the hypothalamus to become more sensitive to temperature changes. This is what triggers hot flashes. It can also explain why we may find that we are less tolerant of extreme temperatures than we used to be.

Are hot flashes more frequent during the summer?  One small study did show an increase in hot flashes and nightsweats during June and July, but for the most part the jury is still out on this.  There is one thing we can all agree on though. If it's already 90⁰ and humid when a hot flash starts - it is just going to feel that much more intense. 

So, what can we do to keep our cool during hot girl summer season? Here are a few tips that might help:

• Keep your home cool. Run  your air conditioning and use fans to circulate the air. Close the blinds and curtains to reduce heat gain from sunlight. 

• Wear light, breathable fabrics such as linen and cotton.  Avoid tight, restrictive clothing.

• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods. These can trigger or worsen hot flashes.  Drink plenty of water.

• Use cooling products.  From cooling wraps (or towels) and eye masks to bracelets, even cooling gel pads to wear in your bra - there are many products on the market designed to help lower your body heat.

• Talk to your doctor.  Hormone replacement or low-dose antidepressants can help ease or eliminate hot flashes associated with perimenopause/menopause. 

Perimenopause in the summer may feel like nature turned the heat up just for you, but you’re not alone, and you’re definitely not powerless. With a little planning, a lot of water, and maybe a fan in every room, you can stay cool and feel more like yourself. Listen to your body, and don’t be afraid to slow down when you need to. This season of life—and this season of the year—might be intense, but so are we!

What's your best tip for staying cool when summer and perimenopause turn up the heat?

Sunday Inspiration: Father's Day

 

Thankful Thursday: June 12, 2025

 

I Am Thankful For:

A bouquet of hydrangea

Watching the clouds build on the horizon

Chocolate chip cookies

Listening to the rain

When my grandson yells "Oma" and runs to hug me

The old kitchen cabinets are gone

Picking out new light fixtures

Reading my daughter's first book

A good hair day

Pulled pork

The monthly book club meeting

That first cup of tea in the morning

Helping someone find a library book

Tacos

My greenhouse garden is flourishing

Tiny little cucumbers on my plants

What No One Told Me About Menopause: It's A Hairy Situation

 This post is meant to share what I have learned about menopause based on my own experience.  It is in no way intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new healthcare regimen.  Never disregard medical advice or delay seeking help because of something you read on this website.

As women, there's a good chance that we have spent quite a bit of time thinking about and caring for our hair. Curly, straight, thick, thin, and a variety of colors. We are always either caring for what we have or trying to change it. And then along comes perimenopause... 

During perimenopause, estrogen and progesterone levels decline and allow for the androgens to have a greater influence on our body systems.  These fluctuations disrupt our hair growth, and can cause changes to our hair texture. 

Thinning hair is a common experience during perimenopause. The loss of estrogen and progesterone can cause increased shedding as well as a shorter growth stage. While the potential increase in androgens can contribute to follicle shrinkage - especially near the temples. 

Deficiencies in vitamins B and/or D can also contribute to poor hair health. A lack of certain minerals, such as zinc and iron can also contribute.

Perimenopause can also affect your hair's texture.  Decreasing estrogen may lead to brittle, drier hair. Some women experience more frizz or find their hair more difficult to manage. A change in your hair's curl pattern can also happen. 

And these changes may not be limited to the hair on top of our heads. Increased androgen levels can cause unexpected hair growth, especially on the face.  Many of us are struggling with a random chin hair that pops up out of no where. And some of us experience that single wirey black or white hair that sprouts out of some unusual places.  

Just as the hormonal changes can cause a thinning of the hair on our scalp, some women experience a decrease of body hair. You may notice that you don't have to shave your legs or armpits as often, or notice that you seem to have less public hair. Personally - I don't have to shave my legs anywhere near as often, but my armpit hair seems to flourish. Go figure.

There are some steps you can take to keep your hair as healthy and beautiful as possible throughout perimenopause and beyond.

• Practice good hair care. Choose gentle cleansers and conditioners free of harsh sulfates, parabens, alcohol, and silicones. Limit or avoid styling with high heat.
• Eat a diet rich in protein and nutrients that support hair health.
• Reduce your stress. 
• Consult with your doctor to rule out any underlying problems that may be affecting your hair health and to discuss treatment options.

Have you experienced any hair changes in perimenopause? 

 

Sunday Inspiration: Decision Making

Thankful Thursday: June 5, 2025

 

I Am Thankful For:

My creativity

Cabinets are ordered

An abundance of blossoms on my cucumber plants

My little chiweenie is feeling better

Lunch with my dad

Deep purple hydrangea

Plums

My son's birthday

My fall wasn't worse

Oreo dessert

Saturday nights

Waffles

Clean laundry

Paint samples

Starting the work

Ice cream with chocolate syrup

Warm sunny days

My daughter's first book

Sunday Inspiration: Look Fear in the Face

Wrapping Up This Midlife May

As May draws to a close, I find myself looking back on a month filled with blooming flowers, longer days, and making plans for the summer months ahead. I reflect on the days I've enjoyed and the lessons May has taught me. It's a perfect moment to look back on the memories we've created in May and look forward to the coming season.

The most popular post on the blog in May (by a huge margin) was when I shared my April Empties.  I also told you about the Five Things I Would Tell My Younger Self.  And we talked about the real meaning of Memorial Day. 

In May we celebrated Mother's Day.  My family outdid themselves this year. I was showered with some lovely gifts and a great breakfast. My daughter planned a day trip for the two of us with coffee, pastries, crystals, and books.  It was a wonderful weekend. 

Of course, we had the long Memorial Day weekend.  Ours involved working on our home renovation project, some yard work, and delicious ribs cooked on the grill by my amazing husband.  

May has been ending on a celebratory note for 27 years now. Ever since the birth of our son. I couldn't think of a nicer way to say goodbye to the month. 

During May, I read "Weyward" by Emilia Hart, "The Light In Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron, and "Two Old Women" by Velma Wallis.  Our read for book club was "The Marsh King's Daughter " by Karen Dionne. My husband and I have been reading Stephen King's  "The Institute" to each other just before we go to bed each night. And I am currently reading "Garden Spells" by Sarah Addison Allen.  I have also been listening to another Sarah Addison Allen book - "The Girl Who Chased the Moon."

Some of my favorites and finds for May include:

Laura Geller Jelly Balm Hydrating Lip Color: The wear is incredibly comfortable. It lasts surprisingly well for a balm. My favorite shade is "In The Buff," a lovely neutral pink. 

Peonies:  I was so fortunate to have inherited a patch of pink peonies when we bought our house. All these years later they are still thriving and put on a beautiful show every spring. 

HIXX Smart Bird Feeder with Camera: This was a Mother’s Day gift from my husband.  I am not exaggerating when I say that I am obsessed!  I should probably be a little embarrassed by how much of my day I spend on my phone watching the birds at my feeder.

How are you celebrating the closing chapter of this beautiful month and preparing for the summer days to come?

Thankful Thursday: May 29, 2025

 

I Am Thankful For:

Ice cream

Sunshine

Finalizing the new kitchen design

My sweet little dogs

Feeling better

Not getting hit by that car

My husband coming home early from work

Pizza

Waking up from a nice dream

Funny dog videos

Homemade lasagna

My dad dropping by

A rainy afternoon

My husband

Enjoying a cup of tea in the predawn quiet

Listening to the birds wake up

New library books

Memorial Day

Wishing each of you a restful and reflective Memorial Day.

Many think of Memorial Day as a day off and/or the unofficial start of Summer.  But it's much more than cookouts and pool openings. 

Today, I hope you remember the people who gave their lives in order to free us from a tyrannical king.

Remember those who fought, even against family and former friends, to preserve our country.

Think of those who gave all to protect our world from a fascist dictator. 

And the countless others who sacrificed in service to our country.

In their honor, observe the "National Moment of Remembrance". At 3pm local time, pause and think about the meaning of this day. 

Then get back to enjoying whatever fun summer-type activity you have planned for today!

Sunday Inspiration: Accept

Thankful Thursday: May 22, 2025

 

I Am Thankful For:

Beginning demo work on the dining room renovation 

A salad with baby spinach that I grew

Watermelon

Saturday mornings

Yummy coffee drinks

Grilling season

My husband working on the new kitchen layout

My new bird feeder is up and running

Trying something new

Waking up to breakfast already made

Putting on the shorts

Bird videos

Library days

Not vomiting

A long afternoon naps

Rainy mornings

Sunday Inspiration: First

Thankful Thursday: May 15, 2025

 

I Am Thankful For:

Sunshine

Reading with my husband

Tasks completed

Feeling better

Weekends

Mothers Day breakfast

A new bird feeder

A day with my daughter

A delicious coffee drink

Independent bookstores

Book Club friends

Feeling cute

Afternoon thunderstorms

Discovering new books

The tree and stump are gone

Rain showers

A new meal idea

Happy Mother's Day

 

Thankful Thursday: May 8, 2025

 

I Am Thankful For:

A craft project completed

A Spring breeze

Treating myself to a coffee

New lipstick

A lunch date with my husband

New sunglasses

My peonies are blooming

Transplanting my herbs

The sound of falling rain

A beautiful sunny morning

Huevos Rancheros

The smell of peonies

A brand new week

Laughter

A margarita

The next phase is scheduled

Baby bears caught on our security camera

Five Things I Would Tell My Younger Self

Anyone remember the song "Oh la la" by Rod Stewart that goes "I wish that I knew what I know now when I was younger"?  For some reason it was stuck in my head the other day, which got me thinking...  what would I tell my younger self if I could get a message back to her?

Here are five things I came up with.

1) Some of the things you'll go through are definitely going to suck.  You'll make mistakes.  Some big ones.  You'll face some challenges. You're going to be hurt. But in the end it will all be ok. You're going to learn from all of it and grow as a result. It's going to make you the woman I am now.

2) Stop trying so hard to fit in. You don't have to like what everyone else likes or do what everyone else does. Not everyone is going to like you, no matter how hard you try. You might as well like yourself. (And, by the way, you're pretty damn spectacular.)

3) You're spending so much time worrying about things that don't matter. 99% of the things you're worrying about right now will either never happen, will turn out fine, or won't even matter one way or the other in a couple of years.  

4) Travel. Whenever and wherever you can.  It doesn't matter if it's an hour or two down the road or across an ocean. Go! Spend the weekends away with your husband. Take the road trips with your sister. When the opportunity comes up for that trip to Japan - take it! Make some memories!

5) Getting older isn't as scary as it seems.  In fact, it can actually be pretty great. Being in your teens and 20s is fun.  But being in your 50s is so much more fulfilling. Life doesn't end at a certain age.  It only ends when you stop getting older. So quit dreading every year that passes and start embracing them.  We're having so much fun now! 

What would you tell your younger self?

Sunday Inspiration: The Unexpected

 

My April Empties

I finished up several skin care and beauty items in April.  Some were old true-blue favorites.  Some were hit or misses.  Let's take a look:

Neutrogena Ultra Light Cleansing Oil:  This is my go-to for the first part of my skin care routine.  It easily removes all my makeup and doesn't leave my skin feeling oily. This wasn't my first bottle and won't be my last

Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum:  Good Molecules Serums are my ride-or-die.  I have tried many other hyaluronic acid  serums, but I always come back to this. 

Loreal Midnight Cream:  The jury is still out on this one. It does feel thick and luxurious when you apply it.  But performance-wise, I'm not sure if it lives up to the hype. I did purchase one more container. After that's gone, I'm not sure if I'll continue using it or not. Also, the fragrance is quite strong, so if you're sensitive to that, you may want to give it a pass.

Laura Geller Original Spackle Primer: I absolutely adore Laura Geller makeup, and this primer is no exception! I have a couple of other great primers in my makeup arsenal, but this is the one I reach for over and over. 100% a repurchase!

Have you tried any of these products?  What were your thoughts?

Thankful Thursday: May 1, 2025

 

I Am Thankful For:

A good check-up for doggy #2

Listening to the birds welcome the morning

Homemade pizza

A new washing machine

The weekend

Rootbeer

The new moon

Lunches prepped for the week

Misty mornings

When my husband grills dinner

Wildflowers

Selecting the next book to read

Working on a craft project

Volunteer appreciation at the library

Meeting new people who are passionate about books

Sitting outside at sundown

An End to April

April was a much needed month.  It was quiet for the most part. It gave me a chance to catch my breath. And it breathed a little sunshine into my soul.

April brought my little sister's birthday.  I would have liked nothing more to celebrate with her. But since that wasn't an option this year, I sent her a gift that I hope was meaningful. She's such a great gift-giver and it was hard to come up with something even close to the amazing gifts she has given to me recently.  

We celebrated Easter with our kids and grandkids.  I made up a little basket for the dogs, because I'm silly like that. It was a beautiful day. And spending time with the grandkids is always a joy.

It was a quiet month in the blog. Other than Sunday and Thankful Thursday posts there wasn't much for midlifers. But I have a couple of good things lined up for May, which I hope you'll enjoy.

In April, I read "Two Twisted Crowns" by Rachel Gillig, "The Last Train to Key West" by Chanel Cleeton, "Everything is Tuberculosis" by John Green, and "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien. I finished listening to "Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old".  And in the last couple of days, I started reading "Weyward" by Emilia Hart.

We put up our greenhouse in April and have started growing some vegetables.  We're keeping it small since this is our first year.  Tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, cabbage, peppers, and a couple of strawberry plants. I am looking forward to later this summer when we can start harvesting some of our own produce!

How was your April? Let me know in the comments!

Sunday Inspiration: Who's Job Is It?

Thankful Thursday: April 24, 2025

 

I Am Thankful For:

Planting vegetables

Running errands with my husband

New planting boxes

Spending time with my son

Making a good attempt at something

Prepping dishes for Easter dinner

Easter

The grandkids

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

Getting the dogs outside to play

Planning a new project

A good start to the week

Clouds resting on the mountain tops

Library day

Making earrings

Growing herbs

Watering my plants

My daughter dropping by

Sunday Inspiration: Happy Easter

 

Thankful Thursday: April 17, 2025

 

I Am Thankful For:

Houseplants

Ok books that turn into good books

The azalea in bloom

Speaking my mind

A new haircut

Ginger ale

Spending time with my husband and son

A warm robe for chilly mornings

Lilacs blooming

Puzzles

Being able to meal prep for the week

Fresh baked scones

Book club

Dogs at the library

Sunday Inspiration: Someone Else's Eyes

Thankful Thursday: April 10, 2025

 

I Am Thankful For:

Wild violets blooming in the yard

When the dogs come and cuddle with me while I'm reading

Farm fresh eggs

Thunderstorms

My son bringing me ice cream

Leaves coming out on the trees

Setting up the greenhouse

Deciding what to plant

Dogwood starting to bloom

French toast for brunch

A trip for brunch

Rainy days

Lunches made ahead

The smell of lavender filling raw kitchen

Libraries

My marriage

The smell of rosemary

Sunday Inspiration: Our Voices

Thankful Thursday: April 3, 2025

I Am Thankful For:

A beautiful day for travel

A yummy brisket sandwich

The motion sickness glasses seemed to help

Visiting my grandfather's grave

Discovering more about my family history

Genealogy libraries

The new moon

Being home again

Early to bed

Sunday breakfast

Finally getting some rain

Chocolate

Tulips blooming

Watermelon

A quiet day

The pear tree in bloom

April

A new book

A project completed

A misty day

The Best of March

In like a lion - out like a lamb.  That's what they say about March. March is carried in on the cold winds of Winter. And flies out on the warm breezes of Spring.

March celebrated Mardi Gras. It had us changing our clocks for the start of Daylight Savings. She brought us a lunar eclipse during the full Worm Moon. And saw the balance and rebirth that hails the Spring Equinox. 

March is a busy month for birthday celebrations in my family.  I wished my mother, my son in law, my cousin's husband, and my uncle a happy birthday this month.

On the blog we talked about keeping your knees healthy in midlife and beyond. This was inspired by an unexpected trip back to my Orthopedist when I once again experience pain in the knee I had surgery on last fall.  

I put my love of books to work in March and started volunteering at my local library.  It is a dream come true to spend a few hours each week shelving books and reading the shelves.  It's not doing my endless TBR list any favors though as I discover interesting looking books in the process.

In March I read "One Dark Window " by Rachel Gillig, "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson, and "The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek" by Kim Michelle Richardson. I also started listening to  "Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old" by Brooke Shields. 

At the end of the month I went to west Tennessee with my father to visit the town where his biological father grew up. We visited his grave and those of his parents.  We spent time at the local historical and genealogical library and learned some things about the family.  It was a worthwhile trip.

All in all, March was a good month.  The world may be burning down, but I am still able to find joy in my little part of it.

How was your March?

Sunday Inspiration: Opportunities

 

Thankful Thursday: March 27, 2025

I Am Thankful For:

My husband and son going on a weekend fishing trip

Having nothing to do

Having time to clean out kitchen cabinets and reorganizing 

Self care day

"Girl Dinner"

Reading late into the night

The guys are back home

Morning at the library

Healthy lunch

All the clean laundry is folded

Beautiful blue skies

Doggy smiles

Healthy Knees in Midlife and Beyond

This post is in no way intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new healthcare regimen.  Never disregard medical advice or delay seeking help because of something you read on this website.

Last summer I had an "injury" to my knee.  I put quotes around "injury" because, well... let me just explain. I was sitting on the ottoman throwing a toy for the dogs to fetch.  As the game finished I stood up and turned to walk into to the next room.  That’s when I felt a POP and a sudden pain in my knee. I couldn't put any weight on my knee without excruciating pain for about 30 minutes.  Then I felt a smaller POP and the worst of the pain eased up.  A trip to Urgent Care, Xrays, a visit to the Sports Medicine doctor, a MRI, and a consultation with an Orthopedist later - I was having surgery to remove "loose bodies" (loose bits of cartilage and bone) from the knee. 

All was well until a couple of weeks ago.  I say down to have a cup of tea and read.  I put my feet up on the ottoman, and as I straightened my legs there was suddenly an intense pain in that same knee.  I couldn't straightened it all the way due to the pain, and walking was also painful.   It was almost exactly the same as last summer but without the POP sensation. I was back to the Orthopedist for more Xrays. I have some osteoarthritis in the knee, and there l ossifications located at the fibular head. No surgery recommended right now, but at some in my future I'll be needing a knee replacement. 

I was feeling very alone in my experiences with knee problems, until I read an article from AARP that said joint pain can be a common symptom in menopause. Other common causes of knee pain iinclude typical wear-and-tear, osteoarthritis, and injuries. 

My Orthopedist explained it to me that some people have bones and cartilage like oak, and some like pine.  If you have oak floors in a home, they can take a lot of walking on and will hold up for the lifetime of the house. If the floors are pine, after many years they will start to show signs of wear.  Apparently, mine are like pine. 

Fortunately, there are things we can do to protect our knees and keep them healthy for as long as possible.

• Stick with low-impact exercise to minimize stress on your knees. Examples include: walking, swimming, biking, and elliptical training. Avoid or limit high impact exercise or those with a lot of contact or sudden pivots.
• Do exercises that strengthen your hamstrings and quadriceps.  These muscles support the knee joints.
• Stretching regularly to improve flexibility, and as a warm-up before exercise to prevent injury.
• Maintain a healthy weight to reduce pressure on the knees.
• Wear shoes with good support and cushioning. 

Taking care of our knees can keep us active through midlife and well into the senior years.  And isn't that something we all hope for?

Sunday Inspiration: Spring

 

Thankful Thursday: March 20, 2025

 

I Am Thankful For:

Opening windows to air out the house

Family resemblance

8 hours of sleep

The Lunar Eclipse

The full moon

Errands and lunch with my husband

Irish whiskey

Finishing a crochet project

And starting a new one

My husband cooking breakfast for me

Sunshine after the storms 

Feeling cute

A delicious Irish stew

Guinness

Adding to my TBR list while volunteer at the library

A Spring breeze

Sunday Inspiration: Dreams and Kindness

 

Thankful Thursday: March 13, 2025

 

I Am Thankful For:

My daffodils about to bloom

My daughter

A quick appointment with the orthopedist

Small local businesses

My son

Oil change done

Getting a same day vet appointment

My grandsons 

A trip to the garden center

Beginning a new routine

Laundry put away

My husband

Crepes for Breakfast

My little dog is feeling better

Reporting plants

Insightful book discussions

Unhurried mornings

Our son-in-law

Planning a short trip

Old family pictures

Volunteering at the library

Sunday Inspiration: Lock it Up

 

Thankful Thursday: March 6, 2025

 

I Am Thankful For:

Volunteering hours scheduled

Things starting to get back to normal

Cozy mornings

Ruining errands

A day without needing muscle relaxers

Family

A Spring-like day

February is over

Brownies and ice cream

My husband making breakfast for me

Family safe from local wild fires

My husband

A pain-free day

Clean doggos

A good check-up for Max

Daffodils blooming 

Pancakes for dinner 

Lunch with my husband

Sunday Inspiration: Risk

February Flashbacks

I am so thankful that February is a short month. I am oh-so-ready to put this month behind me! I definitely don't want two or three more days of the energy that February brought. 

The most popular post on the blog for Febrary was actually the first Sunday Inspiration post of the month, followed closely behind by "A Giant Pain in the Back" where we talked some tips for dealing with back pain that often comes along in midlife. 

It was a quiet month in our house.  Especially for me. Honestly, I spent most of February lying on the couch.  Not by choice.

First, I caught a nasty head cold that knocked me off my routine for a few days.  Just as that started to clear up, I somehow hurt my back.  The back pain ranged from sore one day and annoying the next for almost two weeks and then suddenly went straight to excruciating.   

A trip to the Dr led to a diagnosis of "probable herniated disc", a prescription for prednisone and muscle relaxers and two weeks of rest to allow it to heal.  Fortunately things have greatly improved.  As I draw toward the end of the second week of rest,   it's still a little achy, but SO much better than before. I no longer spend the first few of hours of my day almost crying from the pain.  A few days ago I experienced the first shower in a couple of weeks that I wasn't miserable and rushing to get it over with. Yesterday was the first day I haven't needed to take any of the muscle relaxers.  Yay!

Because of all this, Valentine's Day was at home, quiet, and extremely low-key.  We had homemade pizzas for dinner and the Mr picked up a delicious chocolate pie for dessert.  He gave me a couple of books from my list and some chocolates. I gave him a game pin from the Ravens/Browns game we went to last month. (He collects them from each game we go to and somehow this one got lost in the process of traveling home from Baltimore, so i found a placement.)

We celebrated our youngest grandson's second birthday this month.  I had almost forgotten how fun birthdays are at that age.  He was having so much fun and was so excited about opening presents and his cake. 

I am excited to say that earlier this month I turned into my application to volunteer at the local library and received a call this week that it has been approved.  Starting next month, I'll be helping out one morning a week. This is like a dream come true for me.  I have loved the library since I was a very little girl, and I can't wait to give back to a place that has given me so much joy

And since we're speaking of books - this month I read four books and listened to one. My audio book for this month was "The Pirate's Wife" by Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos.  The four books I read were "The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store " by James McBride, "The Boyfriend" by Freida McFadden, "Witchcraft for Wayward Girls" by Grady Hendrix, and "I Need You to Read This" by Jessa Maxwell.   

How was your February?  Any special memories from the month?

Thankful Thursday: February 27, 2025

 

I Am Thankful For:

My grandson's 2nd birthday

Less pain

Ice cream

My husband coming home early and doing the grocery shopping

My volunteer application accepted at the library

Birthday celebrations

Birthday cake

Sunday afternoons

Feeling less foggy and dizzy

Breakfast for dinner

Listening to my husband read to me

Butterflies

Seeing a little improvement every day

A healthy lunch

Warmer days

Sunday Inspiration: At The Bottom

Thankful Thursday: February 20, 2025

 

I Am Thankful For:

Rainy days

Little puppy paws

Binge watching a favorite show

Grapes

New books

Valentine candy

Chocolate dessert

My daughter stopping by with the grandkids

My husband taking care of me with my sore back

A lazy Sunday

Long weekends

Dr appointment

Muscle relaxers

My husband driving me around

Getting plenty of rest

Being in less pain

Heating pads

Sleep

Homemade vegetable soup

Snow flurries

A Giant Pain in the Back

This post is meant to share what I have learned based on my own experience.  It is in no way intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new healthcare regimen.  Never disregard medical advice or delay seeking help because of something you read on this website.

For almost two weeks now, I have been dealing with back pain. Over the past few days it has become much worse. In fact, I have a doctor appointment today so that I can hopefully get some answers and some relief. 

Thanks to normal wear and tear on the spine over a lifetime, it is not unusual to experience back pain in midlife.  There are things we can do to reduce our risk of developing back pain or injuries : regular exercise to strengthen back and core muscles, watching our posture, and maintaining a healthy weight to name a few.  But what if you feel that sudden twinge or a dull ache in your back?  Here's the advice I have found helpful the past couple of weeks:

• Gentle stretches

I know... it's hard to imaging doing stretches when your back hurts every time you bend or twist.  But gentle stretches such as child pose, cat-cow stretches, knee to chest stretches,sphinx, or lower back rotations can ease pain and prevent further discomfort.

• Over the Counter Pain Medication 

Acetaminophen, or NSAIDS such as  ibuprofen, or naproxen sodium can help relieve mild to moderate back pain.  However these can have serious side effects if taken for a long time or at high doses, so talk to your doctor if the pain continues for more than a few days.  (I have to be especially careful with NSAIDS because of my stomach issues caused by GERD.) 

Topical treatments such as patches, creams, or ointments may also help to relieve discomfort. 

•  Hot and Cold

Applying ice packs to the area can reduce pain and inflammation. Apply it for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day.  Especially during the first few days

A heat pack or heating pad helps to relax muscles and increases blood flow to the affected area. 

• Change your shoes

Time to set aside those cute flats, or especially the sassy heels and give your feet over to some comfortable, supportive shoes.

• See Your Healthcare Provider

If your pain isn't improving with at home care, it's time to see your doctor.  They can check how the pain is affecting your daily mobility, order any needed tests or imaging and help decide the best course of treatment for your situation.  

Hopefully you'll never need these tips.  And hopefully, thanks to them and my doctor's advice- I will be on the mend very soon!