I Can't Stand The Heat!

Monday September 23, 1991

Up early. The power will be turned of at 10 a.m. til 3 p.m. I can't do the wash. I must hurry and get cleaned up so I can curl my hair before the power goes off.

Frank worked very hard yesterday cleaning up and putting things away after our reunion, but there are still a few things to finish up and linens to change, etc. from Chris, Ric, and Justin. It's a very busy day and very hot. I can't stand the heat. I sweat so easily and profusely. At least the hot flashes seem to have almost gone away.

We'd like to get back to walking but now it's too hot. I feel like I'm in terrible shape. I ache all over all the time. I'm best when I keep moving. It's hard to get moving again when I stop.

We have a great time at square dancing from 7-9:30. We eat out after.

Mom always made sure her makeup was applied and her hair curled first thing in the morning, even when they had no plans to leave the house. Heaven forbid someone might see her without her makeup or her hair done up! Since I retired 4 years ago I only put on makeup when I have an occasion to attend and my hair is wash and wear, no curlers involved.

I can relate to the sweating. Mom lived in Southern California where hot weather was the norm for half the year. I live in Northern California and we still get our share of heat in the summer. I find I have to get my exercise done in the morning when it's still cool. I try to get a hike in if the weather is nice and I belong to a fitness club with an indoor pool where I swim or take water aerobics. When you're in the water you can't tell if you're sweating.

Junior High Graduation

Wednesday June 26, 1991

Slept very well--only got up once to pee and no hot flashes woke me. Most nights the flashes wake me cause I'm so uncomfortably hot. I kick all the covers off and wait to cool down (5 minutes), then cover up and usually go back to sleep.

Arrive at Maria's mom's house 10 a.m. for Joseph and Junior graduation. We have a BBQ steak lunch with all Maria's family. We like them all alot.

Later at home I give Frank a perm then bake brownies and Krispie treats. Frank makes fudge. I make phone calls.

I napped in the car on the way home from L.A. I seem to have little trouble napping in the car these days and often do.

I remember the night sweats when I first entered menopause, but I used some herbs and soy to alleviate them. My worst night sweats occurred after giving birth. That is a quick hormone adjustment.

Her nephews Joe and Junior (now known as Gabe) were 10 and 12 in 1991. The photo at Lake Almanor above was taken in 1989 with mom and Justin. My sister-in-law Maria always has family gatherings at her parents' home in downtown Los Angeles. The house is very small, but the family is huge. Maria has 8 brothers and sisters! How did they all fit in a 2 bedroom house? When all those siblings get together with their kids, and now even another generation of children, the house is bulging at the seams.

I am amused by mom's comment about being able to sleep in the car because for as long as I can remember she never had trouble sleeping in the passenger seat. She would be talking away and then suddenly silence--she had fallen asleep. To stay awake while driving she often took No-Doze a caffeine pill.

Our Anniversary: 9 Years!

Wednesday June 12, 1991

Wonderful, wonderful! No nausea last night. The new medication is working. Didn't sleep well though because of hot flashes every 15 minutes--Awful!

I walked Frank down to the dentist and left him there. He returned about 11 a.m. He wanted to have a Carl's Jr. chicken sandwich. I had a salad. Then we drove to Ventura. We checked out Harbortown Point. The units look real nice with all kinds of appliances.

Then we drove out to the kite shop and strolled around. We food shopped our way home, ate Pioneer Chicken and strawberries.

Watched Sammy Davis Jr. Special and hit the hay about 10:30.

I was unable to find any information about chemotherapy causing hot flashes, but I presume that because her cancer was on her ovaries, it was creating havoc with her hormones.

Mom always liked Sammy Davis Jr. When I was 18 Mom took me to Las Vegas for the weekend, just the two of us. We stayed at a cheap motel and we saw Sammy Davis Jr. at the Copa Room at the Sands Hotel. He put on a great show. Afterwards, we went backstage and got his autograph on our menus. Here's a copy of my menu. Look at those dinner prices from 1971. They were very expensive back then!

Hot Flashes

Monday May 6, 1991

Kick back day. Slept late. Lots of linens and laundry to do. Arrived at the dentist at 1:30 for cleaning. Ran errands.

Went square dancing 7:30-9:30. I'm not sleeping very well lately. I have a hard time going to sleep at 11 p.m. Then wake up at 2 a.m. and can't sleep for 1-2 hours. Why? I don't know. I am hot alot and am having hot flashes again.

Wow, for the third night in a row, Mom and Frank are out square dancing, in spite of her not sleeping well! The chemo sure isn't keeping her down. For several years mom was on hormone replacement therapy, which is probably what caused her cancer to grow on her ovaries. Between the cancer and the cessation of the HRT, no wonder she was suddenly experiencing hot flashes again!