Yes it's that dreaded time - menopause, change of life, call it what you will. All I know is that it's leaving me feeling extremely hot and bothered. Whatever the weather, come rain, hail or snow, my face and neck are burning like sizzling, coals on a barbecue. It may be freezing cold outside, and everyone else is shivering but I'm turning on the air conditioning.

And whoever said that ladies don't sweat? Apparently only horses sweat while men perspire and ladies glow. Well I'm tired of glowing. Morning, noon and especially night.

This menopause thing is exhausting. Bedtime antics used to have a different meaning in the early days. Tearing clothes off has nothing to do with passion anymore. It's all a matter of trying to beat those dratted night sweats. On with the duvet, off with the duvet. Up and down all night long, splashing cold water on clammy skin. When will it end?

And hot flushes are only part of it. Drying skin, thinning hair, thickening waist are to name but a few of the miserable symptoms of this wretched time of life.

So what can we do? I know, we can take HRT. After all,it prevents osteoporosis, protects against heart disease and strokes and generally keeps us young. But then again, it gives us an increased risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and quite possibly premature death. Mmh!

So how long will this menopause and these dreadful hot flushes continue? Maybe one year, maybe ten. Soya might help but then again perhaps not.

Am I the only one who thinks that if men were to go through a menopause we would have a few more accurate answers by now? Oh well, I guess that's just the cynic in me. So for now I'll just have to keep on wearing my lightest clothes and carrying my portable fan. Got to go now. Feel a hot flush coming on.

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