I’m a very private person, except for my infrequent forays into Facebook. So, I find myself having a lot of internal conversations once I decided to share my story about something that is, at least for me, a private experience. The experience – Hot Flashes.
What woman that prides herself in her femininity and appearance wants to acknowledge that she has reached the age where her most frequent companion is a bucket of ice and a towel? I’m in a great relationship with my significant other, but I don’t want to have this conversation with him. I want this menace gone! What woman doesn’t?
Objectively I knew that Hot Flashes would show up sooner or later, like death will show up sooner or later. But I surely did not pin it on a calendar, right next to my birthday. And I surely did not expect it to threaten the way I feel about myself. I mean, who can feel self-assured when you’re the only one in the room (or on zoom with a camera focusing on your face) and sweat is running down from your hairline?
And then, very recently, I was meeting with a guy that has been a friend for years. He has patiently listened to my trials and tribulations, without judgement. He saw my misery, even through my Covid facemask. So, I broke down and told him my latest tale of woe. Yes, I admitted that I was suffering from the dreaded Hot Flashes. I was afraid that old age had me in its grip. Steve, ever the great friend, says to me, “Chris, I think I can help you.” We’re not in THAT kind of relationship, so I tell him that I’ve tried THAT already with my significant other, and it hasn’t helped. Steve laughed, and said, I have something you might like even better. Then he reaches into his briefcase and pulls out so little discs about the size of a quarter, with a little white disc in its center. I could not even imagine what it was. He peeled off the back of the 3 patches and stuck them on the back of my neck, beneath my belly button and above my tailbone (actually I stuck them on the private areas). Steve told me what each patch was called (X-39 and Glutathione) but at the time I did not care about the name. I just wanted relief. He then told me to wait a few minutes. A few minutes later, he asked how I felt. The Hot Flash was gone. Steve said if it came back, we would try a variation, but he was sure we’d find a lasting solution. Sure, I thought to myself. I was glad the sweating has stopped, but I though that, come night time, it would be back, with a vengeance. It didn’t come back that night. Nor the next day. It’s been a week now, and I’m pretty much back to my old self. No night sweats, nor day Flashes.
So, what are my next steps? I am becoming one of this Patch company’s best customers. Ever the entrepreneur, I checked the website and saw that they have money-making opportunities for people like me. I read up on the technology, the U.S. patents they’ve received, and learned something about the research behind the technology. I’m thinking, Sweet. I can feel like a new woman and satisfy my desire to add to my bank account at the same time.
I’m all in.