We now know that premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is experienced by 60% of all women. What causes PMS has been difficult for researchers to pin down because each woman experiences symptoms differently.

PMS Symptoms When making diagnosis, most important tool you can use is a chart of cyclic nature in which they occur. If nothing is done to interrupt PMS, it often gets worse over time. You may begin by having symptoms just a few days before your period that stop abruptly as soon as your period begins. Later, symptoms gradually begin to appear one to two weeks before onset of menses. Over time, you may have only two or three days of month that are symptom-free. Eventually no discernable pattern of good days and bad days can be detected. You feel as if you have PMS all of time.

There are general symptoms that have been determined that include: • Abdominal bloating • Abdominal cramping • Accident proneness, coordination difficulties • Acne, hives • Aggression, rage • Alcohol intolerance • Anxiety, irritability, suicidal thoughts • Asthma • Back pain • Breast swelling and pain • Bruising • Confusion • Depression, withdrawal from others, emotional liability • Edema • Exacerbation of preexisting conditions (lupus, arthritis, ulcers, herpes, etc.) • Fatigue, lethargy • Fainting • Food binges, salt cravings, sweet cravings • Headache, migraine • Heart palpitations • Insomnia • Joint swelling and pain • Nausea • Seizures • Sex drive changes • Sinus problems • Sore throat • Urinary difficulties

Don’t confuse PMS with cramps occurring at beginning of your period, which is a different condition.

My children are grown up now, and I theoretically COULD leave house and find outside employment, but I have now chosen not to take that path. This time decision is a calculated one.

Throughout my family's childhood and teen years, I solved "where to be first issue" by working from home. My hard-earned M.Sc. degree in Human Resource Administration was shelved - although I would like to think I applied some of key principles to running our in-house human resources. As a fluent English speaker in a foreign country, armed with latest computer equipment in my own home when computers were fairly new even in offices, I opened an English-language word processing business out of a corner of my living room.

My clients came from nearby academic centers and new hi-tech industry park. As word processing became more sophisticated, I moved on to desktop publishing and was soon creating books, brochures, and journals. I attended seminars, read literature and soon expanded my services to offer copywriting and marketing communication. Over years my portfolio grew and I felt a special frisson whenever I saw a company with my marketing material succeed.

All while, children were growing up, and although often pressured from deadlines and demands of not one boss, but many -- as is plight of independent business person -- I was able to "be there" for them and participate in school and club events.

Over years, I co-authored a book, established, published and wrote an online magazine with two women partners, and with them also built an online business. All this while, my children graduated high school, served in army, traveled abroad, returned, left home, returned, had a baby, worked abroad, returned, got a girlfriend (who knows? he doesn't tell me anything...), and we built a house. Now I have a fabulous corner office looking out on garden and my husband has his own sanctuary upstairs.

And then my father surprised me during a routine touch-base telephone call, which he later backed up with an e-mail note. "I've been thinking... Maybe you see a way to use internet for our business? Is there a way you could direct something like that?"