Is menopause having a moment in the spotlight, or is it finally getting the re-branding it deserves?
No one prepared me for the life-changing symptoms of perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause.
My first symptom was severe brain fog. I would randomly be unable to complete a thought or a sentence. I was convinced I was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease. My second symptom was insomnia. Before this, I had been a world-class sleeper. I could fall asleep anywhere at any time. Once, I even fell asleep in the middle of my boyfriends’ corporate dinner while seated at the head table. I just put my head down on the banquet table and fell asleep. Where was Emily Post when I needed her?!?!? Thankfully, my sweet, intelligent, gorgeous boyfriend whisked me off in a cab and sent me back to my apartment so that I could go to bed. Despite that, shortly later, we got engaged and have been married for 45 years. Ha!!!!
Pushing forward to my late 40s, my brain fog, sleepless nights, and emotional highs and lows negatively impacted my life quality. After a lovely dinner party at a friend’s house while doing dishes, suddenly, with no warning, I burst into tears. Luckily for me, this friend was a retired gynecologist. That is when I learned I was in perimenopause and not losing my mind or suffering from a severe disease. I was horrified by the perimenopause label as I felt I was too young for menopause!
I was frightened and utterly unprepared for perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause. I decided to go to the bookstore and educate myself on the topic. The menopause section was in the basement of the store. (No surprise!) Most of the authors of menopause books were doctors and scientists. The books were dauntingly thick and dense, full of difficult-to-understand medical jargon. Unfortunately, these books caused me even more confusion and anxiety. My brain was in a dark fog. I was exhausted from a lack of sleep. My mood swings were giving me whiplash! I quickly grabbed several books and fled the store, hoping for answers. I couldn’t wrap my brain around the medical explanations. I found myself even more frustrated and anxious. I just wanted to understand how to get my life back!
I was annoyed that no one had educated me about this time in a woman’s life. I was annoyed that the available information wasn’t layperson friendly. I was annoyed that I didn’t feel like myself. I was annoyed none of my older friends had spoken to me about menopause – ever! That is when my 15-year journey into this menopause biz began, and the rest is Menopause Mondays® history!
So, yes, I am thrilled that Menopause is FINALLY IN.
This morning, I began reflecting on the long list of celebrities, models, actors’ husbands, newscasters, first ladies, tennis superstars, famous scriptwriters, humorists, national political leaders, and high-profile influencers now talking about menopause. Check out social media – the list is astounding!
I ask myself why? Why now is it IN to talk about menopause? Is it because, according to a report from Grand View Research, the global menopause market could reach $24.4 billion by 2030?
Whatever the reason, I am happy that the topic is no longer taboo. Women are starving for perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause education and solutions! There is so much confusion about hormone replacement therapy. There is insufficient training in the medical schools for gynecologists about midlife. On top of that, with the fear of aging that our culture promotes, women are at a tremendous disadvantage in finding the solutions they need and deserve.
Whether in perimenopause, menopause, or post-menopause, I have created a Menopause Mondays® Symptoms Chart to help you understand whether you need menopause support. You can download it here.
If you find your chart full of marks after charting your symptoms, do yourself a HUGE favor and find a menopause specialist. Here are some helpful tips on how to find a menopause specialist. Your menopause specialist will create a menopause protocol that fits your health needs. Make this your special gift to yourself this holiday season. It will be the gift that keeps on giving.
Please don’t rely on social media for your menopause guidance. Resist bouncing back and forth from online remedy to online remedy. There are too many potential negative medical ramifications relating to managing perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause to rely upon promoted products that might do you no good or even harm. For example, if you are experiencing painful sex, you need a pelvic exam to determine the proper course of action. Your menopause specialist can successfully determine if you need a vaginal moisturizer, a lubricant, pelvic floor exercises, hormone therapy, or other treatments. This evaluation can only be done by a properly trained medical professional. I caution you not to start taking over-the-counter supplements or shoving vaginal products inside your vulva because the packaging is pretty or you want to look like the woman promoting the product. For the quickest, healthiest, and most successful solutions, find a menopause specialist who will be YOUR partner in this menopause biz.
Join the menopause revolution!
Reach out, speak up, and get the help you need and deserve.
Remember: Suffering in silence is OUT! Reaching out is IN.
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*EllenDolgen.com does not recommend, endorse, or make any representation about any tests, studies, practices, procedures, treatments, services, opinions, healthcare providers, physicians, or medical institutions that may be mentioned or referenced.
