Yay for Menopause

krael65 · August 2019

I'm 54 years old. I'm solidly in perimenopause. I've been 11 months without a period - so, 1 month away from official, full-on menopause.

(Interestingly, my 12 year old twins just started menses last month. But I digress!

)

I've been lamenting the fading of youth: the feeling of being invisible.... of hating my fuller mid-section.... struggling to find (or alter) jeans to fit my larger waist that don't bag in the hips & legs.... the vigilance to maintain or increase my NEAT so as to maintain my weight.... getting off my *kitten* to lift the weights when all I wanna do is binge-watch Netflix on the treddy... Of being the grandmother-aged mother of middle school girls. (Seriously. Them other mom's musta birthed when they were 12! And don't get me started on the teachers that look like they're students - amiright?!)

...and where did THAT hair come from?!

I could go on.

However...

It just occurred to me. I'm not "afflicted" with menopause. Oh no. I've reached a wonderful milestone!

I'm 54 years old. I'm pretty darned healthy overall. I've maintained my weight for 3 years now, and am at a lower weight than I was as a teenager. I haven't had an acne outbreak in over a year! (used to suffer major acne issues). I DON'T HAVE A PERIOD ANYMORE. No more "feminine products" or unfortunate accidents! (Now my daughters' bailiwick

) And best of all, I don't have to give a fork what I wear, do, or say - as long as I'm not hurting anybody in the process! You're embarrassed by mommy's singing in public? Too bad!

Peace out.

tcunbeliever · August 2019

I'm still peri...and the last few days have been a hormone roller coaster...so today, you are my hero and someday I want to be just like you!!!

krael65 · August 2019

Aw, sending you good vibes, @tcunbeliever. Hormones can be such a *kitten*!

lalalacroix · August 2019

You have a really great outlook!! I've been in peri for about 3 years now. And everytime I get excited because I haven't had a period in months, boom - period from hell. I cannot wait for this to be over.

Otoh, these hot flashes are a nightmare. I'm noticing also kinds of trends with them as well. I get a hot flash when there's stress and I get one when my husband walks into the room. WTH? And my black cohosh seems to be less effective than the last time.

Anyways, I also have a 12 year old daughter who will get her period anytime now. It's so interesting for her to be moving into this phase while I'm moving out of it.

I think one thing we can all be excited about is the day we no longer bleed several days each month. Hooray for menopause!

krael65 · August 2019

@lalalacroix - I went through similar. 4 months w/o a period, then start back up again for several months. This happened a few times over the course of 3 years. But this time I think it's going to stick!

Fortunately for me, I've yet to have any significant hot flashes. But I can be moody AF at times

. It is interesting to have daughters just beginning while I'm ending this phase. My poor husband!

MostlyWater · August 2019

I'm with you - 54 years old here too. Life is good!

ethelsmommy · August 2019

I'm 52 and still peri. Oh when, when, when will this END? You are my new spirit animal. #lifegoals

And I hear you about your daughters--my 15-year-old and I are in synch, and the hubs usually gets that faraway look in his eyes as he heads out to the market for more chocolate, heating pads, and supplies!

krael65 · August 2019

@MostlyWater - life IS good!

@ethelsmommy - Yeah, my husband's look is more "horrified". Perhaps he'll work his way up to "faraway"... once he accepts that this is really happening!

whmscll · August 2019

I’m loving menopause so far. Except for the chin hairs.

JeanCricket · August 2019

I do NOT miss those painful, inconvenient periods AT ALL!! I do get hot flashes, but I’ll take them anytime over periods

Thanks for the great post!!! Love your perspective.... now what to do about the vag dryness?????

michellewale1977 · August 2019

I’m 41 and have gone through the menopause due to ovarian cancer. I feel better than I have in years! No more tampons, no worries about birth control (I’m married to my childhood sweetheart and we’re both faithful btw) and now hrt has stopped the hot flushes I feel great. Roll on the next chapter of my life 😊

_BlahBlah_BlackSheep_ · August 2019

I'm gonna need someone to send me a postcard or something to give me a heads up that menopause is arriving. I had a uterine ablation 4+ years ago, so I don't get periods anymore. Are hot flashes going to be the first sign? Or something else? I'm 46, so I'm thinking it's not too many years away at this point.

colorfulcoquette · August 2019

_BlahBlah_BlackSheep_ wrote: »

I'm gonna need someone to send me a postcard or something to give me a heads up that menopause is arriving. I had a uterine ablation 4+ years ago, so I don't get periods anymore. Are hot flashes going to be the first sign? Or something else? I'm 46, so I'm thinking it's not too many years away at this point.

I wonder about this too as I have a Mirena IUD and haven't had a period for 3 years. I'm 44 and I still have several more years with the device in place so I feel there's a decent chance of it starting during this time.

LyndaBSS · August 2019

I had menopause early due to a hysterectomy in my mid 30's.

It wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. Let me know if you end up with an enhanced sense of smell. That was, by far, the most interesting symptom. 👃👀

AnnPT77 · August 2019

_BlahBlah_BlackSheep_ wrote: »

I'm gonna need someone to send me a postcard or something to give me a heads up that menopause is arriving. I had a uterine ablation 4+ years ago, so I don't get periods anymore. Are hot flashes going to be the first sign? Or something else? I'm 46, so I'm thinking it's not too many years away at this point.

Maybe ask if your doctor will run the blood tests for it once in a while?

spiriteagle99 · August 2019

My last three years I would bleed for one day a year, for about an hour or less. I finally finished at 52. Hot flashes aren't inevitable. I never really had them. At best I'd get an occasional warm flash, where I'd ask, "Is it warm in here?" and then I'd go on with what I was doing and forget about it. My mother also had an easy menopause so I wasn't surprised.

SummerSkier · August 2019

this is a great thread. Not because menopause is really all that great but because it tells us that in life we really need to focus on the positive things vs always the negative.

There are a lot of pretty ugly things about menopause - including night sweats where you wake up with your bed soaked, but there are also a lot of things which are gladly gone - like the mood swings - the bleeding - the fear of pregnancy - the bloating and cramps - etc... I would say that I do not think men totally get the whole thing and sometimes all they hear is that word and think of women melting down in hot flashes or 90 year old ladies with walkers.... I know some folks think it's harder to lose weight and maybe our bodies take longer to heal without the hormones but some of that is not only the M but just aging and moving less in general.

nowine4me · August 2019

54 here and out the other side. I didn’t know I’d gone through menopause because I was on the pill until I was 52. Doctor suggested it was time to stop. My general mood and anxiety improved drastically a few month after getting that out of my system.

Brendachristiansen · August 2019

I am 64 and entered post menopause awhile ago

I find it a freeing part of life. Though my libido has really retreated from me - I may go talk to the doctor about that soon.
Weight seems to be stubbornly hanging on. The fuller hips, middle, and thighs. Even when I was pregnant I didn't have this! I didn't use any hormones - just prolongs the change. And it does get better.
With an understanding partner/mate I am settled into this part of my life.
Now - on to keeping track of my meals, exercise, fats, calories, carbs, and all of it I am sure it will get better.

lalalacroix · August 2019

Does anyone have any night sweat remedies other than black cohosh? It doesn't seem to be working well for me any longer and I'm really suffering. I'm waking up many times at night and sleeping less and less.

(Apologies for the detail!)

beckyrpl · August 2019

Welcome to 'the club'! I'm 3 years into menopause. Not gonna lie, the hot flashes were &!*#$ - but I'm loving my curse-free life! No constantly checking my purse to make sure I'm 'packing', no more PMS every month, no more migraines! Yep, things have 'shifted' a bit on my body, but in the realm of things, it's all good!

keodell1966 · August 2019

I'm 53. Wondering when this stage of life will start. Periods are normal, ugh!!! I want some benefit here.

singingflutelady · August 2019

I'm not sure of my status (I'm 43). I'm on a med that has a side effect of raising your prolactin levels so my hormones are messed up plus I'm quite underweight. I haven't had my period since january. I was regular before starting this med. I don't have any other menopause symptoms. I'm not missing my period at all.

shewhoismany · August 2019

I had my 12 year old (boy) at 42 and haven't seen a period since. It was as if my body decided, that's it we're done and we're not taking any chances. I haven't had a hot flash or a mood swing, or maybe I did early on and just put down to postpartum. Or maybe I'm just naturally a bit of red-headed b*tch. I recently lost 40 lbs with relative ease and no sign of chin hairs (yet!). I have yet to find a down side to this. My mother had a hysterectomy in her late 30's, so she has been able to pass on much wisdom. My aunt, who is only 5 years older than I am, complains about hot flashes and night sweats but she generally likes to complain, so it is working out for her.

The pessimist in me is waiting for the other shoe to drop but so far, so good.

Gisel2015 · August 2019

lalalacroix wrote: »

Does anyone have any night sweat remedies other than black cohosh? It doesn't seem to be working well for me any longer and I'm really suffering. I'm waking up many times at night and sleeping less and less.

(Apologies for the detail!)

HRT is the only thing that worked for me. You can ask the doctor for a low dose Rx, to take maybe 3 times a week, and the other days try Estrovan (OTC supplement).

I had a total hysterectomy in my late 40s (I am 75 now), and I went into instant menopause (not fun at all for me). Since I didn't have an uterus, I was put on estrogen (no progesterone needed) to reduce the horrible night sweets, hot flushes, and brain fog. I am still on a twice or three times a week low dose estrogen because when I stopped it, the brain fog came back big time. I don't want to live with a "missing brain." Sometimes I though that I was having a stroke.

Some women can go thru menopause without major problems or side effects. I was/am not one of them, and neither was my mother.

lydiapassthedonuts · August 2019

I can't wait!!

I'm one of those lucky people ... if there is a bad side effect for something, it will happen to me.

I deal with night sweats, hot flashes, very moody, cholesterol is up, chronic migraines, and brain fog. In my family, it's known to last up to 10 years. I'm on year 3. Yay!

beckyrpl · August 2019

Lydia, I'm so sorry! I hope when you get 'there', your chronic migraines go away. Mine did, and I can't tell you what a relief it's been!

SummerSkier · August 2019

singingflutelady wrote: »

I'm not sure of my status (I'm 43). I'm on a med that has a side effect of raising your prolactin levels so my hormones are messed up plus I'm quite underweight. I haven't had my period since january. I was regular before starting this med. I don't have any other menopause symptoms. I'm not missing my period at all.

I think what you have is called amenorrhea where women without enough fat or under a lot of stress lose their period. It's not really menopause but some of the side effects (hair brittleness, bone brittleness etc) can be similar.

gothchiq · August 2019

I was fully paused by 48, will be 51 next month. Even with HRT there are hot flashes. I would really like these blasted things to go away and don't know if they ever will.

I was told red clover extract and/or evening primrose oil were helpful for some people waking up at night hot and sweaty. Worth a shot. Check with doctor first in case of medication interactions. Also keep a fan going in the bedroom. If the air isn't moving, that makes it worse.

I am also unhappy about the vanishing libido. I'm married, so this is bad. I talked to the doctor and she's kind of at a loss about it. She thinks I'm under too much stress. Sure, but that isn't going to change. I can't be waiting for that to magically go away.

If there's anything that really does bug me about all this, it's the collagen loss. Loose skin. BLAH.

whmscll · August 2019

I feel extremely lucky, I have only had night sweats twice and while I had frequent hot flashes my first 2 years, they were never the sweat-dripping-down-your-face kind. My hot flashes are less frequent now, yay. I did find it more comfortable to put a wool mattress cover on my bed; they help regulate your body temp. in both winter and summer. I have waterproof mattress covers on the beds in the guest bedrooms for the young grandchildren mostly) and I cannot sleep on those, they trap heat horribly.

crystalwelshroberts · August 2019

colorfulcoquette wrote: »

_BlahBlah_BlackSheep_ wrote: »

I'm gonna need someone to send me a postcard or something to give me a heads up that menopause is arriving. I had a uterine ablation 4+ years ago, so I don't get periods anymore. Are hot flashes going to be the first sign? Or something else? I'm 46, so I'm thinking it's not too many years away at this point.

ohhh, I'm pretty sure you will know without a postcard! I had an ablation too. Prior to that I never really had PMS or hormone swings during my years with a period... so as soon as the hot flashes came, no sleeping, and my belly expanded – my world turned upside down. It is worse for me when I drink wine (just can't do it right now) and I also notice eating chocolate can also bring on a flash. I'm 52 now and it started 4 years ago. (My sisters journey lasted 8 years.)

Meditation helps me a ton! When I can't sleep – I meditate. Insight Timer is a great app for guided meditations if you are new to meditation. When I flash – I strip then meditate. It really helps me calm 'the thought storm' I make up during this natural menopause process.

One thing we can all count on for sure. This too shall pass

Yay for Menopause

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