Will Someone Please Listen to Me!

The past year has brought a whirlwind of physical and emotional changes. Turning 53 seems to have wreaked havoc on my system by causing symptoms like extreme fatigue, insomnia, hot flashes and weight gain. I have been to my doctor at least six times in the past year and have had every test known to man. Every visit brings the same result. "Your tests are all normal."  Will someone please listen to me! My tests may be normal, but what I'm feeling is not normal.

Like alot of women my age, I have been forced to take my health into my own hands.  I have read, researched and spoke to others to learn as much as I can about menopause. I have finally found a new health practitioner that "gets it". She has ordered additional tests to check my adrenal levels as well as my hormones. As someone who specializes in integrative (mind/body/spirit) medicine she provides education, instead of just dishing out prescriptions.  It's too bad that the mainstream medical community still treats menopausal women like hypochondriacs. But don't worry, there are people out there who do listen. It may take a little work to find them, but keep looking.  As wise women, we owe ourselves the chance to be vital, happy and healthy!

Make the Next Third of Your Life the Best!

Fun magnets at OneHauteChick.com

It's true. By the time we reach menopause we're moving into our final trimester of life. I know . . . it's kind of a weird way to look at things, but consider it a wake up call.

When I was younger, I didn't worry much about myself and my health. I was busy raising three children. Their health  and well being were always at the top of my list. Now that all but one has left the nest, it's time for me to concentrate on taking care of myself so that I can be on top of my game in the upcoming years.

Menopause has certainly taken a toll on my sense of well being. The past year I've struggled with weight gain, crushing fatigue, hot flashes, insomnia, and don't let me forget. . . memory loss. I recently said, "ENOUGH", after visiting my doctor numerous times and getting no answers. I've taken my health into my own hands again. After lots of research, talking with others and meeting a new health care practitioner, I'm once again hopeful for my future.

Time to take care of me again. I'm eating healthier, taking the right supplements and looking into starting bio-identical hormones. My final years are going to be spent living life to the fullest!

Luck is when preparation meets opportunity!

I don't know quite who to attribute this quote, because I have seen it with several different authors. Nonetheless, it certainly makes sense in my life at this moment.

I was recently lucky enough (or prepared enough) to be given a wonderful opportunity to share my entrepreneurial skills. A group of 10 young entrepreneurs from Israel and Jordan are here in the U.S. studying at the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay in a program aimed at developing closer relationships with the Middle East. These young women were matched with mentors to help them develop their business plans, learn more about American culture and help forge ongoing relationships.

It has been less than a week since my mentee, Neta Or has arrived and I have already developed a close bond with her. Our whole group has discovered how much more we are alike than we are different. I know I would not have been experienced enough or wise enough 20 years ago to appreciate this experience. So after complaining about the downsides of growing old, I am here to say there are certainly more upsides to becoming an older woman.

Sure, menopause can throw you for a loop sometimes, but the wisdom and sense of peace that comes with this time in my life surely outweighs a few hot flashes. As part of the U.S. State Department funded program, I will be traveling to Jordan and Israel for two weeks this summer. What a thrill it will be to meet many other women who are experiencing the same joys and struggles. Here's to wise women everywhere - grab your opportunity and run with it!

Help! I'm growing barnacles.

As an informed woman I thought I knew about all the things that would happen to my body in menopause. One thing I didn't hear anything about were the unusual growths I would develop. I affectionately call them my barnacles. They're those wonderful things that grow on the sides of ships and now they're growing on me!

It seems like every week I discover a new growth. At first I was pretty alarmed. I called the dermatologist and demanded he see me right away. I was sure I had a runaway case of skin cancer.  He calmed my nerves, going from one spot to another describing skin tags, moles, age spots and a few other things that I can't pronounce. Why does this happen? How can I stop them?

Without a sizeable budget for laser resurfacing, I'm stuck with the little fellows. I'm learning to regard them as badges of honor. My mother, bless her heart, died when she was only 49. She never got the chance to experience menopause. So as I go through these changes, I say "thanks for the opportunity" to experience life, warts and all. . . or in my case, barnacles and all!

Reflections on a Swimsuit. . .

Well ladies, it's that dreaded time of year when we resurrect our old swimsuits or go shopping for a new one. Instead of feeling bad about my changing body, I decided to take a trip down memory lane and pulled out the scrapbooks.

One of the first swimsuit pictures I found of myself was an old black and white, circa 1965. Even though I can't see the color on the photo, I know it was a bright red two-piece suit with shiny brass button adornments. In the photo, my curly hair is wild and blowing in the breeze, my left knee is skinned up and by the looks of my chin, I've just finished an ice cream cone. The look on my face says it all - "I don't have a care in the world".

Next swimsuit pic is from my 16th birthday. I've just developed breasts, my posture is atrocious, my hair is hanging in my face and my body language screams, "INSECURITY".  Fast forward to the mid 70's and I'm in college laying out on the patio with all my girlfriends. We're wearing itty-bitty bikinis and we all look fabulous as we salute the camera with cans of cheap beer.

Other swimsuit photos from vacations emerge and I just have to laugh as the swimsuits get larger and the coverage grows considerably. I guess it doesn't matter after all what size we are or what swimsuit we're wearing, we are all beautiful women inside and out. Every stretch mark and every bit of cellulite is well earned. This year I'm not going to stress about the swimming suit, I'm going to celebrate being a woman!

Dealing with Menopudge

Menopudge. . . you know what I'm talking about. That little extra weight that begins to creep on pound by pound and before you know it, it's a full-blown muffin top! Or in my case, a muffin top and a side of thigh bags.

For someone who has been thin almost their entire life, this has been a rude awakening. I used to be able to eat just about anything and never put on a pound. Now I eat half as much, exercise twice as much, and if I'm lucky I can keep my weight gain down to about a pound every other month - what's up with that!

Here are some of the tips I have implemented. If you have any others, please comment.

• To calm my crazy, ravenous sweet tooth, I eat a small piece of Dove dark chocolate. This has eased the binging on 1/2 pound bags of M & M's.
• When I start feeling really crazy and need to satisfy my hormonal imbalance with food, I simply yell.  Not an ordinary yell, but something in terms of primal screaming. This seems to satisfy me for a while and also make me laugh. It also works great at keeping your family out of your way.
• Since I HATE to exercise, I just start running around the house. I go from the basement up to the second floor 5 or 6 times in a row and it gets my heart pumping. It makes me forget how pudgy I've become, when I can barely breathe.

These are just a few of my handy tips. I promise to add others as time goes by.

Desperately Seeking Sweatpants!

How hard can it be to find a pair of black sweatpants? My son needs a pair for the school play. I have searched every store from Target to Sears, Sam's Club to Wal-Mart, and even went to a few thrift stores. I'm told they don't make the old-fashioned sweat pants anymore. Now it's just the fancy schmancy "athletic" pants. That would be fine, except that every pair of those has some kind of stripe or other adornment.

Don't tell him, but I'm bringing him a pair of my black yoga pants in hopes he won't know the difference. After all, what's a mom to do?

Welcome to Menopause Warriors!

This blog is dedicated to all the women out there that have become Menopause Warriors. I plan to use this forum to share the ups and downs of surviving menopause. If I can share a story, dispense some useful information or just make you laugh, then it will all be worthwhile. As I was writing this, I felt the fires of hell starting to make their appearance. I vow today to slay the Hot Flash Beast. Who's with me?