Midlife Musings

Happy World Menopause Month!

I don’t know about you, but my social media feed has been filled with menopause information. 

So. Much. Information.

Menopause is a hot topic these days, largely due I believe to Gen Z and older Millennials experiencing heading into menopause and demanding information and support. This has translated into a blossoming of social media and podcast influencers talking about this issue, which is great. 

And...

What this means for you and me, as midlife women, is that there is more information available than ever before AND a greater burden on us to do our research and make sure we’re getting good information. Because let’s be honest, not every Instagram account is a reliable source of information, especially when it comes to your health.

Now I’ve always considered myself fairly well-educated in the area of menopause, even though that is not my specific area of focus. I studied menstrual issues and menopause back in grad school in the late 80s, and have had books on menopause on my bookshelf for at least 30 years.

But I have learned so much lately, and frankly been somewhat devastated by some of those things. 

I had a pretty easy menopause experience, if you don’t count the year or two of flooding cycles I endured. (Hint: a menstrual cup paired with a pad is for my money the best route to go). At least that’s how I viewed it, as I had minimal hot flashes, rare night sweats and I slept pretty well. Add to that an inherent bias against the medicalization and “treatment” of what I saw as a natural process, and the result was that I never really bothered to dive too deeply into things or seek out any kind of support. 

So now I’m 60, well into my post-menopausal years, and I’m kinda falling apart despite having made some pretty big lifestyle changes over the last 10-15 years. What I’m learning is that all that data I’ve been tracking since my early 40s (blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc), and all those questions I’ve been asking (like “why does my body hurt so much?”) are probably related to my shifting hormones.

At my worst I feel angry, sad and even a little hopeless, like it’s all too late for me now. Other times I feel I’m discovering another layer to this notion of “aging fiercely” that came to me earlier this year. This layer involves doing the inner work needed to take radical responsibility for our health as midlife and aging women.

I suspect I’m not alone in the fact that taking care of myself and making big lifestyle changes doesn’t come naturally or easily. Nor does shifting my mindset around the possibility that maybe intervention/treatment might be useful in menopause, despite the fact that it’s a normal process. 

Then there’s the fact that so many medical professionals, even OB/Gyns, are woefully uneducated about menopause. That means it will take diligence to find (and pay for) people who can truly help me who are likely outside of the traditional care systems. Not to mention the courage to become the kind of advocate for myself with said medical professionals that I'll need to be if I want to reverse the downward spiral I’m in and experience healthy longevity.

This is another layer of aging fiercely - one I hadn’t really seen coming.

Like I said, I’m not an expert in menopause. I’m right here in the trenches with the rest of you. I do, however, do pretty well with curating resources I can share, as well in creating spaces where we can talk about these things. I find great value in sharing this journey towards our wise woman years and empowered elderhood with other women who are committed to doing the work needed to live their best lives as we get older. 

I’ve linked a just a few resources below to get you started so you can educate yourself if you don’t feel as informed as you’d like to be. I'm sure there will be more as I navigate this pivot myself.

And by the way, if you’re interested in dipping your toe into this midlife journey of aging fiercely, I invite you to consider joining my private online community, Midlife Evolutionaries. Right now we’re focusing on how we can preserve our sanity and perhaps even be a force for good during the chaos and uncertainty of this election cycle, while moving into an exploration of this menopause info soon.

In case you don’t know, Midlife Evolutionaries is a private online space hosted by Mighty Networks, where you can connect with other women who want to make the most of the growth opportunities inherent in midlife. Your membership gives you the ability to participate in monthly community calls, monthly healing circles where you have the chance to work with me 1-1 in the center of our Circle of Care, and be a part of the explorations I lead throughout the year, such as our recent “summer camp” exploring the archetypes of midlife and aging. 

You can learn more about our welcoming community of women aging fiercely  and become a member here.

Resources to explore

This podcast episode from Ali Shapiro's podcast Insatiable really lit a fuse for me. I've now got the book and we'll be exploring this in Midlife Evolutionaries. Here is the website for the women on this episode, and here's their book.

There's a new 1-hour documentary on PBS called The M Factor.  It's even been granted medical accreditation, meaning doctors and nurses can get CEUs for watching. Check your local PBS station for times.