As people get older, they acquire new interests and hobbies, things that didn’t interest them, or occur to them, when younger. Who knew the philosophy professor would become a beekeeper or the social worker would reinvent herself as a wildlife rescuer? Life takes some curious twists and turns over the years. When a person, young or old, delves into new … Read More
The Aging Process Is Like A Stealth Missile
The aging process is kind of like a stealth missile. It creeps up on you when you aren’t looking and KABOOM! You’re old or getting really close to it. One day you realize you can’t wear the pants you’ve worn for years because … as a friend of mine said, “Where DID that stomach come from? It wasn’t there yesterday.” … Read More
Moving Through Menopause
Just when you think you can relax a little and sink into that favored reading chair more often comes the oft-repeated (sometimes too often) news that the only way to stave off the middle-age bulge is: moving—exercise, that is. And, eating less. The Mayo Clinic says in a 2012 study published in Menopause that women gain an average of ten … Read More
What Do Men Know — About Menopause?
Not surprisingly, men are nearly as reluctant as women are to talk openly about menopause – at least in my very unscientific survey. The most frequent response to my queries: “I’m not a good person to ask,” even from those who have weathered the formidable storm. Turns out, their hesitancy is well founded: they lack reliable information and are worn … Read More
You’ve Been Married HOW Long? How Did You Manage That?
Your son is about to get married. He’s anxious. He comes to you and nervously asks — you can see the fear in his eyes — “How in the world did you sustain a marriage for nearly four decades?” He’s actually wringing his hands. Well, how did you? The divorce rates are over-the-top and have been for years. How did … Read More
Do Mommy And Daddy Seem A Little Weird?
Ever since the phrase “empty nest” was first coined in the 1970s to describe the long-married couple facing an empty household after their children have flown the coop, the term has become a full-blown syndrome. Until recently, empty nesters were assumed to be depressed, lost souls wandering in the wilderness searching for a new purpose in life. Now, however, the … Read More
The OOPS! Baby
It is not unusual to see a family of four suddenly and unexpectedly expand to a family of five, with a huge gap in between the second and third baby. Often this is the result of a perimenopause oops! The woman is no longer having regular menstrual periods and thinks she is beyond her childbearing years (Surprise! Surprise! She wasn’t) … Read More
Letting Go, Not Giving Up: A New You
My happiness grows in direct proportion to my acceptance, and in inverse proportion to my expectations. – Michael J. Fox, 54 At 54, Michael J. Fox is hardly old, but this statement suggests wisdom beyond his years. And, while menopause and natural aging is not nearly as difficult as learning to accept a condition like Parkinson’s Disease, it is a … Read More
The Change: Is It For Better Or Worse?
Seemingly, no two women’s menopause experiences are alike. Nearly everyone has a different combination of timing, symptoms, and perhaps most importantly, response to this life-altering transition. We’ve come a long way, baby, in our attitudes toward menopause. Granted, women don’t discuss their menopausal stories as freely as we share our menstrual cramp and childbirth horror stories, but certainly since the … Read More
Your Hot Flashes Might Be Telling You Something
Recent health news reports told menopausal women our hot flashes and night sweats could be with us for longer than originally estimated. Some unfortunate women may endure these types of vasomotor symptoms for up to 14 years. That’s rough. Yet, there may be an unseen benefit. A Women’s Health Initiative study summarized by Endocrinology Advisor found women who experience moderate … Read More