Love this — and your mission! While I am officially post menopausal, and as a fellow journalist have dug into this topic for my own well being as well as to report on occasionally, I am increasingly discouraged by the finger pointing and name calling amongst doctors. There are still so many unanswered questions and things to learn (niche, not a chance!) and I wish doctors that are all at the forefront of this movement to educate, increase research and support women would unify and remember they have one goal.
Hey fellow journalist! All of a sudden I'm insecure about grammar and punctuation lol. Medicine has always been like this. I took a public speaking course during Covid from a woman who coaches people who do Ted Talks and she was telling us it's always a super-generous audience EXCEPT when it's full of doctors or scientists. She said then it's a whole different, very defensive, story.
“… there just is no other way. It’s a mind-body-soul business, this peri/menopause-midlife reckoning, and we need to pay attention to all of it.”
This is absolutely phenomenal! I am SO glad I clicked through your funny note. I’m 10 into menopause but you’ve given me a new lens to look back on a difficult and lonely phase of my life. I’m going to be thinking about this for a while! 🙏🏼🌸
Hi Beth! Thanks so much for that. I just get frustrated when everyone focuses on the negatives (I get it, things get pretty hairy there for awhile). I'm still processing it a year later, after becoming official :)
I'm learning that I was a unicorn. I discovered Christiane Northrup MD's Women's Body's Women's Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing in a old newsprint book catalog around 1995-ish. I'd enter peri-menopause early, at age 37 just a couple+ years later. I went on bhrt from almost the beginning and stayed on it four years after I stopped menstruating, at 51. If the medical community knew then what they know now, they would not have taken me off at 55. I eventually took a decent supplement (Northrup's...and yes, i know she became highly controversial during the pandemic, got it...) for many years but all roads led to the fact that I was still estrogen deficient.
But what I can't find are the folks (not GenX'ers who think they've discovered the subject, no offense,) that are 60+ knowledgeable. Where's our go-to sources of info? I had trouble going back on bi-est. I'm on progesterone and am going to try Amata Life again in combo to see how that works.
Hi Leisa, first off thanks for saying the name of Dr Northrup, the OG who has been erased from this conversation. We are learning a lot these days about the efforts that went into the campaign to target people, even if she's a bit wacky in retirement. I plan to be as well. Also I was bound, bent and determined to interview her even as all that was happening, because I'd heard her talking about this so long ago. I sure found out what people thought when I shared it, and also when YouTube took down a perfectly good podcast episode. But I digress! You raise SUCH a good point. I think about this often, how Gen X acts like we discovered it. And you who have gone before us are really in a tough spot. I am going to make this an area of concern + scrutiny. If you can let me know where you've found anything that is helpful and I'll start researching. Thanks for bringing this up. And for being a unicorn :)
Unicorn here! Thank you for your response. I know. I know. She is a pariah now. But I’ve seen my share of pariah’s in my 64 years. And there’s that old saying: “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.” I have hated supporting her by purchasing her Amata Life but it’s good stuff and I could not find better and until I do, I’m going to try to go back to it.
Just because she went into conspiracy theories during COVID should not negate her valuable work on women’s health. OMG, I learned so much from that tome: about patriarchy in medicine that brainwashes women doctors, that seeped into her marital relationship; about how we store trauma in our bodies (decades before “The Body Keeps the Score;) about the chakras. OMG, her anecdotal research with women was brilliant. (Repeatedly finding certain types of trauma stored in certain parts of the body!)
She introduced me to the importance of our cycles, things just beginning to step a toe into mainstream. I learned about Louise Hay. (Hay House cancelled her after the misinformation 17 or whatever the number. I get that. So did Oprah. But it doesn’t mean her work outside of COVID was invalid.
It’s like Gwenth Paltrow and Goop. People freak out at her and throw cyber eggs but they don’t get it. They aren’t there yet. The things that are so mainstream today were laughed at 40 years ago. And they were around decades and centuries before I learned about them in the late 80s+. Westerners and western medicine are SO ARROGANT!
Northrup introduced me to Carolyn Myss and intuitive medicine. It took me more decades to process and understand. And, she (Northrup) was/is a woman. Ahh, easy mark for discrediting.
As far as the research for 60+, that’s why I came to you! But at least I have your attention. There’s a few studies out there. That’s all I’ve found. They say the same thing. BHRT is safe. Another friend has said she read it’s hard for some of us to go back on BHRT.
Thank you, at least, for hearing me. I’ve joined groups and have been ignored. Nothing personal, I’m assuming, but it only helps reverbing the sense of a vacuum in which I find myself.
I’m a writer, too, so clinking the glasses at ya. Some of us gotta write to share and learn.
Word! I’m always amazed at how I managed to get through peri-menopause with my mental and emotional marbles intact and somehow also having had the most wonderful transformative adventure along the way:).
I think I’m likely perimenopausal. Like you say, docs aren’t that into discussing it. At 47, late last year, I went from doing a 12-mile backpack (and funning 3x/wk) to barely walking due to joint pain (and muscle pain) 3 months later. I was convinced it might be peri related. But my docs said no. I’ve since been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, AS, and possibly a second one.
I’m not sure why your post compelled me to share these personal details—other than that I still wonder about hormonal changes and their involvement in this complete re-hauling of my life over the past seven months.
And either way, I’m delighted to find someone looking into this very non-niche topic. We need good information and to embrace the beautiful parts of this major life change. So, thanks for this!
Hi Holly - thanks so much for your words, and thanks Beth! Your story sounds very familiar to me. My mom was diagnosed with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia around the same age and she suffered terribly from pain. And I was in so much pain in my mid-to-late 40s that I was sure I had it too, or arthritis or something. It hurt to roll over in bed. If you listen to the episode of my podcast (you don't have to, but it's all about pain) I ask Dr Vonda Wright - and orthopedic surgeon who coined the term Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause in part to talk about his – about fibromyalgia and my mom. She said her and other doctors are wondering if its not hormonally rooted and the medical community just doesn't know or hasn't caught up yet. Anyway, I hope you are feeling better and I hope you keep looking beyond those diagnoses. I always say this, but 10 days into the Whole 30 diet 90 percent of my pain was gone. I've tested it over the years, and the pain creeps back. Not as bad as before, and now at 54 it's so so so much better. Thanks so much for being here and saying hi! AMx
Love this — and your mission! While I am officially post menopausal, and as a fellow journalist have dug into this topic for my own well being as well as to report on occasionally, I am increasingly discouraged by the finger pointing and name calling amongst doctors. There are still so many unanswered questions and things to learn (niche, not a chance!) and I wish doctors that are all at the forefront of this movement to educate, increase research and support women would unify and remember they have one goal.
Hey fellow journalist! All of a sudden I'm insecure about grammar and punctuation lol. Medicine has always been like this. I took a public speaking course during Covid from a woman who coaches people who do Ted Talks and she was telling us it's always a super-generous audience EXCEPT when it's full of doctors or scientists. She said then it's a whole different, very defensive, story.
You’re hilarious and brilliant!
“… there just is no other way. It’s a mind-body-soul business, this peri/menopause-midlife reckoning, and we need to pay attention to all of it.”
This is absolutely phenomenal! I am SO glad I clicked through your funny note. I’m 10 into menopause but you’ve given me a new lens to look back on a difficult and lonely phase of my life. I’m going to be thinking about this for a while! 🙏🏼🌸
Hi Beth! Thanks so much for that. I just get frustrated when everyone focuses on the negatives (I get it, things get pretty hairy there for awhile). I'm still processing it a year later, after becoming official :)
I'm learning that I was a unicorn. I discovered Christiane Northrup MD's Women's Body's Women's Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing in a old newsprint book catalog around 1995-ish. I'd enter peri-menopause early, at age 37 just a couple+ years later. I went on bhrt from almost the beginning and stayed on it four years after I stopped menstruating, at 51. If the medical community knew then what they know now, they would not have taken me off at 55. I eventually took a decent supplement (Northrup's...and yes, i know she became highly controversial during the pandemic, got it...) for many years but all roads led to the fact that I was still estrogen deficient.
But what I can't find are the folks (not GenX'ers who think they've discovered the subject, no offense,) that are 60+ knowledgeable. Where's our go-to sources of info? I had trouble going back on bi-est. I'm on progesterone and am going to try Amata Life again in combo to see how that works.
Very frustrated and turning into a triangle.
Hi Leisa, first off thanks for saying the name of Dr Northrup, the OG who has been erased from this conversation. We are learning a lot these days about the efforts that went into the campaign to target people, even if she's a bit wacky in retirement. I plan to be as well. Also I was bound, bent and determined to interview her even as all that was happening, because I'd heard her talking about this so long ago. I sure found out what people thought when I shared it, and also when YouTube took down a perfectly good podcast episode. But I digress! You raise SUCH a good point. I think about this often, how Gen X acts like we discovered it. And you who have gone before us are really in a tough spot. I am going to make this an area of concern + scrutiny. If you can let me know where you've found anything that is helpful and I'll start researching. Thanks for bringing this up. And for being a unicorn :)
Unicorn here! Thank you for your response. I know. I know. She is a pariah now. But I’ve seen my share of pariah’s in my 64 years. And there’s that old saying: “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.” I have hated supporting her by purchasing her Amata Life but it’s good stuff and I could not find better and until I do, I’m going to try to go back to it.
Just because she went into conspiracy theories during COVID should not negate her valuable work on women’s health. OMG, I learned so much from that tome: about patriarchy in medicine that brainwashes women doctors, that seeped into her marital relationship; about how we store trauma in our bodies (decades before “The Body Keeps the Score;) about the chakras. OMG, her anecdotal research with women was brilliant. (Repeatedly finding certain types of trauma stored in certain parts of the body!)
She introduced me to the importance of our cycles, things just beginning to step a toe into mainstream. I learned about Louise Hay. (Hay House cancelled her after the misinformation 17 or whatever the number. I get that. So did Oprah. But it doesn’t mean her work outside of COVID was invalid.
It’s like Gwenth Paltrow and Goop. People freak out at her and throw cyber eggs but they don’t get it. They aren’t there yet. The things that are so mainstream today were laughed at 40 years ago. And they were around decades and centuries before I learned about them in the late 80s+. Westerners and western medicine are SO ARROGANT!
Northrup introduced me to Carolyn Myss and intuitive medicine. It took me more decades to process and understand. And, she (Northrup) was/is a woman. Ahh, easy mark for discrediting.
As far as the research for 60+, that’s why I came to you! But at least I have your attention. There’s a few studies out there. That’s all I’ve found. They say the same thing. BHRT is safe. Another friend has said she read it’s hard for some of us to go back on BHRT.
Thank you, at least, for hearing me. I’ve joined groups and have been ignored. Nothing personal, I’m assuming, but it only helps reverbing the sense of a vacuum in which I find myself.
I’m a writer, too, so clinking the glasses at ya. Some of us gotta write to share and learn.
This post just keeps getting more interesting!
Word! I’m always amazed at how I managed to get through peri-menopause with my mental and emotional marbles intact and somehow also having had the most wonderful transformative adventure along the way:).
Right? It's almost like the arc of a dramady in the rear-view mirror.
Thank you for sharing your story!
Hi there. Glad I found this. Thanks, Beth!
I think I’m likely perimenopausal. Like you say, docs aren’t that into discussing it. At 47, late last year, I went from doing a 12-mile backpack (and funning 3x/wk) to barely walking due to joint pain (and muscle pain) 3 months later. I was convinced it might be peri related. But my docs said no. I’ve since been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, AS, and possibly a second one.
I’m not sure why your post compelled me to share these personal details—other than that I still wonder about hormonal changes and their involvement in this complete re-hauling of my life over the past seven months.
And either way, I’m delighted to find someone looking into this very non-niche topic. We need good information and to embrace the beautiful parts of this major life change. So, thanks for this!
Hi Holly - thanks so much for your words, and thanks Beth! Your story sounds very familiar to me. My mom was diagnosed with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia around the same age and she suffered terribly from pain. And I was in so much pain in my mid-to-late 40s that I was sure I had it too, or arthritis or something. It hurt to roll over in bed. If you listen to the episode of my podcast (you don't have to, but it's all about pain) I ask Dr Vonda Wright - and orthopedic surgeon who coined the term Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause in part to talk about his – about fibromyalgia and my mom. She said her and other doctors are wondering if its not hormonally rooted and the medical community just doesn't know or hasn't caught up yet. Anyway, I hope you are feeling better and I hope you keep looking beyond those diagnoses. I always say this, but 10 days into the Whole 30 diet 90 percent of my pain was gone. I've tested it over the years, and the pain creeps back. Not as bad as before, and now at 54 it's so so so much better. Thanks so much for being here and saying hi! AMx