Menopause is a catch all phrase that isn't actually very helpful when it comes to talking about our health.
Peri-menopause comes first- (often confused with menopause itself) This is a period of 5-15 years of hormonal changes leading up to when periods stop, reproductive years are over and hormones including estrogen and progesterone decline. Dr. Mary Claire Haver refers to this as the stage of chaos. Perimenopause can begin mid 30's. Some of us breeze through, some manage and some suffer greatly. It can be hard to determine if your experience is hormonal or another issue or both!? We often push our own health aside to take care of others. Often issues are from too much estrogen. This is the prime time to pay attention to the state of our heart, bone, brain, muscle, pelvis, stress and mental health.
Menopause is an inaccurate word but used a lot. Technically it’s a single day in a woman’s (person with a uterus) life that is one year since their last period. We don’t know it’s happened until a year later!? What if I don't have a uterus or periods?   Average age in Canada is 51.5 years.
Post-menopause comes next- but gradually. This transition into our third age of life can be amazing and challenging but unwelcome changes also sneak up on us. This is where the health of our heart, bone, brain, muscle, pelvis can become bigger risk factors to a decreased quality of life.  But it's never to late to change your health.
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Women are strong, capable, busy and often we come last on the list.   We push through but at some point; we hit a tipping point and will power is not enough anymore.
Educating yourself is key. Every woman's experience and treatment is different, but suffering is not required or okay.
Start Late, Start Over, Start Scared, Start Again, Just Start
