Perimenopause, Menopause, WTFopause
I know this much is true: menopause plays out very differently for different people based on so many factors - health, wealth, race, constitution, lifestyle, and genetics to name a few. But that said, there is also a range of common physical symptoms that most of us will encounter to some degree as we make this change, and it is really useful to know whether you are facing a menopause thing, a nervous breakdown, a stressful life, or 8,000 crazy mystery problems. (And these are very much not mutually exclusive.)
Interview With a Master Acupuncturist
Professor and Senior Practitioner of Chinese Medicine Frank Scott discusses how to become masterful in recognizing what your body needs, and how to bring balance, vigor, and calm to your life in times of transition.
Hot, flashy science
This research from the NIH is hard science and without some kind of medical degree might be tough to wade through, but it has some really interesting points to make about wtf is going haywire, exactly, in our bodies during our evening hot flashes. I am going to try to translate it into plain English without removing the science. If you are interested in getting a little nerdy about why we are getting so hot, stay with me. I think it such a power move to understand the physiology of this, and of course understanding what causes an issue leads to possible solutions.
I was on a podcast!
People, I said it as well as I can say it on this interview with the fantastic Alka Bromiley of Changing Platforms on Spotify. She asked THE QUESTIONS and we had such a good talk. Just 30 minutes of what is up. Enjoy, and tell me what you think! Ask your own questions below:
WTFopause STORIES
Everyone has their own unique experience of menopause, AND menopause as a process has a lot of innate qualities. My favorite thing about hearing menopause stories is finding the flickers of commonality - what we share in the experience, amid the private individual details of how we go through the experience. Same storm, different boats.
Worry club* is called to order
What are we worrying about when we wake up in the middle of the night? A lot of us are up at 3am being irrationally freaked. What’s on your mind? Bonus points for actually posting at 3am.
What even is a hormone? And what is their DAMAGE
When you hear the word “hormone”, you probably think of estrogen, testosterone, and maybe progesterone, but there are so many others. Insulin is a hormone, and so are adrenaline, norepinephrine, and cortisol. You probably have heard about or tested your thyroid levels, but maybe don’t know those tests are measuring thyroid hormones like TSH, T3 and T4. There are a veritable buttload of other hormones and they are all enormously fascinating if you are a gigantic nerd.
Bed is on fire: thermometer leg?
I was talking to Meg a few years ago (everyone needs a Meg, that super-wise, superhot friend who is ten years older and can give you the all important heads-ups on what is to come) about getting warm at night and whether it was the beginnings of menopause or life in bed with a husband and three cats under a down quilt and she said “oh yeah? Do you get thermometer leg?”
Turn and face the strange
Our visions for tomorrow are most vital when they emerge from the concrete circumstances of change we are experiencing right now.
- bell hooks