Perimenopause began for me with really heightened anxiety, like I've never known before. Thankfully that is settling now (it called me to really up my game on nervous system regulation which has been immensely helpful). It's all a bit quieter in this current phase, just as long as I keep life small and simple. I seem to be in a perimenopausal hermit cave right now, which feels quite blissful but at odds with what the world around me wants of me.... Glad to have opportunities to share these stories. Thanks for sharing some of yours 😊
I lose my phone CONSTANTLY. I mean, it’s in the house (or the car) but be absolutely fucked if I can find it. I have Siri locate it for me. I also regularly lose my shit. A lot of times it’s internal, because the SO seems to really take against any display of having lost it. Sometimes it takes the form of “OUT!!! OUT!!!” to the dogs while swishing my skirt at them. They mean well, and one is a medical alert dog, but they literally DOG my heels all day, and some days FFS CAN I JUST WALK THROUGH THE HOUSE/HAVE A PISS/TAKE A NAP without a full committee!! Including THE CATS.
I also forget tasks. This is super alarming if I’ve got something on the stove, so I’ve taken to not doing other tasks while cooking. Other things, though…I’ll get fully distracted and not remember the first task until somehow smacked by it “oh yeah. I was doing that”. Same with my at-home parts of job tasks. I sit and do all of them and don’t do other stuff till I’m done. Otherwise clients texting me “hey I need that plot plan, Hey did you submit that permit” oh shit. Just general scattered-ness.
Certainly sleep is complicated. I’ll go right to sleep, but shit wakes me and I can’t get back down easily or quickly. I need to pee, thirsty, too hot, Pit in bed with me (Corso already there. He is just too much doggage in the bed), cats catting. Most times cats are sleeping (also in the bed), they are rarely the offenders, but sometimes at 3 am they start Cat Stuff.
as silly as this sounds, I’m really anxious about your lost wallet. I started peri- during Covid, I’m still in it. meds help. but what has helped me the most recently, is finding other peri- and mid-aged women like me, and the professionals who know all the things.
Air tags, everyone 👏🏻
I have my family double-check everything I do, because “menopause brain.” and I used to be so sharp, I retained everything, lists and sticky notes were ancillary. so yeah, I don’t know who this person (me!) is.
I’m still worrying over the wallet, and it’s been weeks now. Part of my delay is I found out I have to renew my driver’s license in person. Getting an appointment is its own special accomplishment, but I’m also worried over the eye test. Will I pass? Should I get my eyes examined first? When I went with my daughters to get their IDs this summer, I realized I wasn’t getting the same letters when they “read the lines.” One more thing to worry about!
It makes me feel better too to know I’m not alone, but I wish there were more answers besides hormone therapy. And, yes, I need AirTags!
I'm sorry to hear about your wallet Kristi, that is such a frustrating hassle to deal with the fall out of that. Thanks for you courageous vulnerability in sharing your story, it helps a lot of women.
Thanks, Donna! I'm trying to keep it real over here. Most of the time, I feel like I'm the only person in the world experiencing whatever it is I'm going through, so it's so relieving to know I'm not alone.
I'm 57 now, and I've had a hysterectomy, so I'm sure I went through menopause. But I've been on transplant medications for the past 19 years and they give me brain fog 24/7 so I probably thought the perimenopause symptoms were side effects of the drugs. For about three of those years, I was on a pretty good dose of prednisone, so my moments of rage that threatened to land me on the 11:00 news were probably a combination of hormones and 'roid rage. I thought I was going to end up in a padded room some days.
Damn, Dawn. You've been through it and at least appear from this long lens to have found your peace with it. I know lots of women manage menopause alongside illness and all sorts of other challenges, but I can't imagine how excruciating it must have been to experience brain fog, plus all the other side effects, for 19 years.
Welcome to my world. For over 3 decades I have been helping women navigate the perimenopause roller coaster. My podcast episode last week was with one of the world’s experts on perimenopause. I love your writing- but most important , please know you are not alone and there are solutions to the brain fog, emotional ups and downs and periods that arrive just when you are getting on a plane wearing white. And since peri lasts an average of 4-5 years, this is not something to tough out!
Yes. Pauline Maki is one of the worlds authorities on brain fog and is on Jill Biden ‘s committee for
Menopause research. She has authored hundreds of scientific papers , many specifically on brain fog. You can find them on pub med but many behind a paywall)I actually just got off the phone with her because we are planning some
National and international events and retreats. I have a podcast episode with her called are your hot flashes making you foggy? Episode 32. Will be doing some town halls with her on substack in 2025. Lots of substack plans with the world’s experts on menopause! I also did a 1 hour seminar with another neuroscientist that’s on YouTube, but it wasn’t my platform so I would have to look for it. And Lisa Mosconi’s book, Menopause and the Brain, is worth a read.
Thank you for sharing! Any links you might share to resources for battling brain fog? I’m on HT and still adjusting dosage since I just started this journey, but would love to hear about additional options.
I'm 56 and still in perimenopause. 🙄 so so tired of it. I've been on Lexapro for 8 or so years because reasons, and i have tried recently to stop to see if i could get my feelings back, and the result is the metaphorical lump in the back of my throat all the time. Do not like. I was hoping for like, joy? Happiness? Simple pleasure? But all i have is sadness. And frustration. I should be having more fun than this!
Yes, girl. I'm not a crier. I was raised in a house of boys and my mom really doesn't like to show crying in public, so there's that.
A quick Google search shows crying releases stress hormones, calms the parasympathetic nervous system and releases endorphins.
All of which we need in peri.
After Hurricane Helene, I couldn't cry for weeks. I was in "go mode".
This month in my feel good phase of inner Summer (ovulation) I cried openly because of gratitude, over stories I heard, while driving in new destroyed places i hadn't seen and because, well, grief. I cried because I was happy to be at Thanksgiving dinners, I cried because people said sweet things. Girl, I just cried.
And remember, I am not a crier.
As far as brain fog, it makes perfect sense that you lost it in your inner Fall phase (luteal).
As all hormones plummet, we are called to slow down. All energy gets lower, especially brain energy and emotional energy. Okay, social energy too. Lol
This is when I'm in a rush out the door and run back in looking for my phone and it's in my hand.
I used to have it all together.
Honestly, it's been good for my perfectionism to become a bit unraveled.
But losing the wallet. Oof, that sucks.
Wish I lived next door. I am good at finding other people's stuff. Lol Just ask my hubby and teen son.
I hope it just turns up!
Thanks for sharing the struggles. We are not alone in this. Hugs
Wow! So much goodness in everything you've written here. It sounds like you needed the release that came with your tears this month.
I love how you've learned to lean into this time and see the beauty in the unraveling. As my friend Andrew commented, if we can step away from the frustration of brain fog and short-term memory loss, it is fascinating to witness these powerful transformations within the body.
I've never been this in touch with myself. It's been quite humbling, because it feels like I'm up against a limitation of sorts (at least temporarily), but the upside is it almost forces us to slow down and examine our actions more deliberately, as you said, let go of the perfectionism.
"As all hormones plummet, we are called to slow down. All energy gets lower, especially brain energy and emotional energy."
I'll be carrying your words with me in the days ahead as I'm navigating this new season of my life. 🙏
Lots of interesting stuff here, Kristi! I have a semi-funny (very short) story to share:
With a group of friends, I ran a tournament circuit for jiu jitsu. It was a great time, and it was a really good event! But it was also a great deal of work, and the sort of work that required me to tax my short-term memory to no end.
Out of more than 100 events that I attended, and which we ran, I lost my keys, wallet, phone, or shoes (you don't walk on the mats with shoes on and there can be lots of sprinting across mats if you were in my situation back then).
These days, I seem to leave my glasses everywhere any time I'm teaching class, which... taxes my short term memory.
YES!! It's really interesting to test the limits of the brain, but also quite disconcerting when it begins happening on a regular basis with no apparent stressors (other than changes in hormones).
Side note, perimenopause (to study, not to live through, mind you!) is absolutely fascinating, and i'm glad you are peeling the layers back here just a bit.
I’m past perimenopause by about 20 years, but my daughters are experiencing it now, especially my youngest. She has done so much research and is getting help. But her help is not coming from her doctor, it’s from people like you and others who are going through this and for that I say thank you. I don’t remember what I experienced but I know now my experience might have been very different from others because we’re all different. I’m questioning now if I should be on some HRT or is it just too late. Thank you for this very enlightening article. BTW. I told my daughter cry if you have to it’s very helpful. Nothing to be ashamed of. You got this.
Thank you, Rose. It's wonderful to that you're so supportive and validating with your daughters. I am part of a menopause Facebook group called Hit Play Not Pause, and there was a woman on there today talking about just now getting on hormones many years past peri. Depending on your circumstances, it may not be too late! My mother, who is 85, has been on hormones for at least 30 years and has no intention of stopping. She's encountered lots of doctors who wanted to take her off them, but somehow she's persisted.
Thank you. Good to know. I have to do some research to find a gynecologist that will work with me and say yes you can benefit from HRT. Also adding in insurance. Thank you.
OMG - seriously. I have been so weepy these last few days. I'm like I feel ok, but then bam! it's crazy. I feel good, then I feel tired, then I'm crying, it's a true rollercoaster ride! Thank for sharing. Love you! And yes Ruth - my mantra right now is to slooooow down. xx
Sending you so many hugs. I think I managed to escape perimenopause because I had a hysterectomy in my late 30s so it was instant menopause; but post-menopause has been a nightmare. I have the brain fog and there are times I think I'm developing dementia or something! For what it's worth? I'm glad you're able to cry now - even if it's not at the most ideal times. You're finally allowing yourself to FEEL all those emotions you stuffed for so long - and that's definitely much healthier!
Melissa, I wholeheartedly agree. I had years of numbing from years of trauma—it was a protective measure, and it served me well for a long time, but that time has passed.
I'm so sorry to hear post-menopause has been a nightmare for you. Brain fog can be quite scary!
It definitely can! I used to do jigsaw puzzles a lot and that seemed to help with my concentration issues. Need to do that again once I’m done with my move to Virginia!
I completed and framed several - then went into a bit of a spiral in my personal life - broke up with my BF of 4 years and moved out of our shared home - and just haven't gotten back to them. There are so many cool puzzles out there to do!
Such a great description of what brain fog can feel like. I recently spoke to Dr Heather Hirsch’s Menopause Collaborative about the benefits of adding specific journal writing tools and techniques to reduce brain fog. Scientifically proven to improve SO many of the prefrontal cortex functions that are estrogen depleted during menopause - and fyi - this is the same area that is affected for ADHD! I will be offering a workshop in January to kick midlife in the new year!
It’s really such a fun way to get clarity! For what’s next, what’s going on and how to handle the influx of symptoms and changes. What I’ve discovered is that as we go through all these physiological, chemical, emotional and cognitive changes PLUS the lifestyle upheaval that may be occurring - is that so many of us have a yearning for MORE. But we don’t know where to begin. The Joy of Menopause: Midlife Magic is all about telling our personal narratives FORWARD. With the tool provided we can tackle the blank page and the next chapter with clarity, organization, vision and intention. I have a few classes that I ADORE! My favorites include: Creating a roadmap to Joy and then taking that a step further into Developing your unique mantra statement, mission statement and midlife creed.
I am a licensed SLP, certified journal coach and award winning writer. I also coach writers how to beat the blank page with journaling😉
Very cool, Just subscribed. I love the idea of midlife magic. That's the upside of this time of life, when you can lean in and discover a whole new side to yourself.
I got so frustrated that I decided to interview an ADHD therapist for my Substack. I thought I had early stage Alzheimer's or dementia, and was completely freaking out.
I wish I had taken that approach instead of doing a full neuropsychological eval or at least had more information about the connection between brain fog and menopause before I did mine. I would have asked so many different questions, although with how silo'd our medical and mental health community is here in America, I am not sure I would have gotten the information I sought. Hopefully you did.
Your honesty is inspiring! And you are the perfect person to give advice by sharing about your unique journey. From what I can gather, menopause experiences are individual but there are many commonalities too. I resonate with so much of what you wrote- thank you!
Glad to hear it resonated! I did an interview a few weeks ago that will be publishing soon with Megrette Fletcher, who cofounded the Center for Mindful Eating. She talked about the importance of lived experience and how sharing our experiences can be very powerful for others who are going through the same thing. Until that point, I never really got just how valuable it is.
Kristi- thank you for sharing this personal journey.
I am sure many people can relate to this.
Perimenopause and menopause can be drastic and dramatic experiences.
You aren’t alone.
Take good care of yourself- pay attention to what you need. 🌼
Perimenopause began for me with really heightened anxiety, like I've never known before. Thankfully that is settling now (it called me to really up my game on nervous system regulation which has been immensely helpful). It's all a bit quieter in this current phase, just as long as I keep life small and simple. I seem to be in a perimenopausal hermit cave right now, which feels quite blissful but at odds with what the world around me wants of me.... Glad to have opportunities to share these stories. Thanks for sharing some of yours 😊
I lose my phone CONSTANTLY. I mean, it’s in the house (or the car) but be absolutely fucked if I can find it. I have Siri locate it for me. I also regularly lose my shit. A lot of times it’s internal, because the SO seems to really take against any display of having lost it. Sometimes it takes the form of “OUT!!! OUT!!!” to the dogs while swishing my skirt at them. They mean well, and one is a medical alert dog, but they literally DOG my heels all day, and some days FFS CAN I JUST WALK THROUGH THE HOUSE/HAVE A PISS/TAKE A NAP without a full committee!! Including THE CATS.
I also forget tasks. This is super alarming if I’ve got something on the stove, so I’ve taken to not doing other tasks while cooking. Other things, though…I’ll get fully distracted and not remember the first task until somehow smacked by it “oh yeah. I was doing that”. Same with my at-home parts of job tasks. I sit and do all of them and don’t do other stuff till I’m done. Otherwise clients texting me “hey I need that plot plan, Hey did you submit that permit” oh shit. Just general scattered-ness.
Certainly sleep is complicated. I’ll go right to sleep, but shit wakes me and I can’t get back down easily or quickly. I need to pee, thirsty, too hot, Pit in bed with me (Corso already there. He is just too much doggage in the bed), cats catting. Most times cats are sleeping (also in the bed), they are rarely the offenders, but sometimes at 3 am they start Cat Stuff.
It’s all very annoying.
as silly as this sounds, I’m really anxious about your lost wallet. I started peri- during Covid, I’m still in it. meds help. but what has helped me the most recently, is finding other peri- and mid-aged women like me, and the professionals who know all the things.
Air tags, everyone 👏🏻
I have my family double-check everything I do, because “menopause brain.” and I used to be so sharp, I retained everything, lists and sticky notes were ancillary. so yeah, I don’t know who this person (me!) is.
always find me when writing, though :)
I’m still worrying over the wallet, and it’s been weeks now. Part of my delay is I found out I have to renew my driver’s license in person. Getting an appointment is its own special accomplishment, but I’m also worried over the eye test. Will I pass? Should I get my eyes examined first? When I went with my daughters to get their IDs this summer, I realized I wasn’t getting the same letters when they “read the lines.” One more thing to worry about!
It makes me feel better too to know I’m not alone, but I wish there were more answers besides hormone therapy. And, yes, I need AirTags!
I'm sorry to hear about your wallet Kristi, that is such a frustrating hassle to deal with the fall out of that. Thanks for you courageous vulnerability in sharing your story, it helps a lot of women.
Thanks, Donna! I'm trying to keep it real over here. Most of the time, I feel like I'm the only person in the world experiencing whatever it is I'm going through, so it's so relieving to know I'm not alone.
I'm 57 now, and I've had a hysterectomy, so I'm sure I went through menopause. But I've been on transplant medications for the past 19 years and they give me brain fog 24/7 so I probably thought the perimenopause symptoms were side effects of the drugs. For about three of those years, I was on a pretty good dose of prednisone, so my moments of rage that threatened to land me on the 11:00 news were probably a combination of hormones and 'roid rage. I thought I was going to end up in a padded room some days.
Damn, Dawn. You've been through it and at least appear from this long lens to have found your peace with it. I know lots of women manage menopause alongside illness and all sorts of other challenges, but I can't imagine how excruciating it must have been to experience brain fog, plus all the other side effects, for 19 years.
I’ve never felt normal, so I guess I don’t know anything else.
Welcome to my world. For over 3 decades I have been helping women navigate the perimenopause roller coaster. My podcast episode last week was with one of the world’s experts on perimenopause. I love your writing- but most important , please know you are not alone and there are solutions to the brain fog, emotional ups and downs and periods that arrive just when you are getting on a plane wearing white. And since peri lasts an average of 4-5 years, this is not something to tough out!
Yes. Pauline Maki is one of the worlds authorities on brain fog and is on Jill Biden ‘s committee for
Menopause research. She has authored hundreds of scientific papers , many specifically on brain fog. You can find them on pub med but many behind a paywall)I actually just got off the phone with her because we are planning some
National and international events and retreats. I have a podcast episode with her called are your hot flashes making you foggy? Episode 32. Will be doing some town halls with her on substack in 2025. Lots of substack plans with the world’s experts on menopause! I also did a 1 hour seminar with another neuroscientist that’s on YouTube, but it wasn’t my platform so I would have to look for it. And Lisa Mosconi’s book, Menopause and the Brain, is worth a read.
Thank you! I will definitely give your podcast a listen! Really enjoyed Lisa Mosconi's book!
Thank you for sharing! Any links you might share to resources for battling brain fog? I’m on HT and still adjusting dosage since I just started this journey, but would love to hear about additional options.
I'm 56 and still in perimenopause. 🙄 so so tired of it. I've been on Lexapro for 8 or so years because reasons, and i have tried recently to stop to see if i could get my feelings back, and the result is the metaphorical lump in the back of my throat all the time. Do not like. I was hoping for like, joy? Happiness? Simple pleasure? But all i have is sadness. And frustration. I should be having more fun than this!
Thank you for this post. Good stuff.
Laura, I'm so sorry to hear this. I can't even imagine how you've managed to deal with these unwanted changes for so long. Hugs to you.
Yes, girl. I'm not a crier. I was raised in a house of boys and my mom really doesn't like to show crying in public, so there's that.
A quick Google search shows crying releases stress hormones, calms the parasympathetic nervous system and releases endorphins.
All of which we need in peri.
After Hurricane Helene, I couldn't cry for weeks. I was in "go mode".
This month in my feel good phase of inner Summer (ovulation) I cried openly because of gratitude, over stories I heard, while driving in new destroyed places i hadn't seen and because, well, grief. I cried because I was happy to be at Thanksgiving dinners, I cried because people said sweet things. Girl, I just cried.
And remember, I am not a crier.
As far as brain fog, it makes perfect sense that you lost it in your inner Fall phase (luteal).
As all hormones plummet, we are called to slow down. All energy gets lower, especially brain energy and emotional energy. Okay, social energy too. Lol
This is when I'm in a rush out the door and run back in looking for my phone and it's in my hand.
I used to have it all together.
Honestly, it's been good for my perfectionism to become a bit unraveled.
But losing the wallet. Oof, that sucks.
Wish I lived next door. I am good at finding other people's stuff. Lol Just ask my hubby and teen son.
I hope it just turns up!
Thanks for sharing the struggles. We are not alone in this. Hugs
Wow! So much goodness in everything you've written here. It sounds like you needed the release that came with your tears this month.
I love how you've learned to lean into this time and see the beauty in the unraveling. As my friend Andrew commented, if we can step away from the frustration of brain fog and short-term memory loss, it is fascinating to witness these powerful transformations within the body.
I've never been this in touch with myself. It's been quite humbling, because it feels like I'm up against a limitation of sorts (at least temporarily), but the upside is it almost forces us to slow down and examine our actions more deliberately, as you said, let go of the perfectionism.
"As all hormones plummet, we are called to slow down. All energy gets lower, especially brain energy and emotional energy."
I'll be carrying your words with me in the days ahead as I'm navigating this new season of my life. 🙏
Go with the flow, my friend. Saying this to you from Day 27 of my cycle while crawling into bed for a winter afternoon nap. ✨️
Lots of interesting stuff here, Kristi! I have a semi-funny (very short) story to share:
With a group of friends, I ran a tournament circuit for jiu jitsu. It was a great time, and it was a really good event! But it was also a great deal of work, and the sort of work that required me to tax my short-term memory to no end.
Out of more than 100 events that I attended, and which we ran, I lost my keys, wallet, phone, or shoes (you don't walk on the mats with shoes on and there can be lots of sprinting across mats if you were in my situation back then).
These days, I seem to leave my glasses everywhere any time I'm teaching class, which... taxes my short term memory.
I think I'm starting to see a pattern here.
YES!! It's really interesting to test the limits of the brain, but also quite disconcerting when it begins happening on a regular basis with no apparent stressors (other than changes in hormones).
Side note, perimenopause (to study, not to live through, mind you!) is absolutely fascinating, and i'm glad you are peeling the layers back here just a bit.
I’m past perimenopause by about 20 years, but my daughters are experiencing it now, especially my youngest. She has done so much research and is getting help. But her help is not coming from her doctor, it’s from people like you and others who are going through this and for that I say thank you. I don’t remember what I experienced but I know now my experience might have been very different from others because we’re all different. I’m questioning now if I should be on some HRT or is it just too late. Thank you for this very enlightening article. BTW. I told my daughter cry if you have to it’s very helpful. Nothing to be ashamed of. You got this.
Thank you, Rose. It's wonderful to that you're so supportive and validating with your daughters. I am part of a menopause Facebook group called Hit Play Not Pause, and there was a woman on there today talking about just now getting on hormones many years past peri. Depending on your circumstances, it may not be too late! My mother, who is 85, has been on hormones for at least 30 years and has no intention of stopping. She's encountered lots of doctors who wanted to take her off them, but somehow she's persisted.
Thank you. Good to know. I have to do some research to find a gynecologist that will work with me and say yes you can benefit from HRT. Also adding in insurance. Thank you.
OMG - seriously. I have been so weepy these last few days. I'm like I feel ok, but then bam! it's crazy. I feel good, then I feel tired, then I'm crying, it's a true rollercoaster ride! Thank for sharing. Love you! And yes Ruth - my mantra right now is to slooooow down. xx
I think a lot of us women are on the roller coaster right now. It's so hard, these ups and downs, but so beautiful too. Big hugs to you! ❤️
Sending you so many hugs. I think I managed to escape perimenopause because I had a hysterectomy in my late 30s so it was instant menopause; but post-menopause has been a nightmare. I have the brain fog and there are times I think I'm developing dementia or something! For what it's worth? I'm glad you're able to cry now - even if it's not at the most ideal times. You're finally allowing yourself to FEEL all those emotions you stuffed for so long - and that's definitely much healthier!
Melissa, I wholeheartedly agree. I had years of numbing from years of trauma—it was a protective measure, and it served me well for a long time, but that time has passed.
I'm so sorry to hear post-menopause has been a nightmare for you. Brain fog can be quite scary!
It definitely can! I used to do jigsaw puzzles a lot and that seemed to help with my concentration issues. Need to do that again once I’m done with my move to Virginia!
I need to look into this!
I completed and framed several - then went into a bit of a spiral in my personal life - broke up with my BF of 4 years and moved out of our shared home - and just haven't gotten back to them. There are so many cool puzzles out there to do!
Such a great description of what brain fog can feel like. I recently spoke to Dr Heather Hirsch’s Menopause Collaborative about the benefits of adding specific journal writing tools and techniques to reduce brain fog. Scientifically proven to improve SO many of the prefrontal cortex functions that are estrogen depleted during menopause - and fyi - this is the same area that is affected for ADHD! I will be offering a workshop in January to kick midlife in the new year!
It’s really such a fun way to get clarity! For what’s next, what’s going on and how to handle the influx of symptoms and changes. What I’ve discovered is that as we go through all these physiological, chemical, emotional and cognitive changes PLUS the lifestyle upheaval that may be occurring - is that so many of us have a yearning for MORE. But we don’t know where to begin. The Joy of Menopause: Midlife Magic is all about telling our personal narratives FORWARD. With the tool provided we can tackle the blank page and the next chapter with clarity, organization, vision and intention. I have a few classes that I ADORE! My favorites include: Creating a roadmap to Joy and then taking that a step further into Developing your unique mantra statement, mission statement and midlife creed.
I am a licensed SLP, certified journal coach and award winning writer. I also coach writers how to beat the blank page with journaling😉
Very cool, Just subscribed. I love the idea of midlife magic. That's the upside of this time of life, when you can lean in and discover a whole new side to yourself.
Yay! Welcome!!!
Thank you!
Karen, this is so interesting. I'd love to hear more about the workshop.
I got so frustrated that I decided to interview an ADHD therapist for my Substack. I thought I had early stage Alzheimer's or dementia, and was completely freaking out.
I wish I had taken that approach instead of doing a full neuropsychological eval or at least had more information about the connection between brain fog and menopause before I did mine. I would have asked so many different questions, although with how silo'd our medical and mental health community is here in America, I am not sure I would have gotten the information I sought. Hopefully you did.
Your honesty is inspiring! And you are the perfect person to give advice by sharing about your unique journey. From what I can gather, menopause experiences are individual but there are many commonalities too. I resonate with so much of what you wrote- thank you!
Glad to hear it resonated! I did an interview a few weeks ago that will be publishing soon with Megrette Fletcher, who cofounded the Center for Mindful Eating. She talked about the importance of lived experience and how sharing our experiences can be very powerful for others who are going through the same thing. Until that point, I never really got just how valuable it is.