Thank you for writing back, Klara! Where am I on this? I just turned 45, & for the last few years have felt a shift in the way I have felt, mostly emotionally, some physically. Most I have blamed on extreme stress/shift work & unhappiness with my work place...but knew because of my age, it could be a combination of that and perimenopause.
A year ago, in Nov., I had my first night time hot flashes. OMG! I woke up in the middle of the night, the classic throwing back of the covers, a fine sheen of sweat all over, then
freezing when I cooled off, because I was damp! This went on for 2 or 3 weeks, then bammo. That was it, haven't done it since. I'll skip my period, then I'll have one, then not, then things were semi-normal for a few months...I have just come to expect the unexpected. Not really any hot flashes since Nov., just a few times of getting stressed out & feeling a bit of face flushing.
Every woman is different. The culture they were raised in, how women's issues are viewed, their strengths, their weaknesses. I think this is what the book was expressing, in the women telling their stories. It seems like in talking with women I work with, most are
interested in doing something more natural to support their health...but always end with "I'll have to ask my doctor first", for even the smallest things. I've not been able to discover a doctor like the cool ones in books & magazines, they just want to hand you a prescription, & send you out the door. It is more time efficient to do this, rather than to spend time reading & keeping up with research on natural foods/herbs/healing & how they affect our health. And for many, it is scary to disagree with their doctor, & to say No. So they don't.
When I talked about my symptoms w/my DH, he would say, maybe you need to go to the doctor. I'd laugh & say why?? Most every woman on the planet goes through menopause, it is a natural thing, not a medical condition to be treated. *As long as things appear to be progressing normally*, nothing extreme, I see no reason to interfere. I wanted to read & inform myself before the peak of menopause hit, so I would know what to expect, & not be intimidated into taking a prescription from a doctor. Although I hope to do things naturally, I support women making other choices if they feel they need the help. I would only hope they educate themselves first, look at all their choices, then decide. It makes me sad when they complain about so many different problems (not necessarily dealing w/menopause), but are totally unwilling to even consider changing their diet, or try new foods.
I liked this quote from the book:
Quote:
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I see a lot of women from different cultures. Some don't talk about their issues, but manifest them in physical illnesses. I think we all need to share and talk about our lives. Life is one big circle and we are all connected. If we don't share and teach others about our lives, then the journey, our circle, gets broken, and we have a hard time trying to mend that break. Life can be very stressful if we are not there to support each other.--Isabelle Bird Horse
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I have a great relationship with my mom, but always wanted a sister, too. It is such a wonderful feeling of support to be able to have other women to talk with & be supportive & ask questions, when you may be feeling a bit nervous about these approaching changes.
Dreamlily
P.S. I apologize for any spelling errors; I tried to do a Spellcheck, but got this message: "You need to fill in the Database Information in the Spelling Configuration File." What's up with that?