Perimenopause and Menopause - What's Been Challenging for You?

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone ~ I developed Holistic Menopause in 2004 and am so

grateful for the opportunity (thanks to the internet) to have helped

hundreds of women in 19 countries learn to " Embrace the Change " with

Personal Consultations and The Online Retreat.

 

Now, I'm developing live retreats and workshops and hope to get some

feedback from the wonderful women in this group. Guys, your imput is

certainly welcome too!

 

Tell me... what's been the most challenging part of your journey

through perimenopause and menopause?

 

Hot flashes, depression, insomnia, lack of confidence, self-esteem

issues, weight gain... if you need more ideas, visit the symptom and

signs list here: http://tinyurl.com/ywskmq

 

If you don't want to share in the group, just send me a personal email

at: michelle

 

I really appreciate hearing from you ~ thanks so much!

Michelle

 

http://www.HolisticMenopause.com

[Guest guest]

Hi Michelle,

My situation is kind of different (at least feels like it) as I had a partial

hysterectomy back in '94. Every time I have asked my Dr. about certain things I

was experiencing physically, emotionally, etc he would check my hormones and say

I had the hormones of a 20 something (not near that age by far). I have had way

too many physical/emotional symptoms on your list to not believe I am either in

perimenopause/menopause. I find what has been the most difficult for me is the

yo-yo mood swings, quite often I will find myself crying to tv

shows/commercials, things I might have done while pregnant with my babies. Yes,

I have been diagnosed with depression but I have had that diagnosis long before

my hysterectomy. As far as treatments, even when he told me my hormones were

fine I really questioned what he told me and that inner voice said " but " so I

started using holistic products and found my crying slacked off and I was not

biting my husbands head off for

nothing. Since I lost my job I have not been able to get these holistic

products so I have noticed the mood swings are back (hubby notices too). So I am

assuming it is hormonal and not just the depression getting worse.

Sorry about the rambling, but must admit is a subject dear to the soul. Take

care ... Susan

 

Hope all is well with you and yours.

Image by FlamingText.com

 

 

 

 

Michelle <michelle

 

Monday, October 8, 2007 4:41:04 PM

Perimenopause and Menopause - What's Been

Challenging for You?

 

Hi everyone ~ I developed Holistic Menopause in 2004 and am so

grateful for the opportunity (thanks to the internet) to have helped

hundreds of women in 19 countries learn to " Embrace the Change " with

Personal Consultations and The Online Retreat.

 

Now, I'm developing live retreats and workshops and hope to get some

feedback from the wonderful women in this group. Guys, your imput is

certainly welcome too!

 

Tell me... what's been the most challenging part of your journey

through perimenopause and menopause?

 

Hot flashes, depression, insomnia, lack of confidence, self-esteem

issues, weight gain... if you need more ideas, visit the symptom and

signs list here: http://tinyurl. com/ywskmq

 

If you don't want to share in the group, just send me a personal email

at: michelle@holisticme nopause.com

 

I really appreciate hearing from you ~ thanks so much!

Michelle

 

http://www.Holistic Menopause. com

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Michelle! Isn't it great when you can take a passion, turn it into

a business and help others in the process? I'm sure those hundreds of

women are very thankful you did.

 

I don't mind sharing with the group what my biggest challenge was. I

was handling everything fairly well until warm moments became hot, hot

flashes. It was bad enough during the daytime - nothing like your face

going bright red and sweat pouring down your back when you're in the

middle of a meeting (that was in my former PR days). Or trying to get

things done at home when you constantly feel the need to change what

you're wearing to cool down or warm back up.

 

To add to that, hot flashes woke me up several times a night like a

tornado siren had just gone off in my ear. My heart would pound, and

then the heat would hit. Throw off the covers, try to find a cool

spot, and, eventually, fall back asleep. Not long later, wake back up

because I'm freezing now that my body has cooled down and the sweat is

evaporating. Rinse, repeat (in effect) Talk about trying to put in a

constructive day the night after those - really makes it difficult.

 

What adds to that is the misunderstanding and the lack of sympathy

there often is for menopause. It's a joke, just as women's menstrual

symptoms are. And, you know what? When you're suffering with this,

it's not funny. I tried to - and did a reasonable job of - keeping my

humor, but some extra empathy and sympathy would have been nice. Sure,

I got some from friends who were in the same boat or had been there,

done that. But, overall, it feels belittling to have the world joke

about what is so damaging to your overall well being.

 

So, with all that, I applaud your work to help women. It's so needed,

and it's great to see new choices for women, especially in the

holistic vein and especially not involving a dangerous pill to cover

it up.

 

Cindy

 

Cindy Kirchhoff, life coach

http://livinginrhyme.com

Reclaim your power and passion

 

, " Michelle " <michelle

wrote:

>

> Hi everyone ~ I developed Holistic Menopause in 2004 and am so

> grateful for the opportunity (thanks to the internet) to have helped

> hundreds of women in 19 countries learn to " Embrace the Change " with

> Personal Consultations and The Online Retreat.

>

> Now, I'm developing live retreats and workshops and hope to get some

> feedback from the wonderful women in this group. Guys, your imput is

> certainly welcome too!

>

> Tell me... what's been the most challenging part of your journey

> through perimenopause and menopause?

>

> Hot flashes, depression, insomnia, lack of confidence, self-esteem

> issues, weight gain... if you need more ideas, visit the symptom and

> signs list here: http://tinyurl.com/ywskmq

>

> If you don't want to share in the group, just send me a personal email

> at: michelle

>

> I really appreciate hearing from you ~ thanks so much!

> Michelle

>

> http://www.HolisticMenopause.com

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Cindy, and thanks so much for your feedback. I really appreciate

it!

 

Yeah, it's amazing that although women in peri and meno are the

largest demographic in America, there's such a lack of understanding

on the topic. Sadly, too many women continue to approach this natural

life transition as some kind of dreaded " disease " .

 

Sympathy? Well, just a little compassion sure goes a long way! I

guess it's like anything ~ you can't understand until you've

experienced it. And, some women do just breeze right through symptom

free although for most that's not the case.

 

Beyond the physical, it's an amazingly transformative time of life if

women can only learn to embrace it.

 

This quote expresses it all so well ~

 

" The joy of menopause is the world's best-kept secret. Like venturing

through the gateway to enter an ancient temple, in order to claim

that joy a woman must be willing to pass beyond the monsters guarding

its gate. As you stand at the brink of it, it can appear that only

darkness, danger and decay lie beyond. But, as thousands of women

from all cultures throughout history have whispered to each other, it

is the most exciting passage a woman ever makes. " Leslie Kenton

 

Thanks again,

Michelle

http://www.HolisticMenopause.com

 

 

Hi Michelle! Isn't it great when you can take a passion, turn it into

a business and help others in the process? I'm sure those hundreds of

women are very thankful you did.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for sharing this Susan.

 

Too often, women feel like they are alone, that something is

terribly " wrong " or that they are going crazy! I really believe that

when women speak up and talk about their experiences, it empowers

others so much.

 

And, the docs sure don't help one bit, do they? Most just don't get

it and a standard blood draw all too often shows hormones in

the " normal range " . I remember I had gone for months without a period

and had multiple symptoms, but my tests came back " normal " . Ummm, I

don't think so!

 

Thanks again, Susan.

Michelle

http://www.HolisticMenopause.com

 

 

Every time I have asked my Dr. about certain things I was

experiencing physically, emotionally, etc he would check my hormones

and say I had the hormones of a 20 something (not near that age by

far). I have had way too many physical/emotional symptoms on your

list to not believe I am either in perimenopause/menopause.