After receiving positive feedback for my new menopause page on the Lori Michiel Fitness website, I thought this subject was worth exploring further…so here goes.
I started my menopause journey with a big dose of denial. Although every month I hated getting my periods, it just seemed strange to me that they were becoming more and more infrequent. Although I was suspicious when I completely missed my period for a month, you can bet that I was also thrilled!
I would go months with no changes in my mood, and then suddenly I would be hit with a tidal wave of emotions. I didn’t notice it, but my husband sure did. Every day I’d hear him say “What’s the matter; why are you so angry?” Then of course I’d get defensive, and the cycle continued.
I went to my gynecologist who I vaguely remember telling me I am in the throes of “perimenopause” which literally means “around menopause”. According to her, she said it meant I was in a transitional stage that starts a few years before my period ends. Lovely! How would I have known? My friends didn’t talk about it, or I just wasn’t tuned into listening yet.
Looking back at my childhood, I learned all I needed to know about womanhood from a film in sixth grade. This was around the same time I bought a training bra at the local five and dime. I certainly don’t recall ever talking with my mother about the whole menstrual cycle or menopause either.
The only memory that sticks out is when I was 49-years-old. I spent an afternoon at my mother’s home, doing some decorating. We went from room to room and when we got to the bathroom, I found boxes of unopened sanitary napkins. She handed them to me and said, “Here, I never use them anymore.” I replied, “Sure ma, but why don’t you use them?” Although I never received a clear answer from her, I took them, since it was more convenient than having to make my own trip to the store. It wasn’t until a year later, as I began feeling menopausal symptoms, such as missing my periods one month while having a heavy flow other months, that I could fully grasp why she gave them away.
Now I know all too well why a woman’s period will stop – usually in her fifties. It also solved why I couldn’t sleep well at night, and why later I would be drawn into reading every book I could get my hands on regarding menopause. It is too bad that the Dr. Oz show was not yet airing when my perimenopause symptoms began.
Hopefully women reading this will be able to recognize their menopause symptoms and, more importantly, take healthy steps towards fitness solutions that can help them cope with the roller coaster of hormones. If you’re not ready to go through your menopause journey alone, contact Lori Michiel Fitness. Our well-educated staff members are trained in fun and entertaining exercises that are effective and specific for women in menopause and perimenopause.