Skirting Menopause: A Personal Journey
I made a decision many years ago: I wasn’t going to go through menopause. Hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, brain fog—this didn’t sound like a party. I figured I’d skip it.
A Decade of Avoidance
For a long time, it looked as though my plan would work: I was in the latter half of my fifties before I had a single hot flash. Then I had another one. And then—I think you know where this is going—I had another one. (True, I hadn’t had my period in almost a year, but hadn’t my cycle always been erratic?) My master plan had failed! But this didn’t mean I was going to go sweatily into that bad night.
The Unexpected Twist
For two decades, I was in great hands with my general practitioner, a woman a few years older than I am who, I assumed, would be there to tell me what was around the corner, including menopause-wise. Well, last spring she had the nerve to retire early. This turned out to be only four months before my hot flashes came on like a vengeful ex. Faced with a replacement GP who didn’t look old enough to menstruate, I decided that within my multi-location Boston-area healthcare practice there simply had to be an ob-gyn who specialized in treating menopausal symptoms. And there is! (Not everyone has my good fortune, though: A 2023 survey found that only 31.3% of ob-gyn residency programs include menopause training. I was very lucky to find a bona fide expert.)
Seeking Expert Help
I booked a televisit with Martha K. Richardson, MD, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist, for whom menopause education is a passion. “Pediatricians discuss adolescence, there is lots of childbirth education, and there’s almost nothing in the clinical setting preparing women for menopause,” she would later tell me. During our appointment, I asked Dr. Richardson for whatever would stop the near-hourly hot flashes—hot seizures, I had taken to calling them. By keeping me from sleeping through the night, they made me feel, in one of life’s more thoughtless ironies, like an infant. As I expected, she suggested hormone therapy (also known as hormone replacement therapy), which I had always understood was the go-to for unhappily menopausing women.
Initial Reservations
Just so you know, I wasn’t blasé about turning to hormone therapy, which is the process of adding back some of the hormones the body has stopped producing. I have always been annoyingly abstemious as far as drugs, alcohol, and medicine go—I’ve never even been on the birth-control pill, disliking the idea of a regulated period when mine had always been renegade. “Baby steps,” I said to Dr. Richardson, meaning that I wanted the lowest possible dose of hormones to start with.
Conclusion
As I navigated this new chapter of my life, I was grateful to have found a trusted expert in Dr. Richardson. With her guidance, I was able to find relief from the hot flashes and other symptoms that had been disrupting my life. I realized that menopause doesn’t have to be a negative experience, and that with the right support and treatment, women can thrive during this stage of their lives.
FAQs
Q: What is menopause?
A: Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of a woman’s reproductive period. It is characterized by the cessation of menstruation and the decline of hormone production, particularly estrogen.
Q: What are the symptoms of menopause?
A: Common symptoms of menopause include hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, brain fog, and changes in sleep patterns.
Q: Is hormone therapy effective for menopause symptoms?
A: Yes, hormone therapy, also known as hormone replacement therapy, is often used to alleviate menopause symptoms. It involves adding back some of the hormones the body has stopped producing to help regulate the body’s functions.
Q: How can I get help with menopause symptoms?
A: Women can seek help from their primary care physician or an obstetrician-gynecologist (ob-gyn) who has experience in treating menopausal symptoms. They can also seek support from online resources, support groups, and healthcare providers who specialize in menopause care.